Chapter 9 - Introduction to Color

CHAPTER 9

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Photography

PMA wishes to express their appreciation to the Noritsu Corporation

for their cooperation in supplying the data included in this chapter.

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CHAPTER 9

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CHAPTER 9

INTRODUCTION
TO
COLOR

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NORITSU AMERICA CORPORATION

INTRODUCTION TO COLOR
LIGHT
Visual perception or seeing depends on the presence of light.

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While light can be any color, we in photo finishing think in terms of white light.
White light is a combination of red, green and blue light. The figure below
illustrates this fact. Where the red, green and blue circles of light overlap, they
combine to form white light. Red, green and blue are primary colors.
By combining equal amounts of any two primary colors, another color occurs. There
are three possible combinations of primary colors and, therefore, three other colors.
Red + Green

Yellow

Red + Blue

Magenta

Green + Blue

Cyan

The figure also shows that wherever two primary colors overlap, youll find these
other colors. Yellow, magenta and cyan are secondary colors.

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COMPLEMENTARY COLORS
Complements are two colors of light (one primary and one secondary) that combine
to form white light. The complementary colors are Red Cyan, Blue Yellow,
and Green Magenta.

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White Light
White Light
White Light
White Light.

Red and Cyan are complements.

Green and Magenta are complements.
Blue and Yellow are complements.

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Therefore:

=
=
=
=

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Remember: Red + Blue + Green

Red + Cyan (Green + Blue)
Green + Magenta (Red + Blue)
Blue + Yellow (Red + Green)

FILTERS

When you see a red object, it is because the objects surface absorbs green and blue
light. This means the red light is all that reflects to your eyes. If something is
black, it means the objects surface absorbs nearly all the light striking it. This lack
of reflected light is why the object appears black. On the other hand, white objects
absorb very little light. This means nearly equal amounts of red, green and blue
light reflect to your eyes to form white.
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A filter is any substance that absorbs light.

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PHOTOGRAPHIC FILTERS
In photography, we concentrate on transparent filters. All future references to
filters in Introduction to Color means transparent filters.
COLOR FILTERS

Remember: Filters
1. Pass their own color of light.
2. Absorb their complementary color of light.
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A yellow filter passes yellow light, which we have already pointed out is a
combination of red and green light. Stated in another way, a yellow filter allows
yellow light to pass while absorbing its complement blue light. A magenta filter
passes magenta light while absorbing its complement green light. Finally, a cyan
filter passes cyan light while absorbing its complement red light. YELLOW,
MAGENTA and CYAN filters are secondary filters.

Photography

Transparent filters only pass their own color of light and absorb their
complementary color of light. A red filter passes red light and absorbs cyan light
(green and blue light). A green filter passes green light and absorbs magenta. A
blue filter passes blue light and absorbs yellow. RED, GREEN and BLUE filters
are primary filters.

NEUTRAL DENSITY FILTERS

Remember: Cyan filters absorb Red light

Magenta filters absorb Green light
Yellow filters absorb Blue light
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Another type of transparent filter is the neutral density filter. A neutral density
filter has equal amounts of cyan, magenta and yellow and it absorbs all colors of
light. Like the colored filters, neutral density filters pass their own color of light
and absorb their complementary colors.

We can make a filter with cyan, magenta and yellow dyes less than that needed for
total absorption. When we do this, the filter will absorb only some light while
passing the rest. When we control the overall quantity of cyan, magenta and
yellow, we control how much light absorbs and how much passes.

LOW DENSITY

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HIGH DENSITY

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Introduction to Color, Page 5

NEGATIVE COLOR EMULSIONS

Color negative film has several emulsion layers. For ease of understanding, we will
only discuss three layers. Each of these three layers is sensitive to one primary
color; one layer is sensitive to red light, one to green light, and one to blue light.

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Dye Formation: (Through chemical processing)

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Introduction to Color, Page 6

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If we expose the red sensitive layer to red light and then chemically process it, a
cyan dye forms in that layer. Similarly, exposing the green sensitive layer to green
light and processing it forms a magenta dye. The blue sensitive layer, exposed to
blue light, processes up to a yellow dye.

THE COLOR NEGATIVE

Taking a picture also depends on the presence of light. If we use the scene below to
expose a piece of color negative film

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Subject Color

FILM

And Then Chemically Process It

You will notice in the layers that received exposure, a dye has formed. This film dye
works just like the filters we've already discussed. For example, where cyan dye
forms, red light is absorbed. Likewise the formation of magenta dye absorbs green
light and the formation of yellow dye absorbs blue light.

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THE COLOR PRINT

Like color negatives, there are two distinct steps in the making of a color print,
exposure and chemical processing.
In the exposure step, light shines through the negative onto the color photographic
paper. Color paper also has several layers. Like film, each of three layers is
sensitive to a different primary color of light.

