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About color – Adobe Photoshop CC 2014 v.14.xx User Manual

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About color

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Understanding color
Color models, spaces, and modes
Adjusting color hue, saturation, and brightness

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Understanding color

Knowing how colors are created and how they relate to each other lets you work more effectively in Photoshop. Instead of achieving an effect by
accident, you’ll produce consistent results thanks to an understanding of basic color theory.

Primary colors

Additive primaries are the three colors of light (red, green, and blue) that produce all the colors in the visible spectrum when added together in
different combinations. Adding equal parts of red, blue, and green light produces white. The complete absence of red, blue, and green light results
in black. Computer monitors are devices that use the additive primaries to create color.

Additive colors (RGB)
A. Red B. Green C. Blue

Subtractive primaries are pigments, which create a spectrum of colors in different combinations. Unlike monitors, printers use subtractive primaries
(cyan, magenta, yellow, and black pigments) to produce colors through subtractive mixing. The term “subtractive” is used because the primary
colors are pure until you begin mixing them together, resulting in colors that are less pure versions of the primaries. For example, orange is
created through the subtractive mixing of magenta and yellow together.

Subtractive colors (CMYK)
A. Cyan B. Magenta C. Yellow D. Black

The color wheel

If you’re new to adjusting color components, it helps to keep a standard color wheel diagram on hand when you work on color balance. You can

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