complementary colors (In French couleurs complémentaires) pairs of colors which form white when additively mixed in the same proportions. In classical color densitometers, the measuring filters are complementary to the chromatic process printing inks (red filter for cyan, green filter for magenta, blue filter for yellow) in order to be able to record the highest absorption ranges for each of the printing inks.

compact source iodide lamp (In French lampe CSI) compact metal halogenid lamp, which is used for analog printing form copy because of its UV component.

Coloroid (In French système chromatique Coloroïd) aesthetically equidistant color space, which was created in 1962 by the Hungarian colorimetrician A. Nemcsics for architectural design (1600 color samples) on the basis of CIEXYZ. Its structure is similar to that of the CIELCH interpretation: hue A (“árnyalat”, color circle sectors 10 to 76), brightness V (“világosság”, 0 = black, 100 = white) and chromatic share T (“tarkaság”, 0 = achromatic, 100 = maximum chromatic) – syntax A-T-V….

colorness (In French dominante) in the sense of opponent color theory, orientation with respect to the red-green and the yellow-blue axes e.g. in CIELAB, that is, the redness, greenness, blueness and yellowness.

colorimetry (In French métrique des couleurs) mathematical description of the distance relationships in the color space; low colorimetry describes the phenomenon of color vision and defines standard light sources (standard illuminants), higher colorimetry is dedicated to the evaluation of color differences (color difference formulae). In the final resort, the comparability of color perceptions is based on the comparability of chromatic stimuli, which as localized vectors in the color space offer a figure or value-based description…

colorimetric values/coordinates (In French coordonnées colorimétriques) mathematical values for the description of chromaticity coordinates; the parameters used for this depend on the selection of the color space model, e.g. x and y in the CIExyY(1931) color space or L*, a* and b* in the CIELAB(1976) color space. The values apply only for the illuminant and the standard observer, which must also be specified, e.g. D50/2°.

colorimetric toning (In French tonalité colorimétrique) 1) relationship between chromaticness and brightness in the CIELAB system. 2) relative colorimetric toning; method according to which, instead of a color densitometer the color effect of a screened tone value is evaluated with a spectrophotometer; is no longer used in practice, except for the DFTA Dot Gagin Compensation Tool for flexo printing.

colorimetric parameters, colorimetry of sth. (In French paramètres colorimétriques) see colorimetric values

color(imetric) measuring instruments/devices (In French appareils de mesure de la couleur) device classes of different efficiency levels and aptness: l-a-d meter (colorimeter), spectrophotometer, spectrodensitometer and colorimetric measuring camera. On the basis of a measurement over the entire visible spectrum, a spectrodensitometer can evaluate the most varied quality parameters.

colorimeter (In French colorimètre) 1) Triple-range measuring device, i.e. a colorimetric measuring instrument which works with a measuring filter characteristic which corresponds to the three standard spectral value curves x(λ), y(λ), z(λ), whereby x(λ) usually has to be implemented with 2 filters. Ideal device class for measuring monitors, e.g. the hardware calibration and validation of wide-gamut monitors, whereby the basICColor Discus is the only colorimeter that can also perform tele-measurements from the typical practical viewing…

colorfulness (In French chromie) one of the three intuitive attributes of luminescent colors: brightness–colorfulness–hue (clarté – chromie – teinte).

colored (In French coloré) obsolete term for chromatic; opposite: colorless, achromatic.

colorant, color agent (In French matière colorante) materials that change the colors of objects and substances; there is a rough distinction between dyes and pigments (color index) as well as coverage capacity, trueness, color strength or scatter capability (DIN 55943), white, chromatic, black, gloss or luminescent colorants (DIN 55944), natural and synthetic colorants (DIN 55944).

colorant mixing (In French mélange des colorants) creation of dyes and pigments according to color references.

color wheel/circle, hue circuit (In French cercle chromatique) systematic arrangement of hues of maximum chromaticness as the starting point for a color ordering system. The arrangement is effected either clockwise or counterclockwise, but always in accordance with the wavelengths in the light spectrum, whereby the beginning (blue-violet) and end (red-orange) of the visible spectral ranges are bridged by a purple area. Depending on the task, the hues are arranged as perceptually equidistant (Munsell, CIELAB) or…

color vision (In French vision des couleurs) brightness-adapted vision (daytime vision) with the 3 types of retinal cone.

color vision deficiency, color-blindness (In French défaut de vision des couleurs, achromasie) deviation from normal color vision (accurate color daytime vision) among approx. 5% of human beings on account of the differing functioning (anomaly: color pair metamerism) or of the failure (anopia: color pair confusion) of one (dichromatopsia) or two (monochromasy) of the three types of retinal cones. Persons with color vision deficiency are unfit for occupations in which colors play an important role; the…

color vignette (In French dégradé) continuous, gradual transition from one color shade to another.

color TV (In French télévision en couleur) image transmission according to different color standards and color signal descriptions; for all standards (NTSC, PAL, SECAM and HD successor systems) the color space YIQ applies, with luminance Y, the I-signal chrominance and the Q-signal chrominance see there.

color tune (In French ambiance) color stimulus which is determined primarily by the illuminant and secondly by the dominant remission symptoms and which “overlays” other possible color stimuli; e.g. the light from light bulbs conveys a warm-reddish color tune.