slightly OT: What are light/dark colors?

I’ve searched google and haven’t found any "real" answers so…

How does one determine what is a "light" or "dark" color? Visualy, I would think that a "light" color is light and a "dark" color is considered dark.

However, based on the color spectrum, the above cannot apply or is both "light green" and "dark green" considered a dark color.

So that if one says something is a dark color, does it mean that the color is at one end of the spectrum or is it just "dark" visually. It is a bit confusing to me on the semantics on referring to the brightness of colors; or is "brightness" to be used instead of the color spectrum.
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Eh?

In article <u6c_a.10978$>, Gummo wrote:

Eh?

Well…..e.g. a "light blue" and a "dark blue"; can other colors be between the light & dark blue when considering a light color palate?

I see that colors are variations between white and black and guess all variations of a color, e.g. blue, are around the same area of the color spectrum. White can be considered as an extreme light color while black is considered as an extreme dark color.

Light color———————–>Dark color
white——————————>black

But considering a "light" color object as in light green, would it be

1)
white—>light yellow—->light green—->dark yellow—>dark green—->black

or

2)
white—>light yellow—>dark yellow—>light green—>dark green—>black

When you say an object is a light color do you mean 1) or 2)? —

On Wed, 13 Aug 2003 16:03:04 GMT, a user wrote:

I guess I’m trying to see if I can think that a certain color is light or dark regardless of the color’s value.

Convert the image to greyscale and you’ll get a good approximation.

In fact, if you are used to shooting photos on black and white film you get quite used to judging the lightness or darkness of colors.

That’s basically what you’re talking about, right?

— JC

http://www.webwhirlers.com/colors/wheel.asp

"a user" wrote in message

In article <u6c_a.10978$>, Gummo wrote:

Eh?

Well…..e.g. a "light blue" and a "dark blue"; can other colors be between the light & dark blue when considering a light color palate?
I see that colors are variations between white and black and guess all variations of a color, e.g. blue, are around the same area of the color spectrum. White can be considered as an extreme light color while black is considered as an extreme dark color.

Light color———————–>Dark color
white——————————>black

But considering a "light" color object as in light green, would it be
1)
white—>light yellow—->light green—->dark yellow—>dark green—->black
or

2)
white—>light yellow—>dark yellow—>light green—>dark green—>black
When you say an object is a light color do you mean 1) or 2)? —

"a user" wrote in message

I’ve searched google and haven’t found any "real" answers so…
How does one determine what is a "light" or "dark" color? Visualy, I would think that a "light" color is light and a "dark" color is considered dark.

However, based on the color spectrum, the above cannot apply or is both "light green" and "dark green" considered a dark color.
So that if one says something is a dark color, does it mean that the color is at one end of the spectrum or is it just "dark" visually. It is a bit confusing to me on the semantics on referring to the brightness of colors; or is "brightness" to be used instead of the color spectrum.
—

18% gray or grey is the middle.

On Wed, 13 Aug 2003 19:13:20 GMT, a user found
these unused words floating about:

In article , J C wrote:

On Wed, 13 Aug 2003 16:03:04 GMT, a user wrote:

I guess I’m trying to see if I can think that a certain color is light or dark regardless of the color’s value.

Convert the image to greyscale and you’ll get a good approximation.
In fact, if you are used to shooting photos on black and white film you get quite used to judging the lightness or darkness of colors.
That’s basically what you’re talking about, right?

Sort of part of it, I think. It is trying to see how to consider whether an image is a "dark" or "light" image; looks like a convet to greyscale and check.

I was hoping there was a simple/easy method for determination as in laundry washing instructions: wash with "like" colors, which I just ignore and hope for the best..:-)

Color Picker, look at the luminance.

In article , J A Mc wrote:

On Wed, 13 Aug 2003 19:13:20 GMT, a user found
these unused words floating about:

In article , J C wrote:

On Wed, 13 Aug 2003 16:03:04 GMT, a user wrote:

I guess I’m trying to see if I can think that a certain color is light or dark regardless of the color’s value.

Convert the image to greyscale and you’ll get a good approximation.
In fact, if you are used to shooting photos on black and white film you get quite used to judging the lightness or darkness of colors.
That’s basically what you’re talking about, right?

Sort of part of it, I think. It is trying to see how to consider whether an image is a "dark" or "light" image; looks like a convet to greyscale and check.

I was hoping there was a simple/easy method for determination as in laundry washing instructions: wash with "like" colors, which I just ignore and hope for the best..:-)

Color Picker, look at the luminance.

"Internal luminance"? For example, if I take a picture and it comes out "dark"; then using a flash, the same scene is lighter; a real photographer takes a picture of the same scene with better lighting and the image is probably brighter.

Now, are the colors now could be considered "light" by 1 person and "dark" by another even if the native(?) color didn’t change. I can see visually what happened but the colors in a scene are the same in each situation; presumably, the gray-scale will compensate for the different lighting conditions as it would just shift from the dark to light as a whole.

It looks to me now that a color and its valuescannot be considered "light" or "dark" in itself and the terms have no meaning in reference to a color but must take into account the variables and the environment.

On Thu, 14 Aug 2003 19:09:27 GMT, a user found
these unused words floating about:

In article , J A Mc wrote:

On Wed, 13 Aug 2003 19:13:20 GMT, a user found
these unused words floating about:

In article , J C wrote:

On Wed, 13 Aug 2003 16:03:04 GMT, a user wrote:

I guess I’m trying to see if I can think that a certain color is light or dark regardless of the color’s value.

Convert the image to greyscale and you’ll get a good approximation.
In fact, if you are used to shooting photos on black and white film you get quite used to judging the lightness or darkness of colors.
That’s basically what you’re talking about, right?

Sort of part of it, I think. It is trying to see how to consider whether an image is a "dark" or "light" image; looks like a convet to greyscale and check.

I was hoping there was a simple/easy method for determination as in laundry washing instructions: wash with "like" colors, which I just ignore and hope for the best..:-)

Color Picker, look at the luminance.

"Internal luminance"? For example, if I take a picture and it comes out "dark"; then using a flash, the same scene is lighter; a real photographer takes a picture of the same scene with better lighting and the image is probably brighter.

Now, are the colors now could be considered "light" by 1 person and "dark" by another even if the native(?) color didn’t change. I can see visually what happened but the colors in a scene are the same in each situation; presumably, the gray-scale will compensate for the different lighting conditions as it would just shift from the dark to light as a whole.

It looks to me now that a color and its valuescannot be considered "light" or "dark" in itself and the terms have no meaning in reference to a color but must take into account the variables and the environment.

The color remains the same … period. Its properties are PHYSICAL. Your PERCEPTION changes by the enviornment or reproduction.

Thought you wanted some technical help, not a socio-political bit, sorry!

In article , J A Mc wrote:

The color remains the same … period. Its properties are PHYSICAL. Your PERCEPTION changes by the enviornment or reproduction.
Thought you wanted some technical help, not a socio-political bit, sorry!

It wasn’t a socio-political bit. It is an honest LAYMAN’s question similar to "what is a cool & dry" place for storage of my pills; I’ve read on a label of something else that gave the max temperature for a "cool" place…..the temp was 85 degrees F. and the average consumer won’t think that 85 deg F is "cool". I don’t recall what the lower temp was but don’t think it was below freezing.

So, if textile washing instructions say "wash with like colors" meaning light with light and dark with dark. Translating this to images in photoshop, what are "like" colors. If it is all perception, then people taking heart & blood pressure pills can be in trouble as the "cool & dry" place is also similarly a "perception".

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