CIE color models

These color models care produced by the International Commission on Illumination. They are based on the human eye's response to RGB, and are designed to accurately represent human color perception.

These models are used to define so-called device-independent colors, which can be reproduced faithfully on any type of device, such as scanners, monitors, and printers. They are widely used because they are easy to use on computers and describe a wide range of colors.

The best known models are the CIE XYZ, CIE L*a*b, and CIE LUV.

CIE L*a*b* is an improvement of the CIE XYZ color model. Its "L" (luminance), "a" (green to red) and "b" (blue to yellow) are represented by numerical values. In comparison with XYZ, CIE L*a*b* colors are more compatible with colors sensed by the human eye. With the CIE L*a*b*, the color luminance (L), hue and saturation (a, b) can be revised individually; as a result, the overall color of the image can be changed without changing the image or its luminance. Because CIE L*a*b* is device independent, when RGB is changed to CMYK, or CMYK is changed to RGB, the software requires the change to be first processed via the CIE L*a*b* color model.

CIE chromaticity diagram

Compare:Understanding Color/What is a color model?

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