Core_Computer Studies: RGB

RGB stands for the colors Red, Green and Blue. While CMYK are the colors used for full-color printing, RGB are the colors that monitors use.

When we are dealing with monitors what you need to remember is that you are dealing with light - not ink. Mechanisms at the back of monitors project beams of light to fill each pixel on your screen. Each pixel in a color monitor is made up of three dots; a red, a blue and a green (RGB). In an ideal world each of these coloured dots are focused on the same spot which would create a smooth image. This is where the quality of a monitor is important for if these dots are 'out of focus' you get a slightly fuzzy image and eye strain!

RGB is an additive system which means that when you add the three colors together, you get white. When none of the colors are present, you get black (or the absence of light). RGB image files being 24 bit colour have to possibility of a palette of 16 million colors.

Images files that are in RGB mode or a variation found on the internet called indexed color divide the data between three channels (one for each color).CMYK image files, on the other hand, divide the color between four channels. What this means is that CMYK images are bigger files and take up more space.

Images that are to be used purely on-screen should be in the RGB color mode or index color which is a based on RGB. Both Web pages an on-screen projects are seen on monitors which use red, green and blue (RGB) pixels to display color on-screen. Quite logically this means that images saved in an RGB color mode will naturally look better.

These notes are written for students who undertake the Core Computer course at School of Art, Australian National University. Students of the course should feel free to contact any member of staff with comments questions and general suggestions..

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