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MIXORA CONCEPT

Additive color mixing

Combining emitted light so that the light reaching the eye contains more energy or more wavelength regions.

colorbridgeStrong evidence
IN PLAIN LANGUAGE

Screens create color by adding red, green and blue light in different amounts. Adding all three at high intensity moves toward white; this is a different physical process from mixing paint.

What “Strong evidence” means

The core definition or effect is well established across authoritative standards, foundational research or a broad research literature. The label does not make every practical prediction certain.

Marker-board illustration created specifically to explain Additive color mixing: Combining emitted light so that the light reaching the eye contains more energy or more wavelength regions.VISUAL EXPLANATION · MARKER BOARD
Combining emitted light so that the light reaching the eye contains more energy or more wavelength regions.
EXAMPLE

A screen produces yellow by emitting red and green light together.

COMMON CONFUSION

RGB values describe emitted display light, not a recipe for physical pigments.

ASK YOURSELF

Is the color source emitting light or reflecting illumination?

RELATED CONCEPTS
color × bridgeSubtractive color mixing

Mixing colorants that absorb parts of incoming light, usually producing a darker, less reflective mixture.

color × thought × bridgePerception

Processes through which sensory information becomes an experienced and usable representation of the world.

color × bridgeColor gamut

The range of colors a device, process or chosen set of colorants can produce.

References

Last reviewed

  1. 01
    Colorimetry, 4th Edition

    CIE · 2018 · International Commission on Illumination

    Definitions and standard colorimetric practice.
    Reference source
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A practical specialist resource useful for application, but not treated as decisive research by itself.