Color Glossary
Comprehensive definitions of color terminology and concepts
A reference guide for web designers, developers, and color enthusiasts
About Our Color Glossary
Welcome to the RGBMatic Color Glossary, your comprehensive reference for color terminology, formats, and concepts. Whether you're a web designer, developer, or color enthusiast, this glossary will help you understand the technical aspects of color in digital and print mediums.
Use the alphabetical navigation below to quickly find the terms you're looking for, or browse through the complete list to expand your color knowledge. For terms related to specific color formats, you'll find convenient links to our color conversion tools.
A
Additive Color
Additive color is a method of creating color by mixing different colored light sources. The more light that is added, the brighter the color becomes, trending toward white.
Example:
RGB is an additive color model used in digital displays.
Analogous Colors
Analogous colors are groups of colors that are adjacent to each other on the color wheel. They usually match well and create serene and comfortable designs.
Example:
Red, orange, and yellow are analogous colors.
C
CMYK
CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key/Black) is a subtractive color model used in color printing. Unlike RGB which is additive, CMYK works by partially or entirely masking colors on a lighter background.
Example:
cmyk(0%, 100%, 100%, 0%) represents pure red.
Color Model
A color model is a mathematical model describing how colors can be represented as tuples of numbers, typically as three or four values or color components.
Example:
RGB, HSL, and CMYK are all color models.
Color Wheel
A color wheel is a circular arrangement of colors that shows relationships between primary colors, secondary colors, complementary colors, etc.
Example:
On a standard RGB color wheel, complementary colors are positioned opposite each other.
Complementary Colors
Complementary colors are pairs of colors that are positioned opposite each other on the color wheel. When placed side by side, they create maximum contrast and make each other appear brighter.
Example:
Red and cyan, blue and yellow, green and magenta are complementary color pairs.
H
HEXConvert HEX to RGB
HEX (Hexadecimal) is a color notation system used in HTML, CSS, and other computing applications to represent colors. It uses a 6-digit hexadecimal number to specify RGB color values.
Example:
#FF0000 represents pure red.
HSL
HSL (Hue, Saturation, Lightness) is a color model that represents colors based on their hue (color type), saturation (intensity), and lightness (brightness). It's often considered more intuitive for color adjustments than RGB.
Example:
hsl(0, 100%, 50%) represents pure red.
Hue
Hue is the attribute of a color that allows it to be classified as red, blue, green, etc. In the HSL color model, hue is represented as a degree on the color wheel from 0 to 360.
Example:
Red has a hue of 0° or 360°, green is 120°, and blue is 240°.
L
Lightness
Lightness (or luminance) determines how light or dark a color appears. In the HSL model, 0% lightness is always black, 100% lightness is always white, and 50% is the "normal" color.
Example:
hsl(0, 100%, 50%) is pure red, while hsl(0, 100%, 75%) is a lighter red (pink).
R
RGBConvert RGB to HEX
RGB (Red, Green, Blue) is an additive color model where red, green, and blue light are added together in various proportions to produce a broad array of colors. In web development, RGB values range from 0 to 255 for each channel.
Example:
rgb(255, 0, 0) represents pure red.
S
Saturation
Saturation is the intensity or purity of a color. A highly saturated color appears vivid, while a less saturated color appears more muted or gray.
Example:
In HSL, 100% saturation gives a pure color, while 0% results in a shade of gray.
Subtractive Color
Subtractive color is a method of creating color by absorbing or subtracting certain wavelengths of light. The more colors that are added, the darker the result becomes, trending toward black.
Example:
CMYK is a subtractive color model used in printing.
T
Triadic Colors
Triadic colors are three colors equally spaced around the color wheel. They tend to be vibrant and offer strong visual contrast while maintaining harmony.
Example:
Red, blue, and yellow form a triadic color scheme.
W
Web Safe Colors
Web safe colors are a palette of 216 colors that were historically designed to display consistently across different computer systems and browsers. They use combinations of the values 0, 51, 102, 153, 204, and 255 for each RGB component.
Example:
#FF3300 is a web safe color.
Related Color Tools
Explore our suite of color conversion and exploration tools
Color Directory
Browse our comprehensive collection of colors organized by categories, including web safe colors, material design colors, and more.
RGB to HEX Converter
Convert RGB color values to hexadecimal format for use in CSS, HTML, and other web development contexts.
HEX to RGB Converter
Convert hexadecimal color codes to RGB values for greater control over color manipulation in web applications.
Color Harmony Calculator
Generate harmonious color schemes based on color theory principles including complementary, analogous, and triadic relationships.