Tristimulus

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The tristimulus values of a test color are the amounts of the three primary colors in a three-component color model needed to match that test color. The tristimulus values are most often given in the CIE 1931 color space, in which they are denoted X, Y, and Z.

Each color can also be represented in terms of its chromaticity coordinates, which represent the chromaticity (colorfulness) of a test color independent of how bright it is. The CIE 1931 chromaticity cooridinates x, y, and z are calculated from the three tristimulus values as:

x=\frac{X}{X+Y+Z}

y=\frac{Y}{X+Y+Z}

z=\frac{Z}{X+Y+Z}

Chromaticity coordinates measure the balance of the three primaries that match a test color, so x + y + z = 1 always.

[edit] References

  • Hunt, R. W. Measuring colour 3rd ed. England: Fountain Press, 1998. ISBN 0-86343-387-1. See pgs. 39-46 for the basis in human eye physiology of three-component color models, and 54-57 for chromaticity coordinates.
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