colour atlas
Quick Summary
A color atlas is a system used for the visual determination of color. It contains color chips that are matched to a three-dimensional color solid. This solid is organized by hue, value (reflectance), and chroma (purity or saturation).1
The Munsell Book of Color is a prominent example of a color atlas. It uses a system where colors are designated by hue, value, and chroma. For instance, a specific red-purple hue with a value of 4 and chroma of 10 would be noted as 10RP 4/10 in the Munsell system.1
Another system, the ISCC-NBS Centroid Color Charts, offers 267 color designations using descriptive terms like "very pale purple" or "light yellowish brown" for less precise needs. Other color atlases include the Ostwald color system, the Maerz and Paul dictionary of color, the Plochere color system, and the Ridgway color standards.1
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