A Digital Color Separating System Based on Principles of Colorimetry

Abstract: A color separating scanning system has been developed that is based on principles of colorimetry. The system consists of three major elements; an input scanner, an electronic previewing console, and a laser film writer. These three components share a common data base that describes the color at each position within the picture. This data base has its roots in the 1960 CIE Uniform Chromaticity Scale (UCS) or u,v,L system of color specification that is more traditional in the graphic arts industry. This data base has its roots in the 1960 CIE Uniform Chromaticity Scale (UCS) or u,v,L system of color specification that is more traditional in the graphic arts industry. This paper describes the system from the point of view of the color scientist, reviews the reasons for choosing the 1960 CIE UCS, and discusses some of the difficulties encountered providing a user interface to the c,m,y,k oriented operator.