Subtractive color filters are used to demonstrate how colors can be created by absorbing specific wavelengths of light. Cyan, magenta, and yellow filters are placed in the path of white light, each filter subtracting one of the primary colors (red, green, blue) from the light. The overlapping of these filters creates various colors, and when all three are combined, they produce black by absorbing all wavelengths. This experiment demonstrates the principles of subtractive color mixing, which is the basis for color printing and pigmentation.