tristimulus system

tristimulus system, a system for visually matching a colour under standardized conditions against the three primary colours—red, green, and blue; the three results are expressed as X, Y, and Z, respectively, and are called tristimulus values.

For example, the tristimulus values of the emerald-green pigment are X = 22.7, Y = 39.1, and Z = 31.0. These values specify not only colour but also visually perceived reflectance, since they are calculated in such a way that the Y value equals a sample’s reflectivity (39.1 percent in this example) when visually compared with a standard white surface by a standard (average) viewer under average daylight. The tristimulus values can also be used to determine the visually perceived dominant spectral wavelength (which is related to the hue) of a given sample; the dominant wavelength of the emerald-green pigment is 511.9 nm (1 nanometre = 10⁻⁹ metre).

Such data can be graphically represented on a standard chromaticity diagram. Standardized by the Commission Internationale d’Éclairage (CIE) in 1931, the chromaticity diagram is based on the values x, y, and z, where x = X/(X + Y + Z), y = Y/(X + Y + Z), and z = Z/(X + Y + Z). Note that x + y + z = 1; thus, if two values are known, the third can always be calculated and the z value is usually omitted. The x and y values together constitute the chromaticity of a sample. Light and dark colours that have the same chromaticity (and are therefore plotted at the same point on a two-dimensional chromaticity diagram) are distinguished by their different Y values (luminance, or visually perceived brightness).

When their x and y coefficients are plotted on a chromaticity diagram, the spectral colours from 400 nm to 700 nm follow a horseshoe-shaped curve; the nonspectral violet-red mixtures fall along the straight line joining the 400-nm point to the 700-nm point. All visible colours fall within the resulting closed curve. Points along the circumference correspond to saturated colours; pale unsaturated colours appear closer to the centre of the diagram. The achromatic point is the central point at x = 1/3, y = 1/3, where visually perceived white is located (as well as the pure grays and black, which vary only in the magnitude of the luminance Y).

A straight line connecting any two points representing beams of light includes all the points representing colours formed by adding various amounts of the two beams. If the line passes through the achromatic point, the colours represented by its endpoints, when additively combined in the appropriate amounts, must form white; therefore, all lines passing through the achromatic point terminate on the closed curve in saturated complementary colours.