As a Heyuper, you probably stare at a screen a lot, and RGB will be the term that always pops up. Over the last decade, in relation to lighting. If you own or regularly interact with computer monitors, TVs, or any appliances that emit light, there’s a high chance that you’ve encountered RGB lighting because it is the foundation for most color-output devices. But from the vast number of beautiful colors in the world, why is this the color combination that we interact with most when it comes to our daily tech lives?  

What Is RGB Lighting? 

This specific combination of colors, Red, Green, and Blue, can be combined at different intensities to produce an array of imaginable colors. For instance, the combination of red and green lights emits a yellow color, while combining red with blue produces a magenta color that’s close to purple. To achieve the appearance of a darker purple, the blue light would be intensified, while the yellow color can be made more orange by intensifying the red light. White light is emitted when all three colors are combined at their maximum intensity. With this basic color wheel, it’s easy to understand why RGB lights are incorporated into nearly every piece of modern technology. 

The RGB Light Aesthetic

Apart from the minor day-to-day interaction we have with RGB lights, such as the tiny ones that make up the TV, there’s a more prominent and obvious use for it in the form of LED light strips. They’re a simple and inexpensive way to make almost any item or area over the top and futuristic, and they use about 75% less energy than conventional lights. 

A great example of this futuristic look is on gaming PCs and everything related to them, such as the keyboard and mouse, headsets and consoles, even right down to the chairs designed specifically for gaming. More than 2 million gaming enthusiasts took to YouTube to find out from the Linus Tech Tips channel how to build the Ultimate RGB PC because it certainly intensifies the look and feel of a gaming area.  I’ll admit, that entire aesthetic always makes it feel like I’m a character in the Valerian movie, but it really is kind of futuristic. 

Another aesthetically pleasing way these lights can be incorporated into an area is as an accent light under cabinets and shelves, or behind the TV. If placed correctly, light accents in a warm or bright white can make a room appear more modern and futuristic without channeling the sci-fi realm too much, and create a warm or cool atmosphere depending on the mood.

RGB Light Appliances

Smart LED lights are often the first addition to a smart home because they’re usually the most affordable smart integration. They can be operated and adjusted by an app on your phone and can be placed in different areas around the home and used decoratively, like LED strips. The smart function gives you voice-activated control of your lights so you don’t have to physically be in a room (or at home) to switch the lights on or off. That’s both functional and aesthetic.

Laser TVs, or Ultra-Short Throw (UST) projectors, use a combination of RGB laser lights to display brilliant motion pictures on a huge screen. It’s a fast-growing technology that appears to be bridging the gap between the massive screen at the cinema, and the compact TV in our homes. The RGB laser light produces a vivid color scheme with an amazing contrast that makes the laser TV a competitor of both TVs and traditional long-throw projectors.  

Final Thoughts

Although many of us have been mixing colors in the form of paint since we were preschoolers, I feel as if we’ve only scratched the surface of color combinations in the form of light, and what can be done with RGB light technology. 

If you would like to share your thoughts and products about RGB lighting, don’t hesitate to share them in the Heyup community.