What is RGB? Explained in a simple and understandable way

If you come across the term RGB on the Internet, the abbreviation leaves plenty of scope for interpretation. We tell you what RGB is and how the technology works.

RGB - what is it? This is behind ...

• The abbreviation RGB stands for red, green and blue. It is a model that specifies certain color values.
• With the three primary colors red, green and blue, almost all colors, the so-called light colors, can be represented.
• These are mixed in a certain ratio. Around 16 million different colors are possible.

RGB in practice: Where is RGB used?

• The RGB color space is used for monitors, smartphones and televisions, among others. Blue, red and green light spots are located close to each other on the display and cannot be recognized individually by the human eye.
• If a pixel on the screen should turn white, for example, all three colors light up simultaneously. With the right mix of blue, green and red light, a wide variety of colors can be displayed for each pixel.
• In addition to the RGB color model, there is also the CMYK color model. This is used by printers, among other things, because colors are mixed differently here. The CMYK colors are mixed from the colors cyan (blue), magenta (red), yellow (yellow) and key (black component).

In the next practical tip, we will show you how to convert images from RGB to CMYK.