Uniform color spaces

Abstract

In 1976, the CIE specified CIELAB and CIELUV, two perceptually uniform color spaces to estimate the magnitude of the difference between two color stimuli. These color spaces were also designed to provide color-difference equations and to interpret color difference in terms of dimensions in lightness, hue, and chroma. The CIELAB and CIELUV color-difference equations have been widely used in industry. However, they do not accurately quantify small- to medium-size color difference. More advanced equations based upon the modification of the CIELAB color-difference equation were developed. The CIEDE2000 color-difference equation is the current CIE recommendation for computing small color differences. Future research in the area of the color difference may be based upon a more uniform color space, based on color-vision theory, and capable of accounting for different viewing parameters.