Defining color spaces
Okay, so color spaces are a Big Deal. But they're not exactly self-explanatory. Simply put,
color spaces define boundaries within the visible color spectrum. Think of a color space as a perimeter fence: all colors inside the fence are represented in that color space; all colors outside are not. The area inside the fence is referred to as the color space's color gamut.
In the world of digital photography, the color spaces that matter most in building a quality-focused workflow are the ones employed in current cameras and in image editing programs like Photoshop. In each case, these color spaces have been defined to serve a particular purpose or meet a particular need. In other words, each color space's perimeter fence has not been erected in a random location. The three color spaces you'll want to know are:
•
sRGB. Today, sRGB is as close as you'll come to a truly universal color space. SRGB was developed to match the color space of a typical computer monitor. Its use is widespread. It's the default color space of Windows XP, Web browsers, numerous image browsers, image editors and other software on the Windows platform. Perhaps most importantly in this discussion, it's also the color space tucked inside virtually all current digital cameras. In fact, if your camera doesn't include an option for choosing a color space, it's almost certainly nothing-but-sRGB under the hood. And if your camera includes color space options, sRGB is probably one of them.
•
Adobe RGB. This color space is designed to encompass the colors that can be printed using CMYK inks. It includes a broader range of colors than sRGB within its boundaries. If your camera offers it, Adobe RGB is an excellent color space choice if your pictures are destined for the printed page, or both the printed page and the Web.
•
ColorMatch RGB. Derived from an older Radius Pressview monitor, this color space is not an available option on any point-and-shoot or digital SLR camera, I'm aware of. But, it does serve as an excellent alternative to both sRGB and Adobe RGB—and Adobe RGB especially - for viewing pictures shot in these color spaces. Its color space is wider than sRGB, but not as broad as Adobe RGB, and it features a gamma of 1.8. All color spaces definitions include a gamma value, which in turn affects how bright a photo's midtones will appear in that color space. A gamma of 1.8—vs. 2.2 for sRGB and Adobe RGB - means that if you are looking at a photo that's too dark and murky in the midtones, switching to ColorMatch RGB can be a simple and effective way to brighten the photo. In addition, it can also help control runaway saturation in photos shot in Adobe RGB.
Read More...
I'll try to make my explanations a little more interesting in the future.
