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RGB Color Model
The RBG color model is a way of combining red, green, and blue light to produce a wide range of colors.
RGB is an acronym for red, green, and blue. Virtually all color displays use the RGB color model to define colors.
Colors defined by RGB codes will vary slightly in how they are displayed from one device to the next since there is not a definitive standard used by hardware manufacturers to define how hardware should interpret RGB codes. In addition, displays change with use and the way they render RGB codes will change a little over time.
The RBG color model is built on combining light. Therefore, when all three values are present in full strength, the result is white, and when all three values are completely absent, the result is black. This model works in opposite fashion when compared to the color model used in printers, which begins with a white surface and applies colors in increasing strength to produce dark shades.
Frequently Asked Questions
What devices use the RGB color model?
According to Wikipedia, video cameras, image scanners, video games, digital cameras, computer displays, smartphone displays, video projectors, LED displays, and large JumboTron style screens all employ the RGB color model. In other words, virtually every electronic device that relies on light to produce color use the RGB color model.
Can all colors be rendered by an RGB color model?
While the RGB model is capable of producing a massive range of color, it cannot be used to reproduce all colors.
How many colors can an RGB color model accommodate?
Current computer specifications are capable of processing 256 different levels of concentration for each color. Every RGB color code consists of three values:
- A Red value ranging from 0 to 255.
- A Green value ranging from 0 to 255.
- A Blue value ranging from 0 to 255.
If we multiply the number of options available for each color we arrive at 16.7 million (256 x 256 x 256) available colors. Considering that the human eye can only differentiate around 10 million different colors – and that's a perfectly-functioning human eye – the RGB color model produces more colors than the human eye is capable of picking out.
How are colors defined on a website?
On the web, RGB codes are inserted into the source code of a website, typically in one or more Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) files, and rendered by the browser. To get a sense of how RGB codes work on the web, here are a few common colors as they would be described in a CSS file:
Red: rgb(255,0,0)
Green: rgb(0,255,0)
Blue: rgb(0,0,255)
White: rgb(255,255,255)
Black: rgb(0,0,0)
Gray: rgb(192,192,192)