How to Understand Color Codes

“Here’s a download link for the program which also includes the
source code. Note that the program is colorcoder.jar. The program
has been designed so you can use it whenever and wherever you need
it. It should run on just about any operating system and doesn’t
need to be installed on a computer (although it does require that a
reasonably up-to-date version of Java be installed.) You can even
run it off a USB memory stick if necessary. When run, the program
will check to see if it has permission to write a tiny (0.15 KB)
history file in the same folder that the program is housed. If it
has permission, it will use this file to record any colors that
you’ve told it to store in the palette. If it doesn’t have
permission to write the file the program will work normally, but
color samples stored in the palette will be lost once the program
is closed.

“Color Mixing

“As a child, you probably recall learning that white light is
actually a mixture of many colors. The same principle also applies
to color codes. When trying to create the color you want with color
codes, you have three base colors (red, green and blue) which you
must mix together to create the final color you want to display.
Instead of simply thinking of them as just colors, think of them as
colored lights where you can increase and decrease the brightness.
If you look at the color mixing bars in the left side of the
Colourcoder window you’ll notice I named them lights to reinforce
this idea.”

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