Color Terminology

MTSU School of Journalism

Visual Communication

MTSU SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM

MTSUjournalism.org

Visual Communication
This material is copyright and belongs to the Middle Tennessee
State University School of Journalism. Unauthorized
reproduction is forbidden by law.
The contents of this manual were written and prepared by
Philip Loubere, assistant professor, MTSU School of Journalism.
ploubere@mtsu.edu

Middle Tennessee State University

1301 East Main Street, Murfreesboro, TN 37132-0001 USA
+1.615.898.2300

PERCEPTUAL COLOR WHEEL

Lighter

YELL0W
COMPLEMENTS
ORANGE

GREEN

RED

BLUE

Darker

PURPLE

Warm

Cool

PRIMARY

SECONDARY

Yellow

Purple

Red

Green

Blue

Orange

CMYK PROCESS COLOR PRINTING INKS

Transparent pigments: Subtractive color
YELLOW
COMPLEMENTS
PRIMARY

Cyan

K: BLACK
MAGENTA

Magenta

CYAN

PURPLE

Yellow

SECONDARY

Red
Green
Blue

RGB DIGITAL DISPLAY

Emitted light: Additive color

RED

GREEN

COMPLEMENTS
PRIMARY

Red
Green
Blue

BLUE
PURPLE

SECONDARY

Cyan
Magenta
Yellow

Pigments:
Subtractive color

Light:
Additive color

CYAN

BLUE

RED

GREEN

MAGENTA

YELLOW
RED

MAG.

YELLOW

BLUE

GREEN
CYAN

VALUE:
Light to Dark

Lighter
Darker

INTENSITY:
Bright to dull

Brighter
Duller

INTENSITY and VALUE

INTENSITY

Color Picker

(Saturation)
Duller
Brighter

HUES

Ye
l

lo
w

ee
Gr

Red

ue
Bl

a
nt

ge

Lighter

Cyan

Ma

Value
Slider

VALUE
Darker

Shows color wheel with full

range of intensities for all
hues.
Slider changes value.

INTENSITY and VALUE

INTENSITY

Photoshop Color Picker

(Saturation)
Duller

Brighter
Lighter

VALUE
Shows full range of intensities and
values for a single hue.
Slider changes the hue.

Darker

MONOCHROMATIC
Single hue, changing value & intensity

ANALOGOUS
Two hues next to each other
on color wheel

COMPLEMENTARY
Two hues opposite each other
on color wheel

SPLIT-COMPLEMENT
A hue & the hues on either side of
its complement