CIE Color Systems And Concept Of Color Spaces

CIE established different standards and methodologies to understand the series of color spaces. These color spaces clearly explain the visible spectrum. Using these systems, we can easily compare the different color spaces of various devices and viewer’s perception of certain standards. The CIE color systems are quite similar to the other three models that comprise of three coordinates and locate a color in a particular color space. However, the CIE spaces which  include CIE XYZ, CIE L*a*b*, and CIE L*u*v* are  treated as independent devices that mean the range of colors that can be found in these color spaces is not unique to the rendering proficiencies of a particular device or the visual abilities of a particular spectator.

Concept of CIE XYZ and Standard Observer

The basic and most common CIE color space is CIE XYZ. It is based on the chromatic capabilities of an observer, an imaginary viewer which is derived from the CIE research of human vision. The color matching experiments conducted by CIE on a number of subjects use the collective results to create color matching functions and a general color space that represents the average range of colors that are visible to human eye. The color matching purposes are the values of primary lights – red, blue and green that must be presented in order for the average human visual scheme that perceives all the colors that are available in the visible spectrum. The X, Y, and Z coordinates were assigned to three primaries.

Concept of CIE L*a*b*

The final goal of CIE is to offer the best system to understand color communication standards by the manufacturers of paint, dyes, inks, and other colors. These standards comprise of most important function that offers a universal agenda for color matching. The standard observers and XYZ color space are the fundamentals of this framework. That is why the unbalanced spaces of XYZ made these standards difficult to address the color and related things clearly. As a result, the CIE established more uniform color scales known as CIE L*a*b*, CIE L*a*b*c*h* and CIE L*u*v*. Of these two models, CIE L*a*b*c*h* is the widely used concept.

Theory of L*a*b*c*h* Color Space

The sound and universal structure of the L*a*b*c*h* color space works on the philosophy that a color cannot be both green and red at the same time, nor yellow and blue. As a result, more colors can be used to explain clearly the red/green and yellow/blue attributes. When we express the colors as per CIE L*a*b*c*h*, L* means lightness, a* means the red or green value; and b* explains the yellow/blue value; c* defines Chroma, and h* defines Hue angle. In many ways, this color space depicts three-dimensional color spaces.

Spectrophotometers offer the best way to measure the color spaces and the percentage of the spectrum that leaves by an object. This helps to capture the actual color before it is interpreted by different viewers. To buy high-quality of spectrophotometers: visit: www.testronixinstruments.com/