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HP Colour LaserJet Printers - Colour Theory Overview

Additive colour theory

Subtractive colour theory

Additive colour theory

Red, green, and blue light combine to
produce additive colour, the type of colour
in screen displays such as TV sets and
computer monitors. Additive colour has a
much larger gamut than subtractive colour
(see below). Gamut defines the total
number of colours that can be reproduced
in a given colour model. Because
computer screens have larger gamuts
than printers, a computer screen can
display more colours than a printer can
print, especially in the greens and bluegreens. This applies not only to laser
printers and inkjet printers, but also to
high-end offset presses.
Mixing two primary additive colours of
equal amounts at full intensity creates
cyan, magenta and yellow light. All colours
are produced by combining red, green and
blue light in varying amounts and
intensities. Red plus blue makes magenta.
Green plus blue makes cyan, a blue green
colour. Red plus green makes yellow.
Mixing equal amounts of the three primary
colours of light at full intensity produces
white light.

Figure 1:
Additive colour is a combination of red,
green and blue light

Halftoning

Subtractive colour theory

This theory is defined by a light source
reflecting off a surface. Subtractive colour
theory deals with mixing colour pigments
(ink, toner, paint) to produce the desired
colours. The primary subtractive colours
for printing are cyan, magenta, and yellow.
Under a light source such as a light bulb or
the sun, colour components are either
reflected or absorbed by the colour
pigments. These pigments act like small
filters, absorbing some colour components
and reflecting others. Red, green, and blue
rays make up the three colour components
of white light. Because our perception of
subtractive colours depends in part on the
colour of the ambient light, subtractive
colour literally changes depending on the
colour of the light available. For instance,
the same colour page printed on a colour
laser printer will look different when seen
under warm, late afternoon light than it will
under fluorescent light.

Figure 2:
Subtractive colour in printing
is a combination of
cyan, magenta and yellow pigments

In theory, mixing equal amounts of cyan,

magenta, and yellow pigments together
should result in black pigment. In practice,
however, limitations in the pigments and in
the media results in a dark green or
muddy brown instead of black. To produce
a true black in printing, black pigment is
used along with cyan, magenta and
yellow. This colour combination is referred
to as CMYK.

Halftoning
The world seen through the eyes and
captured on photographic film is a world of
continuous tone images. Humans perceive
almost infinitely smooth transitions from
light to dark and from one colour to
another. Laser printers, inkjet printers, and
offset
presses
cannot
reproduce
continuous tone images but they can
reproduce the illusion of continuous tone
images using halftone screens.
One of the functions of the firmware in HP
Colour LaserJet printers is to break up
continuous tone images into patterns of
tiny dots called halftone cells. In a dark
area to be printed, the dots are spaced
very close together; in a light area to be
printed, the dots are spaced farther apart.
Using the principles of subtractive colour,
a wide variety of colours can be
reproduced by arranging CMYK halftone
dots. By adding more colours such as
green and orange, some inkjet printers
and offset presses are able to reproduce
an even broader range of colours.

Figure 3:
Adding black pigment
produces true blacks
Mixing equal amounts of cyan and yellow
pigments produces green pigment. Mixing
equal amounts of magenta and yellow
pigments produces red pigments. Mixing
equal amounts of cyan and magenta
produces blue pigments. Varying the
combination and pattern of pigments
produces all other colours.

Figure 4:
Halftone patterns of CMYK dots create
the impression of continuous tone images
Although no formula exists to determine
the best halftoning pattern for all graphic
images, personal perception determines
what looks best to each individual. If an
undesired pattern develops, select a
different halftoning pattern.
Users can also select from two other
predefined values should they want a
different LPI setting. Text can be changed
to Smooth (155 LPI) and Photo and
Graphic can be changed to Detail (200
LPI). These selections are available under

the HP ColourSmart II settings within the

drivers.