What Is L*C*h Color Space?

In precise color communication, colors are expressed numerically.  The color numbers are coordinates of a 3 dimensional color space.  In design and manufacturing, the CIE L*a*b* and L*C*h color spaces are used in a client and supply chain to ensure product compliance.

In the L*a*b* color space, L* indicates lightness – lighter or darker and a* and b* are color directions:

• +a* is the red axis
• -a* is the green axis
• +b* is the yellow axis
• -b* is the blue axis

For L*C*h color space, the C* is the chroma axis and h is the hue angle.

CIE L*C*h color space is a vector representation of the CIE 1976 L*a*b* color space. Hue angle (h) can be used as a guide to differentiate ripeness. For instance, fruits like tomatoes, goes from green to yellow to red.  The hue angle travels from 180° to 0°.  Peanut oil ranges from 75° to 105° and the hue angle is a guide in getting the color rights.

Write to us for a free consultation with our color specialists to learn and understand more on color spaces and how to use them for your work.