RGB Color Model

light · color · screens

Red, green, blue. These three colors of light are the building blocks for all colors on TVs, computer monitors, and phones. When you mix them in different amounts, you can make millions of different colors.

Adding light works differently. RGB is additive, which means you add light together to make brighter colors. This is opposite to paint, where mixing colors makes them darker.

Every pixel uses RGB. Each tiny dot on your screen contains three tiny lights: red, green, and blue. By making each one bright or dim, screens create the exact colors you see.

Millions of color combinations. With 256 levels of brightness for each color, red, green, and blue can combine to make over 16 million different colors on your screen.

Your eyes see RGB. Human eyes have special cells that detect red, green, and blue light, which is why screens use these exact colors to fool your brain into seeing any color imaginable.