Color Space and Its Divisions.Color Space A system for describing color numerically. Also known as a "color model," the most widely used color spaces are RGB for scanners and displays, CMYK for color printing and YUV for video and TV. and Its Divisions by Rolf G. Kuehni Wiley-Interscience, Hoboken, NJ 2003. 408 pp. Hardcover. Rolf Kuehni's book provides both a fascinating historical account of color order systems from antiquity to the present and a trenchant discussion of the problems of color measurement. He discusses the underlying psychophysics psychophysics Branch of psychology concerned with the effect of physical stimuli (such as sound waves) on mental processes. Psychophysics was established by Gustav Theodor Fechner in the mid-19th century, and since then its central inquiry has remained the quantitative and the relationships between stimuli and experience, and provides a review and critique of the major color order systems. The discussion is focused on issues of color space viewed against a simple achromatic achromatic /achro·mat·ic/ (ak?ro-mat´ik) 1. producing no discoloration. 2. staining with difficulty. 3. containing achromatin. 4. surround, and does not address color appearance under widely varying light and surround conditions. There is ample room within these constraints for discussion and research. As Kuehni notes in his first chapter, "three sets of extensive chroma Short for "chrominance." The attributes of a color, which include its hue (frequency) and saturation (amount of black). See hue and saturation. spacing data, determined at different times, are not in good agreement, and the implicit chroma scale of the Optical Society of America The Optical Society of America (OSA) is a scientific society dedicated to advancing the study of light—optics and photonics—in theory and application, by means of worldwide research, scientific publishing, conferences and exhibitions, partnership with industry, and the Uniform Color Scales (OSA-UCS) does not agree with any of the three." Similar problems are cited for hue spacing. Throughout the book, Kuehni points to the uncertainties in the field, and in the final chapter he proposes an experimental plan to address some of the issues. In the end, though, he concludes that "the idea of a single fundamental color space is misplaced mis·place tr.v. mis·placed, mis·plac·ing, mis·plac·es 1. a. To put into a wrong place: misplace punctuation in a sentence. b. . As found in practice there are different kinds of color spaces and solids applicable with a degree of accuracy to different situations." Kuehni's book will be of interest for anyone who wants a deeper understanding of the nature of color and the uncertainties that surround its measurement. |
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