Color spaces are the best way to define color, according to mathematicians. They use geometric models to assign colors as fixed points, ensuring that the blue you see is the same blue as the person next to you. However, this can be overwhelming for creative-leaning individuals like myself who can barely split a bill without a calculator app. Fortunately, computing software can perform these complex calculations for us, allowing us to rely on our eyes to pick the best colors. Fortunately, most of us only need to understand the basics of color spaces, which can be useful to everyone, not just creative professionals. Learning about color spaces can help you make informed decisions when buying consumer electronics, such as phones, TVs, and computers, and get the most out of your viewing experience. The first hurdle is to learn the difference between a color model, space, and gamut. A color model is the entire system used to define how a color is represented. Here are some examples:
- CYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Key): This color model is similar to the color wheel theory you learned in art class. By combining these colors in different quantities, we can achieve colors closer to the range that can be seen by the average human eye.
- RYB (Red, Yellow, Blue): This color model is used in painting and is based on the principle that red, yellow, and blue primaries can be mixed to create a wide range of colors.
- HSL / HSB / HSV (Hue, Saturation, Lightness / Brightness / Value): This color model is used in digital design and is based on the idea that colors can be described in terms of hue, saturation, and lightness.
There are three types of color models: subtractive, additive, and uniform. Subtractive color models, like CYK and RYB, work by subtracting light from a white background to create colors. Additive color models, like RGB, work by adding light to a black display to create colors. Uniform color models, like HSL and HSB, are based on the idea that colors can be described in terms of hue, saturation, and lightness.
| Color Model | Description |
| CYK | Subtractive color model used in printing and dyeing. |
| RGB | Additive color model used in electronic devices. |
| HSL / HSB / HSV | Uniform color model used in digital design. |
Color spaces are built on color models and define a specific range of displayable colors, often within the limitations of the applications they’re designed for, such as display panels on computer monitors and televisions. There are many different color spaces, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.
- Rec.709
- Rec.2100
- DCI-P3
These color spaces are optimized for different applications, such as video and display technology. Rec.709 is used for high-definition TV, while Rec.2100 is used for ultra-high definition TV, HDR, and future video technologies. DCI-P3 is used for digital movie theaters and sits somewhere between the two. “Color spaces serve different purposes.”
Eric Chan, a fellow of digital imaging at Adobe, explains that color spaces serve different purposes. Some color spaces are device-dependent, like displays, cameras, and printers. Some are device-independent, like CIELAB. Some are used for interchange, like Adobe RGB. “While it is possible to create a ‘universal color space,’ this is not necessarily advisable,” Chan says. “Color spaces serve different purposes. Some are device-dependent, like displays, cameras, and printers. Some are device-independent. Some are used for interchange, like Adobe RGB.”
sRGB is a widely used color space that is suitable for most applications, including web design and printing. However, there are other color spaces available, such as Adobe RGB and CIELAB, which offer wider color ranges and are optimized for specific applications.
| Color Space | Description |
| sRGB | Widely used color space suitable for most applications, including web design and printing. |
| Adobe RGB | Color space optimized for professional printing and color grading. |
| CIELAB | Perceptually uniform color space used for advanced color grading. |
Gamut comes into the mix when we measure just how capable something is at displaying every color within a space. By definition, a gamut is just a range, displayed as a percentage that represents how much of a color space can be captured by a device.
- The BenQ PD3225U Designer Monitor can cover 98% of P3, 99% of sRGB, and 99% of Rec.709.
- The Dell S2425HS can cover 99% of sRGB.
Wider color spaces and higher dynamic range (HDR) can improve the viewing experience, but there are diminishing returns. While color spaces like OKLCH exist that provide wider gamut support than sRGB, it would need far greater support across displays and web software before it can rival the current standard. “Wider is better, but only to a point,”
Eric Chan says that in terms of TV resolution, the jump from VGA to HD was huge and obvious to most people. The move from HD to 4K is less noticeable, and the move from 4K to 8K is even less noticeable. Related to wider color space is higher dynamic range (HDR), which is more easily noticeable to most people. This is all just scratching the surface of how color is displayed. Luckily, the layperson won’t need to understand all that much because technical color work isn’t designed for them, and even people in design industries typically only have to learn about the spaces specific to their job. The rest of us can let computers do the hard part and appreciate that a lot of work happens behind the scenes to bring more color to the world around us. “My analogy is like a language,”
Eric Chan says that just like a language, there is a best way to communicate.
