Introduction: Color Conversion

Color Conversion SDK provides functions for converting between color-spaces using different methods and options; the SDK supports the following conversions:

Source Color Space

Can be converted to

Conversion method

Recommended

RGB

Any other color space.

Built-in, ICC profiles, or emulation tables, depending on the destination color space.

 

BGR

Any other color space.

Built-in, ICC profiles, or emulation tables, depending on the destination color conversion.

 

YUV

Any other color space.

1. Built in.

 

CMYK

Any other color space.

1.Emulation Tables (one way CMYK => RGB)

2.ICC Profiles.

3.Built in.

The best conversion is through the ICC Profiles (USE_ICC), this is because of the nature of the CMYK conversion, which is machine-dependant. You can use profiles that vary in the degree of black color (ink) generation.

HSV

Any other color space.

1. Built in.

 

HLS

Any other color space.

1. Built in.

 

YIQ

Any other color space.

1. Built in.

 

CMY

Any other color space.

1.Built in.

2.ICC Profiles

 

LAB

Any other color space.

1. Emulation Tables (one way CMYK => RGB).

2. ICC Profiles.

3.Built in.

For two-way conversion, RGB to LAB and vice versa, the best solution is with emulation tables and Built in conversions, because the colors are preserved better. However for one way you can use ICC profiles.

XYZ

Any other color space.

1. Built in.

 

YCCK

Any other color space.

1. Built in.

 

Y41P

Any other color space.

1. Built in.

 

UYVY

Any other color space.

1. Built in.

 

YUY2

Any other color space.

1. Built in.

 

YVU9

Any other color space.

1. Built in.

 

YCC

Any other color space.

1. Built in.

 

 

The SDK uses the following methods for conversion between color conversions:

ICC color conversion profiles

Emulation Tables

LEAD’s Built-in conversion

Each of the conversion methods listed above can be customized; for example, conversion between RGB to CMY with ICC color conversion profiles can be done with either the built-in profiles or with user-supplied profiles as shown in the table above.