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COLOR PAPER

In the chemical processing step, the exposed layers process into filter dyes.
PROCESSED COLOR PAPER

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CHEMICALLY PROCESSED FILM

VIEWING THE COLOR PRINT

To view all the color in a color print, you must have white light. The color you see is
the light remaining after white light passes through the dye layers, reflects off the
paper base, passes back through the dye layers and finally reaches your eyes.

Remember: CYAN dye absorbs RED light.

MAGENTA dye absorbs GREEN light.
YELLOW dye absorbs BLUE light.

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For ease in understanding, we separated the white light in the example below into
its primary colors of red, green and blue.

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DYE DENSITY
The density of a dye layer is directly proportional to the amount of exposure that
layer receives. For example, the more exposure the red sensitive layer receives, the
more dense the cyan dye layer will be after processing.

A decrease in dye density (within a layer) is the reverse of above.

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The second method extends the length of time that the layer receives light. Many
printers, including several from Noritsu, use this method.

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We can increase the exposure in a layer two ways. The first method is to increase
the relative intensity of that color of light. Therefore, to increase the exposure on
the red sensitive layer, increase the intensity of the red light. Most QSS printers
use this method to increase individual dye densities.

SELF PACED QUIZ FOR INTRODUCTION TO COLOR

Questions for page 1.

1. Red, green and blue are called ____________________colors.

3. Cyan is a mixture of ____________________and ____________________light.

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2. Magenta is a mixture of ____________________and ____________________light.

4. Yellow is a mixture of ____________________and ____________________light.

ANSWERS
1. ____________________
2. ____________________and ____________________
3. ____________________and ____________________
4. ____________________and ____________________

Questions for page 2.

5. Complements are two colors of light which combine to form
____________________ ____________________.
6. Red is the complement of ____________________.
7. Yellow is the complement of ____________________.
ANSWERS
5. ____________________
6. ____________________
7. ____________________

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Introduction to Color, Page 11

Questions for page 3

8. What color will an object appear to be if its surface absorbs all of the red and
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ANSWERS
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9. ____________________
Questions for page 4 and 5
10. A filter will only pass its ____________________light.
Questions for page 4 and 5
11. A filter will absorb ____________________light.
10. A filter will only pass its ____________________light.
12. A green filter will absorb ____________________and ____________________.
11. A filter will absorb ____________________light.
13. A cyan filter will absorb ____________________light.
12. A green filter will absorb ____________________and ____________________.
14. If a yellow and magenta filter were combined, what color of light would be
13.
A cyantofilter
absorb ____________________light.
allowed
pass will
through?
14. If a yellow and magenta filter were combined, what color of light would be
allowed to pass through?
ANSWERS
10. ____________________
ANSWERS
11. ____________________
10. ____________________
12. ____________________and ____________________
11. ____________________
13. ____________________
12. ____________________and ____________________
14. ____________________
13. ____________________
14. ____________________

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8. ____________________
ANSWERS
9. ____________________
8. ____________________

Questions for page 6

15. When exposed and processed the blue sensitive layer will be transformed into a
____________________ ____________________
16. When exposed and processed the green sensitive layer will be transformed into a

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____________________ ____________________
17. When exposed and processed the red sensitive layer will be transformed into a
____________________ ____________________
ANSWERS
15. ____________________ ____________________
16. ____________________ ____________________
17. ____________________ ____________________

Questions for page 7

18. If you were to expose film to the following colors, what color dye would be formed
in the chemical processing:
a. Yellow

e.

White

b. Black

f.

Blue

c.

Red

g. Cyan

d. Magenta

h. Green

ANSWERS
a. ____________________

e. ____________________

b. ____________________

f. ____________________

c. ____________________

g. ____________________

d. ____________________

h. ____________________

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Questions for page 8

19. If the following dye or dyes are present in the negative, after exposure and
chemical processing, which dyes or dye will be present in the paper?
e.

Magenta

b. Cyan and Yellow

f.

Cyan and Magenta

c.

g. Cyan, Magenta and Yellow

Cyan

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d. Yellow and Magenta

h. None

ANSWERS
a. ____________________

e. ____________________

b. ____________________

f. ____________________

c. ____________________

g. ____________________

d. ____________________

h. ____________________

Questions for page 9

20. What color will your eye see if the following dyes are present in the prints
emulsion.
e. Magenta
a. Yellow
f. Cyan
b. Magenta and Cyan
g. Magenta, Yellow and Cyan
c. Yellow and Cyan
h. Yellow and Magenta
d. None
ANSWERS
a. ____________________

e. ____________________

b. ____________________

f. ____________________

c. ____________________

g. ____________________

d. ____________________

h. ____________________

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a. Yellow

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CHAPTER 9

NORITSU AMERICA CORPORATION

C. McDUELL - TECHNICAL INFORMATION DEPARTMENT
APRIL 1, 1993 (rev. 1.10/5/94)

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