Our story begins in the fifteenth century with Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press. For the first time, books and images could be reproduced on a massive scale. Early printing relied on black ink only, but as the demand for colourful images grew, printers experimented with layering pigments.

By the nineteenth century, scientists like Jacob Christoph Le Blon had developed techniques for using three primary colours to reproduce full colour prints. His system was based on cyan, magenta, and yellow, which together could create a wide range of hues. This was the birth of subtractive colour mixing.

In subtractive mixing, colours are created by filtering light. Pigments and inks absorb (subtract) certain wavelengths while reflecting others. For example, cyan ink absorbs red light, magenta absorbs green, and yellow absorbs blue. When combined, these inks control which colours bounce back to our eyes. This is the same principle behind modern printing presses and of course the CMY Cube.

The Rise of Light and Additive Colour

Fast forward to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Scientists like James Clerk Maxwell began experimenting with light itself. Instead of layering pigments, they projected beams of coloured light and discovered a different set of primary colours: red, green, and blue.

This became known as additive colour mixing. In this system, colours are created by combining light sources. Red and green make yellow, green and blue make cyan, red and blue make magenta, and all three combined create white light.

Additive colour is what powers televisions, computer screens, and the glowing pixels on your smartphone. Every image you see on a screen is made up of tiny red, green, and blue lights blending together at incredible speed.

Two Models, One World of Colour

Today, additive and subtractive colour coexist in our daily lives. The subtractive model (CMY) dominates printing, painting, and any medium that relies on pigments. The additive model (RGB) defines digital technology, photography, and projection.

The fascinating part is how these models interact. For example, when a photograph is taken digitally, it is captured in RGB. But when it is printed, it is converted into CMY. This seamless translation between models is what makes our colourful world possible.

Despite the rise of screens, subtractive colour is far from outdated. In fact, it remains essential. Every magazine, billboard, and package you see has been created using CMY inks. Designers and printers rely on the richness and accuracy of this system to produce vibrant, lasting results.

The CMY Cube celebrates this timeless model in a way that is both playful and educational. By rotating the cube, you see subtractive colour in action. Cyan, magenta, and yellow overlap to create secondary hues and even hints of black when all three combine. It is a living demonstration of the science behind centuries of printing.

Why the CMY Cube Brings Colour Theory to Life

While textbooks can explain additive and subtractive models, the CMY Cube allows you to experience them directly. Holding the cube, you can see how light shifts through each layer. Rotate it one way and cyan deepens into green. Turn it another and magenta fades into purple. The process is hands on and interactive, making it easier to understand and remember.

For students, this creates a bridge between theory and practice. For designers, it is a reminder of the foundations of colour. For curious minds, it is simply fun to explore.

Colour Beyond Science

The story of colour is not only about technology, but also about culture and creativity. Subtractive colour helped Renaissance artists bring paintings to life. Additive colour helped filmmakers create the first technicolor movies. Together, these systems shaped the way we tell stories and express ourselves.

By exploring both models, we see how science and art are deeply connected. They show us that colour is not fixed, but fluid, shifting depending on how it is created and perceived.

The Future of Colour

As technology advances, colour continues to evolve. Virtual reality relies on additive RGB to create immersive digital environments. Meanwhile, advances in printing continue to refine subtractive CMY, with innovations like eco friendly inks and high definition prints.

Yet the fundamentals remain the same. Light and pigment. Additive and subtractive. Two models, one spectrum of possibility.

From the printing press to the pixels on your screen, the story of colour is a story of human curiosity and creativity. Subtractive CMY gave us the power to reproduce art and text for the first time. Additive RGB gave us the glowing digital world we rely on today. Both remain essential, and both show us how science and imagination intertwine.

The CMY Cube is a celebration of this journey. It puts centuries of colour theory into the palm of your hand, letting you explore subtractive colour in a way that is both playful and profound.

If you explore colour theory with your CMY Cube, do not forget to share your discoveries and tag us on social media. We love seeing how you bring the history and science of colour to life.