Is there color without light?

[sjm]

Over a few cokes a friend and I were discussing this very fact. I suggested without light a printed black or dark blue would look the same.

His response was on his monitor in the dark colors looked much better. Who’s right and who’s wrong? Or are we both right?

 

[Jim Doggett]

Over a few cokes a friend and I were discussing this very fact. I suggested without light a printed black or dark blue would look the same.

His response was on his monitor in the dark colors looked much better. Who’s right and who’s wrong? Or are we both right?

They're unrelated; no light, no color, since color is merely light reflected (not absorbed) off an object.

The colors looking better on a monitor is subjective, and also different than reflected light. So monitors and printed materials are going to look different no matter what. "Better" is an option.

My $0.02,

Jim

 

[Malkin]

All subtractive colors have a reflectance value. If it's dark they are not reflecting any light, which our eyes would interpret as a particular color.

Answer: It depends on your definitions.

Edit: What Jim said ↑↑↑

 

[sjm]

They're unrelated; no light, no color, since color is merely light reflected (not absorbed) off an object.

The colors looking better on a monitor is subjective, and also different than reflected light. So monitors and printed materials are going to look different no matter what. "Better" is an option.

My $0.02,

Jim

Color from a monitor is emitted not reflected so I not sure what your saying?

Simple formula to keep in mind

C R
M G
Y B

 

[Flame]

Without light, there would be no color. Color is merely a reflection.

Now as to colors looking good on a monitor.... your monitor is EMITTING light, from the inside out, has nothing to do with it.

 

[sjm]

Without light, there would be no color. Color is merely a reflection.

Now as to colors looking good on a monitor.... your monitor is EMITTING light, from the inside out, has nothing to do with it.

But It does, as white light is made up RGB not CMY

C R
M G
Y B


For example G and B makes Cyan. Hard to argue I think other wise.

 

[G-Artist]

Yes, w/o light sighted persons would not see color.

But what of folks who can distinguish color by touch?

Hmmmm....

 

[Jim Doggett]

Hi SJM,

Sorry, I meant to say "Better is an opinion." (option was a typo)

Also, while there's a relationship between CMY annd RGB, they're not interchageable. RGB has a much broader gamut, and emitted light (monitor) is different than reflected (printed). With LCD montors it's even worse than the CRT monitors of olde, since LCDs are unnaturally bright, and change with slight variations in viewing angle.

And depending on the contrast ratio of the LCD monitor, seeing differences in shades can vary widely as well. Trusting what you see on-screen, is dicey, at best.

IMO,

Jim

 

[TheSellOut]

If you print blue in the dark...what color is it?

 

[sjm]

Hi SJM,

Sorry, I meant to say "Better is an opinion." (option was a typo)

Also, while there's a relationship between CMY annd RGB, they're not interchageable. RGB has a much broader gamut, and emitted light (monitor) is different than reflected (printed). With LCD montors it's even worse than the CRT monitors of olde, since LCDs are unnaturally bright, and change with slight variations in viewing angle.

And depending on the contrast ratio of the LCD monitor, seeing differences in shades can vary widely as well. Trusting what you see on-screen, is dicey, at best.

IMO,

Jim

Jim that's fair, for example no two toasters if set to the same number from 1 to 10 will yield the same finished product.

Though predicting the end result less trial and error i.e. try 1 then 2 then 3 etc. does have it's advantages?

I think recognizing those advantages means less trial and error and ultimately adds to the bottom line.

 

[Jim Doggett]

If you print blue in the dark...what color is it?

Same color; just no light to reflect it.

Same with a tree falling in the forest. It makes sound waves regardless of whether they reach a human ear drum.

Jim

 

[Jim Doggett]

I think recognizing those advantages means less trial and error and ultimately adds to the bottom line.

Agreed. With experience you get sense of what your print will be based what you see on the monitor. But it takes time, like knowing what's the best setting on your toaster, for white, whole wheat and English muffins. :^)

Best,

Jim

 

[sjm]

Of course, it takes time and it's not like as if the market is in it's infancy. Some grasp it others won't.

 

[Rooster]

Color without light is like sound in a vacuum.

 

[Billct2]

Is there color without light?

Yes, you just can't see it.

 

[bob]

Same color; just no light to reflect it.

Same with a tree falling in the forest. It makes sound waves regardless of whether they reach a human ear drum.

Jim

Physics isn't your long suit, eh? Color IS light. No light, no color. That is why something is different colors under light of different spectra. It's not that it appears to be that color, it IS that color.

If Helen Keller tripped and fell in the forest would there be a sound?

Apropos of nothing, the biggest difference betwixt monitors and print is that a monitor can produce virtually any white point but the only black it can display is whatever color the monitor surface might be when it's turned off. Printing is just the opposite, you can print a true black but the white point is whatever shade of white the media might happen to be. These differences affect the look of the entire color spectrum.

 

[signage]

If color is reflected why when light passes through a prism does it change color?

Bob is correct color is light at different wave lengths!

Now the question is are their colors that we can not see?

Yes they are outside of the visible spectrum!

 

[Jim Doggett]

Physics isn't your long suit, eh? Color IS light. No light, no color. That is why something is different colors under light of different spectra. It's not that it appears to be that color, it IS that color.

If you paint your bedroom blue, what color are the walls when you turn out the lights? They're still blue walls; the light-reflecting properties do not change. The light can change. But the walls are the constant.

Jimbo

 

[bob]

If you paint your bedroom blue, what color are the walls when you turn out the lights? They're still blue walls; the light-reflecting properties do not change. The light can change. But the walls are the constant.

Jimbo

Perhaps if I type slowly you'll be able to follow along. In your example, in the dark the walls are black. The will only be blue when light of the proper spectrum is played on them. If the light is somehow missing the blue component of the spectrum, they will still be black. You see the light, not the walls. The color IS the light, not the walls.

Many years ago with the advent of the first LEDs, which were universally red, some smart ass figured he could put a green lens in front of the red LEDs and have green. Hah. He didn't understand that the light from the LEDs was monochromatic. He got black. Other colors came later and for a long time they were hideously expensive. When a red LED was selling for a couple of bucks, green was going for ~$120 per, blue was still unheard of and yellow was around $50.

 

[James Burke]

If a man speaks in the woods, and a woman is nowhere around to hear him, is he still wrong?

JB