color and color models

Color BY HASHMI SAFWAN

What is color ?

Color is a sensation produced by the human eye and nervous system.

It is useful to represent a color by a set of exactly three numbers.

Color is Human Sensation

Cone and rod receptors in the retina

Rod receptor is mostly for luminance perception

3 different types of cone receptors in the fovea of retina, responsible for color representation. Each type is sensitive to different wavelengths

Color model

A color model is an orderly system for creating a whole range of colors from a small set of primary colors.

Types of Color model

Subtractive Color

Additive Color

Additive color models use light to display color

subtractive models use printing inks.

The Two Most Common Color Models

RGB model

For computer

CMYK model

For printing

YCbCr model

RGB Color Model:

Additive color model.

For computer displays.

Uses light to display color.

Colors result from transmitted light.

Red + Green + Blue = White.

The RGB Color Model

If R,G, and B are represented with 8 bits (24-bit RGB

image), the total number of colors is (28 )3=16,777,216

CMYK Color Model

Subtractive color model.

For printed material.

Uses ink to display color.

Colors result from reflected light.

Cyan + Magenta + Yellow = Black

Used internally in color printers

Complementary to RGB:

C=1-R

M=1-G

Y=1-B

Color Models

the color model RGB is used in hardware applications like PC monitors, cameras and scanners, the CMY color model is used in color printers,

Each color can be a point in the RGB color model cube. Red, green and blue are known as the primary colors. These colors can be added to produce secondary colors which are:

magenta = red + blue cyan = green +blue yellow = red + green Other possible combinations: white = blue (primary) + yellow (secondary) white = green (primary) + magenta (secondary) white = red (primary) + cyan (secondary)

Additive vs. Subtractive Color Models

Since additive color models display color as a result of light being transmitted (added) the total absence of light would be perceived as black. Subtractive color models display color as a result of light being absorbed (subtracted) by the printing inks. As more ink is added, less and less light is reflected. Where there is a total absence of ink the resulting light being reflected (from a white surface) would be perceived as white.

HSL and HSB

Hue Hue is what most people think of when we say "color".

Saturation Saturation is the "purity" of the color. It refers to the amount of gray paint mixed with the hue.

Lightness Value refers to the intensity of light present.

HSL and HSB

Dithering

Dithering is often used for displaying monochrome images

creating the illusion of new colors and shades by varying the pattern of dots.

Sometime call halftoning.

YCbCr

YCbCr Color Space is used in MPEG video compression standards

• Y is luminance

• Cb is blue chromaticity

• Cr is red chromaticity

Y = 0.257*R + 0.504*G + 0.098*B + 16

Cr = 0.439*R - 0.368*G - 0.071*B + 128

Cb = - 0.148*R - 0.291*G + 0.439*B + 128

YIQ color space (Matlab conversion function: rgb2ntsc):