Achromatic

An achromatic color is described as if it has no a specific hue or saturation. Black, gray and white are achromatic. Achromatic colors differ only by their lightness value of each other. Depending on the brightness caused grayscale.

" Achromatic - Neutral light sensation as a result of the mixture of all wavelengths of the spectrum in physically the same radiant intensity "

The chromaticity of the achromatic colors is by definition zero. With increasing variegation results in the optimal colors, which are the colors of the spectrum in the appropriate case.

Achromatic is to be regarded as color. This leads Manfred Richter from the fact that two surfaces differ even if they are only different light. This color is that property by which differ in one-eyed contemplation with an impassive eye two structureless adjacent areas.

" That may be many [ ... ] appear strange. But when he once makes the experience that a certain Brown is different from a certain orange only by its brightness (ie, the Orange can be easily made ​​by darkening to brown that exactly the same), he will see the accuracy of the claim that two areas of different brightness just show two different colors, because who is orange and brown described as two of the same colors? So for two different light gray are two different colors. "

Achromatic colors are different bright colors, as they are not only characterized by brightness but also by hue and saturation. Achromatic means there is no color cast perceived. The color stimulus produces a color stimulus, which has the same numerical value for all three color coordinates, all three color- sensitive cones are stimulated with the same intensity. The size of the intensity here results in the situation on the Unbuntgeraden between black and white = 0% = 100%.

The Unbuntgerade is the neutral curve, which is also present in some such color models in this form. In the L * a * b * system, it is the L * axis, defined by the points having the coordinates a * = b * = 0 is represented. In the HSB - spaces are the achromatic colors along the value axis or Hell, depending on the particular designation, along the axis of the dark levels.

The achromatic point is in the middle of the Farbarttafel by CIE. It has the coordinates x = y = 0.333. The distance of a color location thereof corresponding to the saturation of its color stimulus. The achromatic point is the equivalence point of the Farbarttafel ( chromaticity ), while the white point of the color temperature is dependent on a curve.

Color can in principle be seen as a clear color or as a bound color .. The free color appears to the eye purely areally, the bound color is bound to a surface and has a structure.

Important achromatic colors are in (color - ) achromatic black and white photographs. The eye reacts strongly to deviations from neutral gray, so tints interfere. An example of this is described in the article of paper. In the artistic photography, the achromatic colors play a special role, as it is abstracted from the color.

Play a role in the achromatic colors in the CMY system, especially in the four-color printing. Here the limitations of the material properties of the three colored pigments for cyan, magenta, yellow is resolved with the achromatic color black. Instead of mixing to the color depth is insufficient, a printing operation is executed with black pigment.

By same mix of complementary colors to give the corresponding Unbuntfarbe because ultimately pick the colors of the two complementary colors in satiated and chromaticity.