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Color Models
A ``color model'', or ``color space'', or ``color order system'', is a way
to organize the set of possible human color percepts in some systematic
way. Four families of color models can be distinguished in the color
vision literature at large (see, e.g., [Boynton 1979],
[Wyszecki \& Stiles 1982], and [Boynton 1990] for some references,
and [Brown 1982] for an excellent overview of color models and
color theory). I use these categories merely as an organizational tool;
they are not entirely mutually exclusive. The four categories are:
- Physiologically inspired models using 3 primaries, based on the three
types of cones in the human retina, starting with Hering's theory of color
vision, e.g., the familiar RGB models used in computer graphics hardware.
- Colorimetric color models, based on physical measurement of spectral
reflectance, usually using three primary color filters and some kind of
photometer, e.g., the CIE chromaticity diagram.
- Opponent models, based on perception experiments, using pairwise
opponent primary colors (yellow and blue, red and green), starting with the
Young-Helmholtz theory, e.g., [Hurvich \& Jameson 1957].
- Psychological and psychophysical color models based on the
appearance of colors to human observers, with data derived either in an
impressionistic way (e.g., the Munsell and Ostwald color models) or in an
experimental way (e.g., the Hue-Saturation-Brightness (HSB) family of color
models, or the OSA uniform color space).
I will discuss some typical representatives of each category. Mathematical
derivations (where available) of a collection of color models can be found
in Appendix 
.