Primary Colors
There are two modern answers — RGB for screens and CMY for print — plus the traditional RYB model taught in art. Here is what each one means and why the "correct" answer depends on the medium.
The two real primary sets
RGB — additive (screens)
Light mixes additively: adding light makes things brighter. Red light, green light and blue light combine to produce white. This is how monitors, phones, TVs, projectors and LED displays create every color you see on screen.
CMY — subtractive (print)
Pigments mix subtractively: adding more pigment removes more light. Cyan, magenta and yellow pigment combine in equal amounts to produce near-black. In practice, printers add a K channel (black) to produce sharp text and deeper blacks — this is CMYK.
RYB — traditional (art)
The red-yellow-blue model is taught in schools for painting intuition. It predates modern color science and does not describe screens or four-color printing. It is still useful for thinking about the color wheel informally — but when designing for screens, RGB is the operative system.
Comparison
| Model | Primaries | Medium | Mixing |
|---|---|---|---|
| RGB | Red · Green · Blue | Screens, LEDs, light | Additive (add light) |
| CMY | Cyan · Magenta · Yellow | Printing, paint, pigment | Subtractive (remove light) |
| RYB | Red · Yellow · Blue | Traditional art teaching | Pedagogical model |
Why there is no single answer
A primary color is defined as a color that cannot be produced by mixing other colors in that system — and from which all other colors in the system can be derived. Because "mixing" means different things on a screen and on paper, the primaries are different too. Neither set is more correct: they describe two different physical processes.
Frequently asked questions
What are the three primary colors?
For screens: red, green, blue (RGB). For print: cyan, magenta, yellow (CMY). The traditional RYB model is a teaching tool that does not reflect screens or modern four-color printing.
Why is there more than one set?
Because the correct primaries depend on the medium. Screens mix light (additive), so their primaries are emissive. Printing mixes pigment (subtractive), so its primaries are subtractive. Neither is more “true”.
Can you mix primaries to get every color?
No. Neither RGB nor CMY covers the entire human-visible spectrum. There are saturated colors outside both gamuts — which is why wide-gamut spaces like Display-P3 and Rec.2020 exist for screens, and why some paint colors cannot be reproduced on a standard CMYK press.
What is the RYB model then?
RYB (red-yellow-blue) is a traditional art model predating modern physics. It is still taught for painting intuition and appears on many color wheels, but it does not accurately describe the primaries of light or the primaries of modern four-color printing.