The RGB color model is not an especially intuitive model for creating colors in code. This is illustrated in the interactive example below, where all possible color mixes are represented within the bounds of the cube. The RGB color model is often depicted as a cube by mapping the red, green, and blue dimensions onto the x, y, and z axis in 3D space. that a mix of 100% red and green produces yellow. When defining colors in these dimensions, one has to know the sequence of colors in the color spectrum, e.g. RGB is a color model with three dimensions – red, green, and blue – that are mixed to produce a specific color.

These color models all use the same RGB primary colors, which makes them good examples of how color models can visualize the same color spectrum in widely different dimensions.

In the following, we will look at the RGB, HSV, and HSL color models, which are all prevalent in current digital design tools and programming languages. Most modern color models have 3 dimensions (like RGB), and can therefore be depicted as 3D shapes, while other models have more dimensions (like CMYK). Throughout history, artists and scientists have depicted the color spectrum in all sorts of different models, with the goal of turning the abstract concept of the color spectrum into something comprehensible.Ī color model is a visualization that depicts the color spectrum as a multidimensional model. We do this because many of us are visual learners, and seeing something is different than hearing it.

In fact, humans tend to do this quite often, from scribbling notes in lectures, to drawing charts and maps to explain specific datasets. To understand the nature of something, it can be helpful to create a visual representation of the subject. In this chapter, we will look at three of these terms – color models, color spaces, and color profiles – and examine why it is important to develop a decent understanding of these concepts when working with color in code.

When working with color in programming languages, one will encounter quite a few terms used – often interchangeably – to describe a color’s position within the color spectrum. While the previous chapter traced some of the important developments in the history of color theory, this chapter takes a deeper look at the current landscape of digital color theory.

Convert munsell color to rgb