The understanding of the four aspects of color—hue, saturation, lightness, and tint—has developed over the centuries, but the systematic understanding and modern classification of these aspects emerged in the context of color science and color theory during the 18th and 19th centuries.
In the fields of design, art, and color theory, these terms are fundamental to understanding how we perceive colors and how they can be manipulated to achieve specific visual effects. Memorize them, and put them into practice.
These characteristics allow us to create an infinite range of colors from just a few basic tones. In graphic design, photography, or painting, understanding how to manage these aspects is key to generating visual and emotional effects.
Tone (or "Hue" in English)
Hue is what we normally understand as "color" itself. It's the basic aspect of color, what distinguishes red from blue, green from yellow, and so on. It refers to the wavelength of the light we see, which in turn depends on the frequency of that light.
On a color wheel, hue is represented circularly and is a way of organizing primary, secondary, and tertiary colors. Hues are measured in degrees within a circle, from 0° (red), 120° (green), 240° (blue), and so on.
Saturation
Saturation indicates the intensity or purity of a color. A highly saturated color is bright and vivid, while a color with low saturation appears dull or grayish.
When a color is desaturated, we add white, black, or gray, which decreases its intensity and makes it "dirtier" or duller. A completely desaturated color is gray, which has no hue or intensity.
- High saturation: a pure and vivid color (bright red, electric blue).
- Low saturation: a softer, pastel or grayish color (dull red, washed-out blue).
Example of a high-saturation image
Example of a low saturation image
Luminosity (or "Value" )
Luminosity refers to the amount of light a color reflects. In other words, it's how light or dark a color appears. A color with high luminosity is light (like yellow or light pink), while one with low luminosity is dark (like black, navy blue, or dark green).
The brightness can be adjusted by adding white (to lighten the color) or black (to darken it). This determines whether a color appears "bright" or "dark."
- High luminosity: light colors (light yellow, light blue).
- Low luminosity: dark colors (brown, navy blue).
Example of a high-brightness image
Example of a low -light image
Hue
Sometimes synonymous with "tone," hue isn't always considered an independent aspect, but in some contexts it's used to refer to color variation within a specific hue. It's a way of adding nuances or changes to a color by incorporating different mixtures of other colors. In more technical usage, hue refers to the subtle nuances within a tone that vary depending on its saturation and lightness.
For example, a "nuanced red" could refer to a red with a hint of blue or yellow that slightly changes its original hue.
Credits:
Public domain images via cosmos.so/public-work
