How is color perceived

This graph shows the sensitivity of the different cones to varying wavelengths. But the cones in our eyes are just the beginning of the color story. Ganglions are a type of neuron located in the retina that receive signals via various intermediate cells from the cones and rods. They are the cells that transmit information to the brain. Why all the fuss? The ganglion cells add and subtract signals from many cones. For example, by comparing the response of the middle-wavelength and long-wavelength cones, a ganglion cell determines the amount of green-or-red.

The result of these steps for color vision is a signal that is sent to the brain. There are three signals, corresponding to the three color attributes. These are:. Instead, you can explore all kinds of clusters and color arrangements. Humans typically have three types of photo pigments—red, green and blue. Each type of cone is sensitive to different wavelengths of visible light. The cones then send a signal along the optic nerve to the visual cortex of the brain.

The brain processes the number of cones that were activated and the strength of their signal. After the nerve impulses are processed, you see a color— in this case, yellow. Your past visual experiences with objects also influence your perception of color.

This phenomenon is known as color constancy. Color constancy ensures that the perceived color of an object stays about the same when seen in different conditions. For example, if you looked at a lemon under a red light, you likely would still perceive the lemon to be yellow.

Color blindness can occur when one or more of the cone types are not functioning as expected. Cones can be absent, nonfunctioning or detect a different color than normal. Red-green color blindness is the most common, followed by blue-yellow color blindness.

Men are more likely to have color blindness than women. Scientists are currently developing new treatments for color blindness. Researchers estimate that up to 12 percent of females have four cone types in their retinas, rather than three. This adaptation of the eye and brain is known as color constancy.

We might also be able to agree with each other on the wavelengths that define basic colors. However, this might have more to do with our brains than our eyes. For instance, in a study at the University of Rochester, individuals tended to perceive colors the same way, even though the number of cones in their retinas varied widely. But things get much more complicated when individuals or multiple people try to match colors tto a product or material samples.

Physical or environmental factors and personal differences between viewers can alter our perception of color. These factors include:. To complicate matters further, the phenomenon of impossible colors, chimerical colors and more exist and can wreak havoc on a business that relies heavily on accurate color readings.

Using instruments to accurately detect colors from samples and products is imperative and having inter-instrument agreement is even more so. ThoughtCo does a good job of explaining the impact of these factors. Colors play a vital role in our everyday lives. Like the yellow school bus. Why is it important that we see it, even in our periphery?

For safety, of course. Many colors are used to depict important messages without words. Red stop signs and green traffic lights are universal. These and other regulated colors play an important part in our lives. We also associate colors with pride.

But colors were around for thousands upon thousands of years before there were school buses and stop signs and spectrophotometers. The history of colors and dyes is quite fascinating and dates further back than BC. This can cause real business problems like production delays, material waste, and quality control failures.

As a result, businesses are turning to mathematical equations to specify colors , and non-subjective measuring devices to ensure precise matching. Many other color spaces have been defined. Measurement depends on colorimeters or spectrophotometers that provide digital descriptions of colors. For instance, the percentages of each of the three primary colors required to match a color sample are referred to as tristimulus values. Tristimulus colorimeters are used in quality control applications.

Controlling colors despite unavoidable differences in human perception starts with awareness and education. TThankfully, there is a range of tools available to ensure the colors of your products are always accurate.