How does RGB relate to human color perception?

The RGB color model is an additive system that combines red, green, and blue light to reproduce a broad spectrum of colors. Before the electronic age, the model was supported by a solid theory rooted in the human perception of colors. While color models describe colors mathematically, absolute reference spaces like CIELAB are designed to encompass all colors the average human eye can see.

What we know

• The RGB color model is an additive model where red, green, and blue primary colors of light are combined to reproduce various colors. [1, 2]
• Before electronic displays, the RGB color model already possessed a solid theoretical foundation based on human color perception. [2]
• Reference spaces such as CIELAB and CIEXYZ were specifically designed to encompass all the colors that the average human eye can see. [4]
• Color perception begins in the human visual system through the differential stimulation of various types of photoreceptors by incoming light. [5]

Where to go next

• the bigger pictureWhat is a color appearance model?
• how it workedHow do electronic displays use RGB?
• compared withHow does the CMYK model differ from RGB?
• how we knowWhat is a color space?
• what caused itHow did human color vision evolve in primates?
• an unexpected connectionHow does primate foraging behavior connect to color spaces?The biological mechanisms of human and primate color vision, which evolved to detect ripe fruit and young leaves, ultimately dictate the foundational theories behind modern device color models.

Sources

• [1]RGB color model (Wikidata Q166194) · CC0 1.0
• [2]RGB color model · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Color appearance model · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Color space · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Color vision · CC BY-SA 4.0