reflected color

   The color perceived from an object, determined by the wavelength of the light leaving its surface after selective absorption of other wavelengths of the incident light — the light hitting the surface. Reflected light behaves in certain ways that differentiate it from colors produced by sources of the light. The concept of reflected color is related to that of subtractive color — color produced by mixing cyan, yellow and magenta pigments, each of which absorbs certain wavelengths. A balanced mixture of these colorant or subtractive primaries theoretically yields black since it absorbs all wavelengths of visible light. Also see additive, local color, optical mixing, and primary colors.