Deeper understanding of the above terms in context of colors?

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In summary, colors can be characterized by the RGB scale, but there are other abstractions such as saturation, hue, contrast, and brightness that contribute to a full understanding of color. The CIE chromaticity diagram provides a concrete system for understanding these terms, and fully saturated colors can be found on the outer edge of the diagram. Mixing two colors results in a perceived color along the line joining the two colors. However, a third parameter, luminance, is needed to fully describe a color. There is a wealth of information available on vision and color vision, and a good starting point is the "vision" section of a webpage tree.
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rhia
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Can anyone give me a deeper understanding of the above terms in context of colors?
 
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rhia said:
Can anyone give me a deeper understanding of the above terms in context of colors?
Well, the most basic (and sufficient) characterization of colors is the RGB (red-green-blue) scale. Saturation, hue, contrast and brightness are abstractions and are subjective.
 
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They are not subjective. There is a standard for (at least some) of these terms.
However, I don't have the book where it's written with me... (doh :uhh: )
 
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rhia said:
Can anyone give me a deeper understanding of the above terms in context of colors?

You might try This Link for more information on the CIE chormaticity diagram which will answer many of your questions - though hue, brightness, and saturation are more general terms, which the CIE system attempts to make very concrete through a system of color coordinates.

Fully saturated colors are the colors of the rainbow, on the outer edge of the chromaticity diagram. (The colors on the bottom edge of the diagram are also fully saturated, though they are not spectral colors).

The main feature of the chromaticity diagram is that mixing any two colors together will result in a perceived color that lies along the line that joins the two colors together.

The 2-d chromaticity diagram describes only the hue of the color. A full description of a color requires a third parameter, the luminance.

There is some more general discussion of hue, saturation, and brightness

here

And This is the "vision" root of the entire webpage based "tree". As you will see if you visit it, there are many aspects to vision and color vision.
 

1. What is the scientific definition of color?

The scientific definition of color is a visual perception created by the wavelengths of light that are reflected or emitted from an object.

2. How do we perceive color?

We perceive color through specialized cells in our eyes called cones, which are sensitive to different wavelengths of light. These signals are then processed by our brain to create the perception of color.

3. What is the difference between hue, saturation, and brightness?

Hue refers to the dominant wavelength of light, giving us the perception of different colors. Saturation is the intensity or purity of a color, while brightness refers to the amount of light reflected or emitted by an object.

4. How do colors affect our emotions and behavior?

Colors can have a significant impact on our emotions and behavior. For example, warm colors like red and yellow can evoke feelings of excitement and energy, while cool colors like blue and green can have a calming effect.

5. Can we scientifically measure and quantify colors?

Yes, colors can be measured and quantified through various scientific methods, such as spectrophotometry and colorimetry. These methods involve analyzing the wavelengths of light being reflected or emitted by an object and assigning numerical values to different aspects of color, such as hue and saturation.

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