A color model is a system that creates a full range of colors from a small set of primary colors. There are two main types of color models: additive and subtractive. Additive color models like RGB use light to display colors on screens by combining red, green, and blue light, starting with black and ending with white. Subtractive color models like CMYK use pigments to print colors, starting with white and ending with black by combining cyan, magenta, yellow, and black inks. RGB is used for digital displays while CMYK is used for print because it reflects how inks absorb and reflect light.