Getting Started With Colour

Colour is a way our eyes perceive the reflected or transmitted light from opaque and translucent objects and liquids at different wavelengths.

So how do colours work together to become what our eyes see? What are primary colours, secondary colours and tertiary colours? Explore colour basics, the colour wheel and colour temperatures understand these interactions of colour in the real world.

Diving Into the Colour Wheel

The colour wheel is an illustrative model that represents different colour hues around a wheel. The colours are organized to demonstrate the relationships between different hues.

Originally designed in 1666 by Isaac Newton, the colour wheel has three main components:

• Three primary colours — yellow, red and blue
• Three secondary colours — orange, purple and green
• Six tertiary colours — combinations of primary and secondary colours, such as blue-green

These elements move from warm colours to cool colours as you go around the wheel.

Hue, Tint, Shade and Tone

Colour can be subdivided depending on how it is combined with black and white. Black is the absence of light, while white is a combination of all colours on the light spectrum.

To understand colour, you need to understand some basic terms that shape what our eyes perceive from objects:

• Hue: The colours found on the colour wheel
• Tint: A hue that has white added to it
• Shade: A hue that has black added to it
• Tone: A hue that has both white and black added to it

What Are Colour Models?

The two main colour models are CMYK and RGB. CMYK stands for cyan, magenta and yellow, while RGB stands for red, green and blue. The two models have a few key differences:

• Applications: The CMYK colour model applies to printing and painting. The RGB colour model, meanwhile, is relevant to televisions, computers and electronics.
• Properties: The CMYK colour model is a subtractive model, which means it represents colours created by absorbing light and reflecting the light not absorbed. In contrast, the RGB colour model is additive, which means it combines light waves together to create specific hues.

Because of how differently these two colour models register colour, you want to ensure you’re choosing the right model for your application. Subtractive and additive models will work best only when paired with their optimized formats, whether those are print or electronic.

Reach out to HunterLab for Colour Measurement Solutions

If you’re looking for colour measurement equipment for your industrial applications, we can help. As a company, we’re committed to providing optimized solutions that provide accurate, efficient measurements for various industrial applications. For over 65 years, we’ve been delivering innovative colour measurement technologies for industry, and we continue to provide superior equipment and tools today.

Whatever your requirements, the team at HunterLab can work with you to find the right solutions for your colour measurement needs. Partner with us for trusted solutions to match your applications. For more information, reach out to us today.