Appendix A: Desktop Color Primer; The Properties Of Color; The Physics Of Color - Canon ColorPASS-Z5000 Color Manual

A
A-1 Desktop Color Primer
Appendix A:
Desktop Color
Primer
This appendix covers concepts that are basic to printing in color, including:

• The properties of color

• Printing techniques
• Using color effectively
• Raster images and vector images
• Optimizing files for processing and printing
If you are already familiar with color theory and digital color printing, you can skip to
the last section ("Optimizing files for processing and printing" on page A-10) for tips
on optimizing files for printing.
The properties of color
This section introduces concepts that are basic to color theory. You will encounter
some of these concepts (such as hue, saturation, and brightness) when you work with
color in applications; others provide useful background information. Color is a complex
topic, so consider this a starting point for experimentation and further research.

The physics of color

The human eye can see electromagnetic radiation at wavelengths between 400
nanometers (purplish blue) and 700 nanometers (red). This range is called the visible
spectrum of light. We see pure spectral light as intensely saturated or pure colors.
Sunlight at midday, which we perceive as white or neutral light, is composed of light
from across the visible spectrum in more or less equal proportions. Shining sunlight
through a prism separates it into its spectral components, resulting in the familiar
rainbow of colors (plate 1).
Like the sun, most light sources we encounter in our daily environment emit a mixture
of light wavelengths, although the particular distribution of wavelengths can vary
considerably. Light from a tungsten light bulb, for example, contains much less blue
light than sunlight. Tungsten light appears white to the human eye, which, up to a