Which color concept uses gels to filter light in front of lanterns?

• A. Additive Color
• B. Subtractive Color
• C. CMY
• D. CID

Answer: (B)

Using gels in front of lanterns demonstrates subtractive color. White stage light contains all wavelengths, and when you slip a colored gel into the beam, it absorbs (subtracts) certain wavelengths and only transmits some. The color you see is the remaining light that passes through the filter. That act of removing parts of the spectrum is what defines subtractive color. By contrast, additive color involves mixing different colored lights to create new colors, not filtering a single light beam. CMY is a subtractive color model often used in printing, but the practical idea behind gels in lighting is subtractive color through filtration.