MUNSELL

• Munsell Color system is set up as a numerical scale with visually uniform steps for each of the
three color attributes—in Munsell color notation, each color has a logical and visual relationship
to all other colors.
• At the beginning of the 20th century, painter and color scientist Albert Munsell tackled
imprecision of color descriptions and the inaccurate modeling of color space via the traditional
flat color wheel.
i. He created a 3-dimensional model that accurately represents color space and order, to
providing a simple notation system for accurately describing any visible color.
ii. Value is shown on the vertical axis (black on the bottom, grays in the middle, white on
top); chroma extends outward from the grayscale (or “neutral”) core; and hue is the
color’s position on the outer ring.
iii. base-10 system for naming colors, using five primary hues (red, yellow, green, blue and
purple) and five secondary, or intermediate, hues (yellow-red, green-yellow, blue-green,
purple-blue, and red-purple), and subdividing each hue into 10 steps. Value also goes
from 0 (pure black) to 10 (pure white), and chroma starts at 0 for gray or neutral, and
increases as it moves away from the neutral core. There is no theoretical outer limit to
chroma

• The Munsell Color company

i. manufactures Munsell products such as the Munsell Book of Color, an atlas of color
chips, spectrophotometers for measuring color, and related materials for teaching,
learning and using Munsell
• Munsell color name describes its hue, value and chroma, in that order.

an example of the breakdown of the color “10R 7/6,” which is a slightly orange red of light value and
medium chroma:
 • Munsell Color Theory is based on a three-dimensional model in which each color is comprised of
HVC-three attributes of hue (color itself), value (lightness/darkness) and chroma (color
saturation or brilliance)

SOURCE:

Linberg, S. (2017, August 04). A Brief Introduction to the Munsell Color System. Retrieved
September 30, 2020, from https://www.smartermarx.com/t/a-brief-introduction-to-the-
munsell-color-system/481

Munsell Color Notation & Color Test; Dimensions of Color. (2012, December 19). Retrieved
September 30, 2020, from https://munsell.com/about-munsell-color/how-color-notation-
works/

CHEVRUEL
• chemist has influenced the development of art as much as the Frenchman Michel Eugène Chevreul (1786-
1889)
i. influenced the movements in art known as Impressionism, Neoimpressionism and Orphic Cubism

• 1824 was appointed as director of Gobelin, the famous carpet manufacturer. Here, he concentrated on the
problems of dyeing, and therefore on the dyes themselves. As a chemist, Chevreul supervised the
preparation of these dyes, and it occurred to him that the main problems had nothing to do with chemistry
but were more related to optics. A colour frequently failed to achieve the desired effect. This was not caused
by pigments, but by the influence of neighbouring colour tones.
ii. Chevreul decided to investigate the matter on a scientific basis, and in 1839 published his «De la loi du
contrast simultané des couleurs»

, a comprehensive attempt at providing a systematic basis to seeing colours. The work dealt with the so-called
«simultaneous contrast» of colours, and contained Chevreul’s famous law: «Two adjacent colours, when seen by the
eye, will appear as dissimilar as possible».

his 1839 work demonstrates that a colour will lend its adjacent colour a complementary tinge (of colour hue). As a
result, opposing complementary colours will brighten, and non-complementary colours will appear «contaminated»,
for example a yellow next to a green receives a violet tinge.

• Although Chevreul’s work remained impractical and was never completed, he also influenced the views of
both Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863) and Georges Seurat (1859-1891) with regard to colours and the way in
which they used them.
• Chevreul was able to establish a difference between the two ways in which simultaneous contrast occurred
and spoke of changes in intensity as well as «optical composition»
iii. three components which can displace one another under the influence of surroundings of another colour.
These three components correspond to the dimensions of a spacial colour system and are named
brightness (or value), hue and saturation (or chroma).
 • he designed the 72 segment colour circle
iv. defines the colour hues on the basis of the various changes which a colour undergoes in the direction of
white (higher intensity) or black (lower intensity).
v. 10 steps are possible. It is worth noting that in his colour-circle, Chevreul arranges each of the saturated
colours on a varying radius within its associated segment.
vi. values of colour hue for the different pigments are given a position more appropriate than in preceding
systems.

• Chevreul’s colour-circle
we find three secondary colours (the primary mixtures orange, green and violet) alongside the three
subtractive primary colours (red, yellow and blue), as well as six secondary mixtures. The segments arising
in this way are thus divided into six zones, and each radius is divided into 20 sections in the form of a ladder,
in order to specify the different brightness levels.
i. a spacial representation of the colours appearing in his two dimensional colour-circle. The black
axis of the hemisphere thus becomes a pointer, pivoting to select the different levels on a scale.
The numbering will then stipulate the proportions of a colour, for example 9B/1C will mean that 9/10
black and 1/10 of the corresponding (colour) hue are present.

