Color Matching
Color matching functions are mathematical representations of the way the human eye responds to different wavelengths of light. They are used to quantify the colors that a person can see and to define the color spaces used in various applications.
Color Matching Functions?
Set of three functions that describe the way the human eye responds to different wavelengths of light. They are typically denoted as:
- x(λ): The red color matching function
- y(λ): The green color matching function
- z(λ): The blue color matching function
These functions describe the amount of red, green, and blue light that is perceived by the human eye when viewing a particular wavelength of light.
CIE 1931 Color Matching Functions
The CIE 1931 color matching functions are a set of color matching functions that were defined by the International Commission on Illumination (CIE) in 1931. They are still widely used today and are considered to be a standard reference for color matching.
The CIE 1931 color matching functions are based on a set of experiments that were conducted by Wright and Guild in the 1920s. They asked a group of observers to match a test color with a mixture of three primary colors (red, green, and blue). The results of these experiments were used to define the color matching functions.
CIE 1964 Color Matching Functions
The CIE 1964 color matching functions are a set of color matching functions that were defined by the CIE in 1964. They are similar to the CIE 1931 color matching functions but are based on a larger field of view (10°) rather than a smaller field of view (2°).
Limitations and other gotchas
Color matching functions have several limitations, including:
- Observer variability: Different observers may have slightly different color matching functions.
- Field of view: The color matching functions are based on a specific field of view and may not be accurate for larger or smaller fields of view.
- Color gamut: The color matching functions are limited to a specific color gamut and may not be able to accurately describe colors outside of this gamut.