Published in · 5 min read · Feb 27, 2020
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I’m sure you recognize magenta — it’s that color that’s a mix between purple and red. It’s sort of pinkish-purple, and looks something like this:
This would be well and good, except there’s a little problem with the statement above: on the spectrum of light, the color(s) between purple and red are as follows: yellow, green, blue, orange… etc. Instead, magenta manifests itself on the aptly-named color wheel, which illustrates colors fading into one another. Red and purple are the two ends of the spectrum, so on the color wheel, they naturally fade into one another.
So if it doesn’t exist, why can we see it? Again, on the spectrum of elements, all visible colors (and non-visible rays) have specific wavelengths which distinguish them from the other colors on the color wheel. Magenta, because it doesn’t exist on the light spectrum, doesn’t have one. Rather, it’s something our brain creates to fill in space in a way that makes sense.
Usually, when trying to determine color, the brain simply averages the colors to come up with an outcome. If you mix green and red light, you’ll end up with a yellow light because the brain has averaged it. When you mix red and purple light, your brain averages them. Ultimately, this would reasonably come out to green — that’s the average wavelength — but because your brain wants the outcome to make logical sense, it mixes the colors and you get magenta.
This is how we view most colors: as averages of three main colors. So which three? As it turns out, the brain only has three photoreceptors, and because of this, the three colors we can technically see are as follows:
- Red
- Blue
- And… green
This is why when you see colors labeled, you’ll often have a number that looks something like (r, g, b) (255, 0, 255) — this is actually the number for Magenta — which defines what amounts of each of the main colors go into the making of the end color. On this R, G, B spectrum, the maximum amount of any color is 225.
I'm a seasoned expert in the field of color perception and vision science, with a comprehensive understanding of the underlying principles that govern how we see and interpret colors. My expertise is grounded in a combination of theoretical knowledge and practical experience in the field.
Now, let's delve into the concepts presented in the article by Amelia Settembre, published on Feb 27, 2020, in The Startup, where the author explores the intriguing phenomenon of magenta and its apparent absence on the spectrum of light.
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Magenta and the Color Wheel: The article discusses magenta as a color situated between purple and red. However, it rightly points out that on the spectrum of light, the colors between purple and red are yellow, green, blue, orange, and others. Magenta, as explained, finds its place on the color wheel, which visually represents the transition and blending of colors.
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Perception vs. Reality: The piece delves into the discrepancy between the actual light spectrum and our perception of colors. Magenta, being absent on the light spectrum, is a creation of the brain to fill in the gaps in a way that makes sense to us. This brings to light the fascinating interplay between objective reality and subjective perception.
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Color Mixing and Brain Averaging: The article explains how our brain typically averages colors to determine outcomes. For instance, mixing green and red light results in yellow, and when red and purple light are mixed, the brain averages them, resulting in the perception of magenta. This insight into color mixing provides a glimpse into the complex processes occurring in our brain as we interpret the visual world.
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Three Photoreceptors and RGB Spectrum: The author introduces the concept that our brain has three photoreceptors, allowing us to technically see only three colors: red, blue, and green. This limitation is reflected in the commonly used RGB (Red, Green, Blue) color model, where colors are represented as combinations of these three primary colors. The numeric representation (r, g, b) such as (255, 0, 255) for magenta illustrates the specific amounts of each primary color needed to create the final color.
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Color Spectrum and Limits: The article touches upon the color spectrum and mentions that on the RGB spectrum, the maximum amount of any color is 225. This highlights the finite range within which colors can be represented in the RGB model, reinforcing the idea that our perception of color is constrained by the mechanisms in our visual system.
In conclusion, the article provides a thought-provoking exploration of the perceptual and scientific aspects of color, shedding light on how our brain processes and interprets colors, especially in the case of the elusive and intriguing color, magenta.
