RGB System

Colours on the television screen are created by a special form of additive light mixture known as a partitive mixture. The surface of the screen is covered by tiny points, each with a diameter of approximately 0.2 mm, containing phosphorescent materials (molecules). Normally, three types are selected to transmit red, green or blue light after excitement by beams of electrons; in other words, after they have absorbed energy. The screen colour-system introduced here is named RGB after these three colours. (Detailed text)


Date: No exact date; the system was developed in conjunction with television technology.

Basic colours: Red, green and blue

Form: Cube

Application: Colour-order for phosphorescent television screens

Related systems: HLS

Bibliography: «Computer Graphics CAD/CAM Image Processing», Editrice il Rostro, Milano 1981; David Travis, «Effective Color Displays», Computer and People Series, Academic Press, London 1991.