Some consider white to be a colour, because white light comprises all hues on the visible light spectrum. And many do consider black to be a colour, because you combine other pigments to create it on paper. But in a technical sense, black and white are not colours, they’re shades.

Is white a color?

White is not a color. Technically, pure white is the absence of color. In other words, you can’t mix colors to create white. Therefore, white is the absence of color in the strictest sense of the definition.

Is white a basic color?

Green (1), blue (2), and red (3) are the primary colors of light. A mixture of two primary colors of light can make cyan (4), yellow (5), or magenta (6). A mixture of all three makes white (7). Yellow (1), cyan (2), and magenta (3) are the primary colors of pigments, or inks.

White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on television and computer screens is created by a mixture of red, blue, and green light.