SOURCE :
Colorsystem: Michel Eugène Chevreul. (n.d.). Retrieved September 29, 2020, from
https://www.colorsystem.com/?page_id=792

OSTWALD

• his analysis of colour-harmony, Ostwald proceeds on the basis of his conviction that harmony is created by
colour-order

i. (modelled according to a fundamental psychological law) The double-cone

extends from a colour-circle divided into 24 segments (the full colours) which in turn stem from the
four proto-colours of yellow, red, blue and sea-green.

• 1909, Wilhelm Ostwald (1853-1932) — who came from the Baltic — received the Nobel prize for chemistry
for his work on catalysis, an area on the fringe of physics, which promised applications in industry

who had been instrumental in the foundation of the first Zeitschrift für Physicalische Chemie

he showed great interest in the physical sciences as a whole, as is evident in Ostwalds Klassiker der exakten
Naturwissenschaften.

Ostwald explored many new approaches to scientific thought, at one time attempting to refute the existence of atoms
which, he maintafinal passion, however, was the theory of colours, and after his retirement (at the age of only 53), he
devoted himself to the laws of colour in the hope of developing a scientific basis for their perceived harmonies.ined,
were an uncalled — for hypothesis since their structure was invisible.
 • final passion, however, was the theory of colours, and after his retirement (at the age of only 53), he devoted
himself to the laws of colour in the hope of developing a scientific basis for their perceived harmonies.

• Ostwald attempted to construct a perceptual colour-system using non-empirical methods.

ii. he selected an alternative group of variables: namely, colour-content, white-content and black-
content
iii. introduced the special term «full colour», by which he meant a colour which permitted the sensation
of one single colour-tone (Munsell’s «hue») and was not tempered by white or black

- pure colour; in other words, of maximum saturation and at the same time bright-

(When Ostwald published his Colour Primer, his full colours contained about 5% white and slightly less black, as he
himself admitted.)

Ostwald’s theory of colour in the following way: the most universal mixture is the mixture of full colours, white and
black. Each pigmented colour can be characterised by specifying the colour-content (at a certain colour-hue), white-
content and black-content.

iv. Farbfibel «The colour primer»

- appeared in 1916, introduced a colour system devoted to this task (and survived for 15
editions).

v. systematically, drawing a distinction between chromatic and achromatic colours. He arranges his
achromatic colours in the form of a grey scale along a line containing eight gradations, which
conform to a geometrical sequence.
vi. the influence of visually dominant white does not decrease uniformly from above downwards, but
does so geometrically, with the perceived mid-point between black and white being characterised
by a proportion of approximately 20% white.

- the so-called Weber-Fechner Law of Psychophysiology, although its application is technically

limited. In fact, Ostwald abandoned his grey sequence which used this law as a basis.
 i. starts out with four basic colours: yellow to the north; red to the east; blue (to be more exact,
ultramarine) to the south; and sea-green to the west. Four further colours are then placed between
these: orange between yellow and red; violet between red and ultramarine blue; turquoise between
ultramarine blue and sea-green; and leaf-green between sea-green and yellow.
ii. With these eight colours, Ostwald constructs 24 colour-hues with equal spacing and numbers them
from yellow upwards, arranging them into a circle.
iii. then constructs the so-called «bright-clear», or «dark-clear» colours, resulting in either white or
black, is «perceptually equidistant» from each respective colour.

-With that, Ostwald can proceed with the fulfilment of his original task: to specify the general mixing
of the other colours characterised by him as «dull colours and forming most of the colours existing
in the colour-solid.

iv. When joined onto the triangle of opposing complementary colours, such a monochromatic
triangle — regarded as «psychological» by Ostwald

— becomes a rhombus which can be applied to the entire circle of pure colours

v. The basis of a double-cone is created in this way, uniting all the colours of Ostwald’s system
SOURCE:

Colorsystem: Wilhelm Ostwald. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2020, from

https://www.colorsystem.com/?page_id=862

RGB & CMYK

Young-Helmholtz theory

vi. states that within your eye are tiny cells that can receive waves of light and
translate them into one of three colors: blue, green, and red. These three colors
can then be combined to create the entire visible spectrum of light as we see it.

