Notice, however, how many of these colors, including cyan, brown and magenta as well as pink, do not exist on the visible spectrum, yet we perceive them as distinct.

Is cyan a real color?

Cyan (/ˈsaɪ. ən, ˈsaɪˌæn/) is the color between green and blue on the visible spectrum of light. Mixing red light and cyan light at the right intensity will make white light. Colors in the cyan color range are teal, turquoise, electric blue, aquamarine, and others described as blue-green.

Are there colors that don’t exist?

Red-green and yellow-blue are the so-called “forbidden colors.” Composed of pairs of hues whose light frequencies automatically cancel each other out in the human eye, they’re supposed to be impossible to see simultaneously.

So if it doesn’t exist, why can we see it? Again, on the spectrum of elements, all visible colors (and non-visible rays) have specific wavelengths which distinguish them from the other colors on the color wheel. Magenta, because it doesn’t exist on the light spectrum, doesn’t have one.