Subtractive Color Model

The subtractive color model explains how colors are created by removing or absorbing certain wavelengths of light. When pigments or dyes are mixed, each one subtracts (absorbs) specific colors, allowing only certain wavelengths to reach your eyes. For example, mixing yellow and blue pigments absorbs other colors but reflects green, so you see green. This model underpins color mixing in printing and painting, where combining different inks or dyes results in a broad spectrum of colors by subtracting parts of the light spectrum from white light. It’s called "subtractive" because colors are created by subtracting wavelengths from white light.