Mixing mode

Colors in our database are measured masstones of real-life art materials. You can see their technical data under (info on measuring device, measured and calculated color data, spectral curve when available).

When both colors have spectral curves you can choose mixing by Spectral curves (Lab). This method uses a very simple implementation of the Kubelka-Munk theory. Though it's not confined to sRGB.

Mixbox and Spectral.js are both using sRGB as input and output, and generate spectral curves from sRGB. Read more about this method in the Practical Pigment Mixing for Digital Painting Mixbox paper.

All mixing methods are assuming the colors are opaque, and do not take into account individual properties like transparency, tinting strength, gloss etc.

Colors with very dark masstones are usually problematic when their characteristic hue doesn't measure and show at that concentration. See also Moghareh Abed, Farhad & Berns, Roy. (2013). Kubelka-Munk Prediction for Dark Mixtures. The Mixbox and Spectral.js methods seem to be aware of hue shifts, typical of some colors (like phthalo blue, magenta) but it's also affected by the "dark masstone" problem.

For advanced paint mixing tools, check out: Zsolt M. Kovács-Vajna's Color Mixing Tools, Paintmaker (web version). You can play with Mixbox (custom rgb codes, n:m mixing) on Max Bo's Hello Mixbox Observable page.

Colors are out of sRGB gamut. For sRGB mixing, original colors are clamped to sRGB. The out of gamut base/second color is marked with an empty circle on the 2D planes.

Mixing path & history

* Spectral curves are not available for Mixbox. Kubelka-Munk mixing available when spectral curves for both color are available (see the color details). Spectral.js curves are calculated from the sRGB color codes and used for the mixing.

Your mixing history. The history is not saved, once you leave the page, it's gone.

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Use our database of real-life art materials for "pigment-based" digital color mixing (Mixbox, Spectral.js) applying the Kubelka-Munk theory for pigment/dye color prediction, and get more realistic and pleasing color mixing results with "natural" colors.

Colors are out of sRGB gamut. For sRGB mixing, original colors are clamped to sRGB. The out of gamut base/second color is marked with an empty circle on the 2D planes.