Color Models

Prepared by: Ms Shaheena Noor

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Color Model
 Human  distinguish 1 to 2 million color
 impossible to describe them in words
 Color model  Mathematical model describing
the way ‘color’ can be represented.
 Types of Color Model
 Additive  uses light to display color (transmitted
light)
 Subtractive  uses printing ink (reflected light)

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COMMON COLORS
 There are several established color models
used in computer graphics, but the two most
common are
 RGB (Red Green Blue)
 CMYK (Cyan Magenta Yellow Black)

 Other Models
 HSV/HSB = Hue Saturation Intensity

 YCbCr = Luminosity Chrominance Blue

Chrominance Red
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RGB (Red Green Blue)
 Additive color model
 Uses light to display color
 For computer display,
Television
 Red+Green+Blue = White

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CMYK Color Model
 Subtractive color Model
(reflective light)
 For printed material
 Uses ink to display color
 Cyan+ Magenta +Yellow = Black

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Color Depth/ Bit Depth
 Number of bits used to indicate the color of a single
pixel (bits /pixel)
 The first graphics cards and monitors supported 1-bit color,
 which was monochrome (most commonly black and white),
for early computers like Macintosh and Atari ST.
 Today, most computers support at least 32-bit color,
 That allows for the viewing of high quality video,
 including high definition content and some of the newer video
games that feature high-end graphics engines
 With the introduction of Windows 7, support for 48-bit color
was introduced
 made available for home and business computer users to
utilize, assuming the ‘video card’ featured this color depth.
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Determining Color Depth
 2n
 Bit Depth 1 21= 2 colors (Monochrome)
 Bit Depth 2  4 colors (CGA)
 Bit Depth 4  16 colors (EGA)
 Bit Depth 8  256 colors (VGA)
 Bit Depth 16  65536 colors (High color, XGA)
 Bit Depth 24  16777216 colors (True Colors, SVGA)
 Bit Depth 32  4294967296 (True Colors, Alpha
Channel)
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True Colors - RGB
 Images are known as "True Color"  when each pixel is defined in
terms of its actual RGB or CMYK values.

 Every pixel in a true color image has 256 possible values for each of
it's
 red, green or blue components (in the RGB model) or
 cyan, magenta, yellow and black (in the CMYK model).

 Because there are 256 possible values for each RGB or CMYK
component, then
 RGB true color would have a 24-bit color depth and
 CMYK true color would have a 32-bit color depth.

 There are millions of possible colors for each pixel in a true color
image. That's why it is called "True Color". 8
For Example (RGB)
 White would be composed of maximum intensity of
red, green and blue light (R=255 G=255 B=255) and
black would be composed of zero intensity of red,
green and blue light (R=0 G=0 B=0).
 Cyan would be composed of maximum intensity of
blue and green light and zero intensity of red light
(R=0 B=255 G=255).
 Magenta would be composed of maximum intensity
of red and blue light and zero intensity of green light
(R=255 G=0 B=255):
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Example

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True Colors - CMYK
 Images using the CMYK color model are also true
color.

 CMYK images are derived from the 3 primary colors

of cyan, magenta and yellow plus black.

 In 32-bit CMYK color, each cyan, magenta, yellow

and black component is also 8 bits long and has 256
variations in intensity.

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True Colors - CMYK
 Each pixel in a 32-bit CMYK image is one of 256 x
256 x 256 possible colors x 256 variations of black.
A mix of 100% each of cyan, magenta and yellow
produces black, so the black component is extra

 Even though there are more bits per pixel in the

CMYK model, in reality it has a smaller color "space"
or gamut than RGB .

 Many graphics programs support both color models.

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Conversion of RGB to CMYK
 R’ = R/255; G’ = G/255; B’ = B/255
 K = 1 – max (R’, G’, B’)
 C = (1 – R’ - K)/(1 - K)
 M = (1 – G’ - K)/(1 - K)
 Y = (1 – B’ - K)/(1 - K)
R G B
255 255 255
C M Y K

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Conversion of CMYK to RGB
 R = (255 – C) x (1 – K/255)
 G = (255 - M)x(1 – K/255)
 B = (255 – Y)x(1 – K/255)

C M Y K
255 255 255 0
R G B

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Indexed Color
 In digital photography and imaging indexed color is
 the color of each pixel and is represented by a number.
 each number (the index) corresponds to a color in the color table (the palette).
 used to describe reduced color mapping of 8-bit or less.

 done to reduce images to their smallest size

 commonly used on Web pages as they are small and quick to load.

 TIF and JPG  24 bit RGB value for each of the millions of image pixels.

 GIF  only store a 4 or 8 bit index at each pixel,

 so that the image data is 1/6 or 1/3 the size of 24 bits
 256 color palette is mapped for best results on the Internet

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Indexed Color
 Example:
A 2-bit indexed color image.

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Spot Color VS Process Color
 A spot color is a special premixed ink that requires
its own printing plate on a printing press

 Spot color printing creates brighter, more vibrant

results, but with a smaller color range.

 When printing in single (spot) colors, a single color

ink (normally with a Pantone reference number) is
applied to the printing press roller.

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Spot Color VS Process Color
 Process color also referred as
 4 color (4c) process printing
 It involves the use of four plates:
 Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Key (Black).

 The CMYK artwork is separated into these four colors – one

plate per color.
 applied one by one to four different rollers and the paper/ card
(‘stock’) is then fed through the printing press.
 The colors are applied to the stock one by one, and out comes
the full color (4 color process) result.

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