An Explaination of Color

Color is light. Light is a form of energy and, according to theory, travels in waves. Light waves emanate from a source such as the sun, a light bulb, a white candle, etc. In any of these sources of light, there are many different wavelengths. Wavelength is measured from crest to crest in nanometers (billionths of a meter) or in mill microns (millionths of a millimeter). The visible spectrum range is usually considered to be between 380 mill microns and 770 mill microns and is part of the much larger electromagnetic spectrum.
In the seventeenth century, Sir Isaac Newton established that a beam of "colorless" light passing through a prism is refracted or bent into separate bands of colors. (Figure 1)

These are called the colors of the visible spectrum. Each color has its own wavelength. When all the wavelengths are combined in suitable proportions, they produce "white" light. All individual and combinations of colors are inherentin white light. We occasionally see this spectrum in nature in theform of a rainbow.

HOW WE SEE COLOR

All visible colors are contained in "white" or "colorless" light. Light energy travels in waves with each perceived color having a dominant wave length which differs from the wave length of any other perceived color.
The human eye acts as if it has "color receptors". One set of receptors is sensitive to red wave lengths of light, a second is receptive to green wave lengths, the third is sensitive to blue-violet wave lengths. When the red andgreen receptors are stimulated we see yellow as shown in figure 2. The various colors of the spectrum are seen depending on the strength and mixture of wave lengths which strike our receptors.
We see colorless or white light when our receptors are stimulated equally. Color then is a sensation resulting from light energy impinging on receptors in our eyes which our brain interprets as being various combinations of red, blue and green.
From the foregoing it can be seen that depends upon the quantity of light and the quality of light available to the observer. Without any light there is no visual perception at all, let alone of color. (It doesn't take many moments in a pitch black room to prove this to ourselves, or when we see brilliant colors fade to a neutral gray and finally disappear as light diminishes from daylight to dusk to darkness.) Variation in the quality of light influences our perception of color, too. (Have you ever bought a suit that appeared to be of one shade under store lighting but out in the street?)

Presentation Folders

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Color and Paper
	CHAPTER 1:	CHAPTER 2:
	What is color? Reflection & Transmission Additive & Subtractive DimensionsSummary	What things influence the appearance of color? Influence of the proximity of colors Influence of Texture on perception of color Summary
	CHAPTER 3:	CHAPTER 4:
	How do printing inks work? Summary	Influence of paper whiteness and brightness Charactertics and absorbtivity of the paper surface Summary
Relevant Links
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