James Clerk Maxwell and the Theory of Colours

vii. Maxwell found that it was the ultramarine (blue), vermillion (red) and emerald
green (green) that tested best during his experiments. A combination of any these
discs in the correct proportions was found to create almost every colour in the
colour spectrum. Maxwell had discovered the primary colours for light, we have
three receptors: red, green and blue.

Upon experimentation, Maxwell’s colour triangle was created

In 1906, the Eagle Printing Ink Company incorporated the four-colour wet process inks for the
first time. These four colours were cyan, magenta, yellow, and black (also known as key), hence
the name CMYK. It was discovered that these four colours can be combined to produce an
almost unlimited number of richer, darker tones.

RGB

• Red - Green - Blue

• An Additive Color System

i. When combined, red and green light rays produce yellow, blue and green produce
cyan, red and blue produce magenta. Red, green and blue mix to create white
(light).
ii. These colors are produced by blending light itself by superimposing the red,
green, and blue light beam. Without any intensity, each of those colors will be
perceived as black, while full intensity will make them appear white.
iii. different intensities of each color will produce the hue of a particular color. The
resulting color will also appear more or less saturated depending on the difference
between the most and the least intensive color.
 iv. This color model is used in computer monitors, television sets, and theater.

• additive color theory

v. theory states that all perceivable colors can be made by mixing different amounts
of red, green, and blue light,
the primary colors of the additive color system

CMYK

• Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Key (Black)

- Black, in this case, is referred to as key because it is used in the key plate which is
responsible for adding the contrast and the detail for the final image.
- When you mix all the colors, the result is gray.

• most commonly referred to as the four-color process because it uses four

different colors to produce different hues. The black color here is used because
the other three colors combined cannot produce a fully saturated black.
• the recommended color system for any material that will be printed.
• a subtractive color model

- the printed ink reduces the light that would normally be reflected. The inks
used subtract the brightness from a white background from those four colors.

vi. In subtractive color theory, all colors mix to yield black.

SOURCE:
Young-Helmholtz's Trichromatic Theory of Color Vision. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2020,
from https://study.com/academy/lesson/young-helmholtzs-trichromatic-theory-of-color-
vision.html

Burke, O. (n.d.). The genius of James Clerk Maxwell and the Theory of Colours [Pdf].

Scout, J. (2016, May 12). The History Of The CMYK Colour Model. Retrieved September 30,
2020, from https://www.clubink.ca/blog/print/history-behind-cmyk-colour-model/

Color Systems - RGB & CMYK. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2020, from
https://www.colormatters.com/color-and-design/color-systems-rgb-and-cmyk

Envato. (2020, August 31). RGB vs. CMYK: Color Systems Guide. Retrieved September 30,
2020, from https://envato.com/blog/rgb-vs-cmyk-color-systems-guide/

Nassiry, S. (n.d.). The Psychological and Physiology of Color by Sarwar Nassiry. Retrieved
September 30, 2020, from http://www.people.vcu.edu/~djbromle/color-
theory/color04/sarwar/index.htm

PANTONE SYSTEM

• PMS, is a standardized color matching system

• devised to help printers and designers to specify and control colors for printing projects
- allows you to specify colors that cannot be mixed in traditional CMYK.
• Pantone colors are described by their allocated number, for example, PMS 205, is pink.
- solid palette can be identified by a suffix following a three-digit number to
identify the color. The suffix code refers to the paper stock on which the color
is printed; C stands for coated paper, M is matte paper, and U is uncoated
paper. For color plastic component production, color references are denoted
by a Q or T then the color number. Q refers to color printed on opaque plastic
and T on transparent plastic.

• There are over 1,000 colors identified in the Pantone Color Matching System, based on a
specific mix of pigments to create new colours—referred to as Spot Colours. The Pantone
system also allows for many ‘special’ colours to be produced such as metallics and
fluorescents.
• Pantone was founded in 1962, when the company—at the time a small business which
manufactured colour cards for cosmetics companies—was bought by Lawrence Herbert,
 who had been an employee since 1956. He immediately changed its direction, developing
the first colour matching system in 1963. Herbert remains the CEO, Chairman, and
President of the company.

SOURCE:

Blackman, N. (2018, December 6). What Are Pantone Colors? [Digital image]. Retrieved
September 30, 2020, from https://design.tutsplus.com/articles/pantone-color-of-the-year-
2019--cms-32338

What is the Pantone Color System and How is it used in Packaging? (2015, June 29). Retrieved
September 30, 2020, from https://www.oberk.com/packaging-crash-course/qqm-what-is-
the-pantone-color-system

Pantone History. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2020, from

https://www.designface.co.uk/pantone-articles/pantone-history/