What Is “Primary” About Subtractive Primary Colors?
The subtractive cyan, yellow and magenta primaries are presented as the basic or elemental colors in subtractive color mixing, no matter what kinds of materials paints, inks, dyes, pigments or filters are used to embody those colors. This substitutes apparent color, the color sensation in average or individual eyes, for the chemical and physical attributes of paints or inks that determines the reflectance curve. Apparent color sweeps under the rug all the material qualities of paint pigments, especially mineral and opaque ones. The “Black” Color Theory. The first question to address is: what is the universal visual effect on color that happens when we mix material substances? The answer: when we combine paints, dyes or filters, we do not increase their light reflecting (or transmitting) behavior but their light absorbing behavior. A subtractive mixture absorbs light wavelengths that either colorant absorbs by itself. Subtractive mixture always increases darkness in material colors. Thi
