User:CoyneT/Color Standardization

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This article is history. While I was sort of thinking about it, some other people took hold and did it. Posterity only.

Color Standardization is something I am thinking about. I am (slowly) working on what should be done to standardize the way in which color coordinates should be listed in Wikipedia; such as in List of Colors or Yellow. The HSV and CMYK coordinates are very inconsistent right now. For example, people are already using (or could potentially use) all of these different schemes for the HSV coordinates:

  • 0-360, 0-1, 0-1: As specified in the HSV article (I actually haven't seen this yet; instead most people are using the next one).
  • 0-360, 0-100, 0-100: This is the same as the previous one, except that the Saturation and Value ranges are integer percentages instead of real numbers. I believe this should be the standard Wikipedia form.
  • 0-255, 0-255, 0-255: This results from confusion with the RGB ranges, which are pretty much always 0-255. I am aware of no program which actually allows inputs across this full range for HSV.
  • 0-360, 0-240, 0-240: Some programs use this system of inputs; and some entries in Wiki seem to be set up in this range.
  • 0-240, 0-240, 0-240: This is a "double-whammy": Not only is this range typical of Microsoft Windows programs, but Windows identifies these coordinates in the "HSL" (see article on HLS) coordinate system, rather than HSV. The systems are close, but if you entered these in an HSV, it wouldn't quite come out right.
  • 0-100, 0-100, 0-100: I've seen this, too, even though I have been able to identify no corresponding program. The mistake is putting the 0-360 in the percentage range.

The problem should be apparent: With so many people doing the HSV in so many different systems, how would someone use the result in a given paint program? As it stands now, only the RGB is reallyconsistent (0-255,0-255,0-255) from usage-to-usage.

Also, since some programs offer HLS (or HSL) input rather than HSV (these are not quite the same) I think the tables/color coordinate sections should include the HLS as well as the HSV.

(On the other hand, maybe it isn't important. If you want to enter the color in another program, nearly any program accepts RGB in the range of 0-255, 0-255, 0-255. So maybe this is much ado about nothing?)

Thoughts are welcome in my talk page.