The RGB color space model is one of the most basic and widely used color representation systems in computer graphics. Its core principles and features are as follows:
1. Basic principles
Three-channel superposition: Generate other colors through linear mixing of the three primary colors of red, green, and blue, simulating the three-color perception mechanism of the human eye to light.
Additive color model: Unlike the CMYK subtractive color model of printing, RGB is an additive color model (the more colors are superimposed, the brighter they are), suitable for light-emitting devices (such as monitors and LED screens).
2. Mathematical representation
The value range of each channel is usually 0~255 (8-bit integer) or 0.0~1.0 (floating point number), and the combination form is (R, G, B).
For example: pure red is (255, 0, 0), white is (255, 255, 255), and black is (0, 0, 0).
Color mixing formula (linear combination):
C=R⋅r+G⋅g+B⋅b
Where r, g, b are the unit vectors of the base colors.
3. Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages:
Intuitively corresponds to hardware implementation (such as display pixels).
Supports a wide range of colors (sRGB standard covers most visible light).
High computational efficiency, suitable for real-time rendering.
Disadvantages:
Non-uniformity: The human eye has different sensitivities to different wavelengths, and the same numerical changes in the RGB space may cause differences in visual perception.
Color gamut limitation: Some high-saturation colors (such as pure monochromatic light of lasers) cannot be represented.
Device dependence: The RGB color gamut of different displays may be different and require calibration.
4. Common application scenarios
Color encoding of devices such as monitors, TVs, and digital cameras.
Image processing (such as color selection in Photoshop).
Computer graphics rendering (such as frame buffer format of OpenGL/DirectX).
Web design (hexadecimal color codes of HTML/CSS, such as #FF0000 for red).
5. Extension and improvement
sRGB/Adobe RGB: Standardized RGB subspaces to solve device compatibility issues.
HDR (High Dynamic Range): Expands the brightness range of RGB (such as 10-bit/12-bit channels).
Color space conversion: To solve the limitations of RGB, it is often converted to other spaces (such as HSV for color matching and XYZ for colorimetric analysis).
Example
Yellow can be obtained by mixing red and green: (255, 255, 0).
Cyan is a mixture of green and blue: (0, 255, 255).
The RGB model is the cornerstone of digital imaging technology, but it was originally designed to match hardware rather than human eye perception, so it is often used in combination with other color models in professional fields.