Can someone please explain to me in layman‘s terms the difference between additive and subtractive colors? I have looked for this on the web but it is all to confusing.
Subtractive colors the colros are generated from the light source in the area. like the sun, a flash, lamps etc. When you print you are using subtractive colors. CMYK Cyan Magenta Yellow and Black. printed materials will be printed in using these colors. Light will hit the ink and it subtracts everthing except that color. so when you look at a cyan (light blue) color on an ad in a magazine the light is hitting the paper and all the other colors in the sepctrum are being removed thus allowing you to see just the cyan. and if I want purple I need to subract the with cyan and magenta inks Additive colors are Red Green and Blue. These are used on things like computer screens and TV's. The main source of the color is the electronics it's self. since it is generating the colors nothing gets subtracted only added. thus they are additive colors. so to make purple I need to add blue and red.
