sub t ract ive ▁color ▁mixing ", ▁predict s ▁the ▁spectral ▁power ▁distribution ▁of ▁light ▁after ▁it ▁passes ▁through ▁success ive ▁layers ▁of ▁partially ▁absor bing ▁media . ▁This ▁ideal ized ▁model ▁is ▁the ▁essential ▁principle ▁of ▁how ▁d yes ▁and ▁in ks ▁are ▁used ▁in ▁color ▁printing ▁and ▁phot ography ▁where ▁the ▁per ception ▁of ▁color ▁is ▁el ic ited ▁after ▁white ▁light ▁passes ▁through ▁micro scop ic ▁" stack s " ▁of ▁partially ▁absor bing ▁media ▁allowing ▁some ▁w avel ength s ▁of ▁light ▁to ▁reach ▁the ▁eye ▁and ▁not ▁others . ▁ ▁R Y B ▁▁ ▁R Y B ▁( red , ▁yellow , ▁blue ) ▁is ▁the ▁formerly ▁standard ▁set ▁of ▁subtract ive ▁primary ▁colors ▁used ▁for ▁mixing ▁p ig ments . ▁It ▁is ▁used ▁in ▁art ▁and ▁art ▁education , ▁particularly ▁in ▁painting . ▁It ▁pred ated ▁modern ▁scientific ▁color ▁theory . ▁ ▁Red , ▁yellow , ▁and ▁blue ▁are ▁the ▁primary ▁colors ▁of ▁the ▁R Y B ▁color ▁" w heel ". ▁ ▁The ▁secondary ▁colors , ▁vio let ▁( or ▁pur ple ), ▁orange , ▁and ▁green ▁( VO G ) ▁make ▁up ▁another ▁tri ad , ▁formed ▁by ▁mixing ▁equal ▁amounts ▁of ▁red ▁and ▁blue , ▁red ▁and ▁yellow , ▁and ▁blue ▁and ▁yellow , ▁respectively . ▁ ▁The ▁R Y B ▁primary ▁colors ▁became ▁the ▁foundation ▁of ▁ 1 8 th - century ▁theories ▁of ▁color ▁vision ▁as ▁the ▁fundamental ▁sens ory ▁qual ities ▁bl ended ▁in ▁the ▁per ception ▁of ▁all ▁physical ▁colors