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# Color Printing Mechanism

The three primary colors of light (RGB) and the three primary colors of Pigment (CMY)

All light can be produced using a mixture of three colors known collectively as RGB. R stands for red, G for green, and B for blue. When mixed in the same proportion, white light is created.

- The three RGB colors are called the primary colors of light. The RGB colors are also used to produce the colors displayed on the screen of a computer.

Printed colors are produced using a mixture of the three CMY colors. C stands for cyan, M for magenta, and Y for yellow. When mixed in the same proportion, black is created.

- The CMY colors are called the primary colors of pigment. Printers use CMY colored ink plus K (black) colored ink to print in full color.

The primary colors of light (RGB) can be mixed to produce the secondary colors of cyan, magenta, and yellow. Conversely, the primary colors of pigment (CMY) can be mixed to produce red, green, and blue. When two primary colors are mixed, the resulting color is the complimentary color of the remaining primary color. Red and cyan, green and magenta, and blue and yellow are pairs of complementary colors.