Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Did You Know?
You can identify out-of-web colors.
If an out of web warning icon (a
cube) appears below the color boxes on the Color panel, it indicates
that the current color is not web safe. Web safe colors are the 216 col-
ors used by all browsers, regardless of the platform. Click the cube
icon to shift it to the closest web-safe color.
You can identify out-of-gamut colors.
If an out-of-gamut warning icon
(a triangle with an exclamation point) appears below the color boxes
on the Color panel, it indicates that the current RGB or HSB color
doesn't have a CMYK equivalent, which means you can't use it on a
commercial project.
For Your Information: Understanding Colors
In Windows, you can use the Color dialog box, which displays basic and
custom color squares and a color matrix with the full range of colors in the
color spectrum, to help you select a color. You can enter RGB values for
hue, saturation, and luminosity (also known as brightness) to specify a col-
or.
Hue
is a pure color (one without tint or shade); the name of the color
(red, green, etc.) is measured by its location on the color wheel.
Saturation
is a measure of how much white is mixed in with the color. A fully satur-
ated color has vivid tones; a less saturated color is more of a washed-out
pastel.
Luminosity
is a measure of how much black is mixed with the col-
or. A very bright color contains little or no black. You can also change the
hue by moving the pointer in the color matrix box horizontally; you can
change the saturation by moving the pointer vertically, and the luminosity
by adjusting the slider to the right of the color matrix box. On the Macin-
tosh, you click one of the color modes and select a color, using its controls.
You can select RGB values by selecting the color sliders at the top of the
dialog box, then choosing RGB Sliders from the pop-up menu, and drag-
ging the Red, Green, and Blue sliders. Or, you can enter values (color num-
bers) to select a color. You can select hue, saturation, and brightness (or lu-
minosity) values by selecting Color Sliders, choosing HSB Sliders, then
dragging the sliders or entering your own values.
