Poll of the Day > Are white and black colors?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Or only red/green/blue etc are colors?
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Are silver and gold colors?
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I consider them colors but technically, they're not. Black is the absorption of the entire color spectrum and white is the reflection of the entire color spectrum. Every color has a specific wavelength but because black and white do not have a wavelength, they're not considered colors.
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If I recall correctly, black and white are shades, not colors.

Though I do know in heraldry black (or sable) counts as a color while white (or silver/argent) is a tint. Which matters because an ideal design is supposed to have one color and one tint, and you're not supposed to double up on colors in a crest.


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From an art perspective I would imagine they're colors but I'm not an artist.

Scientifically they're not but from a colloquial perspective that really shouldn't matter.
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Keebs05 posted...

I consider them colors but technically, they're not. Black is the absorption of the entire color spectrum and white is the reflection of the entire color spectrum.

This is wrong. What you're probably thinking about right here, is pigments. You are correct about the wavelengths though

In physics, white light is the combination of all colors, while black is the absence of all colors.

If you're talking about a white shirt, then yeah, white light is being reflected back at you.
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Black in they absence of colour and white is the blending of all colours so no from a scientific point of view. From a paint pot/artist point of view they probably are classed as colours. Personally i class them as shades and a general rule of the thumb on primary colours at least is what appears in a rainbow.
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green dragon posted...

This is wrong. What you're probably thinking about right here, is pigments. You are correct about the wavelengths though

You are wrong, colour can be expressed by either light or filter.
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@Kyuubi4269 posted...

green dragon posted...

This is wrong. What you're probably thinking about right here, is pigments. You are correct about the wavelengths though

You are wrong, colour can be expressed by either light or filter.

I'm not sure what you're saying. Care to elaborate? I didn't mention filters, nor did the guy I quoted.

Unless you're equating pigments to filters? Which isn't wholly accurate
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Yes they are colors.
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green dragon posted...

Unless you're equating pigments to filters? Which isn't wholly accurate

It literally filters out certain colours.
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