- RGB: Red, Green, Blue
- When dealing with light

- CMY(K): Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, blacK
- When dealing with pigments

• Any color can be created by mixing three primary colors (RGB or CMY)
  • Color film has three layers.
    • Layer 1 -- sensitive to blue light (develop into yellow)
    • Layer 2 -- sensitive to green light (develop into magenta)
    • Layer 2 -- sensitive to red light (develop into cyan)
    
    
    
  • BTW: You can print b/w using color negative film. But will be a bit fuzzier.
  
  
  
  
• Negative film
  
  
  
  
• Positive film (chrome, slide film, reversal film)
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Color negative film has larger exposure latitude than positive film. Positive film has little exposure latitude (less tolerance for under/over exposure). Hence it is critical that you correctly expose positive film.
  
  

  I suggest you use negative film unless you have a reason otherwise. (Once you scan an image into the computer, flipping a negative into a positive is automatic).

  
  
  
• Consumer film
• Professional film (eg. Kodak Portra)
  
  

  Professional film has more accurate color balance based on the type of light source you are shooting in (usually daylight balanced). But do not last as long. Keep professional films refrigerated.

  
  
  My thoughts on color darkroom printing
  

  More complex

  In black and white there is only one axis (black/dark <--> white/light) which you control by adjusting exposure time.
  In color you have three more axis to deal with:
  magenta <--> green, blue <--> yellow, cyan <--> red
  
  

  Less flexible

  Little room for burning and dodging. No contrast filter.
  
  

  Pitch dark

  No safe lights.
  
  

  Color accuracy

  Will force you to be... incrediblily color sensitive