Colour wheel Archives | lightcolourvision.org

Colour models and colour wheels

Colour wheels are used to represent colour models that can generate a complete range (gamut) of colours using three primary colours. These models include:
- The RGB colour wheel
- The RYB colour wheel
- The CMY colour wheel
The spectral colour model, which represents individual wavelengths of light in the visible spectrum, is not typically explored using colour wheels.
- A diagram of the spectral colour model typically depicts its constituent colours in the form of a strip with red at one end and violet at the other.

Complementary colours are always opposite one another on a colour wheel.
The complementary colour of a primary colour is always a secondary colour on a colour wheel.
The pairs of primary and secondary colours that produce complementary colours depend on the colour model:
- When mixing light (using an additive colour model) the pairs are red-cyan, green-magenta and blue-yellow
- When mixing pigments (using a subtractive colour model) the pairs are red-green, yellow-purple and blue-orange
- In the case of digital printing (using a subtractive colour model), the pairs are cyan-red, magenta-green and yellow-blue
The intermediate colours between three tertiary colours on a colour wheel always include one primary and two secondary colours. Adding the two secondary colours together produces the complementary of the primary.