I apparently missed a discussion of the meaning of monochrome, but I
consider the term to include gray-scale. After all, it refers to a single
color (χρωμα) but does not refer to shade/density/intensity. I consider a
monochrome a characteristic as distinguished from polychrome, or full color
or spot color.
However, the definitions, need some discussion. This is especially true of
digitally represented color images.
Further, I suggest that we specify that the definitions refer to the
conventional digital representations of images; there are also hardcopy
images, the characteristics definition of which is beyond the scope of the
MFD semantics activity.
Bill Wagner
From: owner-mfd at pwg.org [mailto:owner-mfd at pwg.org] On Behalf Of Petrie, Glen
Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2007 2:49 PM
To: mfd at pwg.org
Subject: MFD> Binary Versus MonoChrome Versus Color
My background in physics, optics and image processing has always used the
term monochrome to mean "an image is presented as different shades of gray
from black to white"; with the more general definition to be "an image is
presented as different shades of a single color from the color to white".
After searching the web (do a Google search using the key words "define:
monochrome") you will discover that you can find just about any definition
you want; including:
Monochrome Printer - A monochrome printer can only produce an
image consisting of one color,
usually black. A monochrome printer may also be able to produce
graduations
of tone of that color, such as a grey-scale.
So this mean monochrome is both B/W and grey (gray)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I believe you will find that the term monochrome migrated to it current
association as a binary B/W representation from how people have talked about
photos. Photos have always been denoted as either being "Black/White" or
"Color". This is done to distinguish two big classes of photos. However,
the B/W photos (images) are actually gray tone (black monochrome) not binary
B/W.
People also to refer to monochrome displays; but these are not binary B/W
either, since the display can display a range of gray (green, red, brown)
values but adjusting the intensity of the electron beam.
I would like to propose the following.
Binary Image - An image composed of individual pixels having only two
possible states and represented by a single binary value. Example: Black
and White, Red and White, Blue and White, Blue and Red.
Monochrome Image - An image composed of individual pixels having n number of
possible states that corresponds to a graduation of tone of a single color
and represented by 1 or more bytes per pixel. Examples: 8-Bit-Gray-Tone
(256 states going from black to white) and 16-Bit-Sepia (65536 states going
from brown to white)
Color Image - An image composed of individual pixels having n number of
possible states representing Hue, Value and Intensity where the Hue, Value
and Intensity are represented as either indexed individual color values or
color space coordinates. Examples: 8-Bit-RGB (256 possible indexed states),
24-Bit-RGB ((8,8,8) = 16 million possible states), 48-Bit-RGB ((16,16,16) =
2.8 E14 possible states), CMYK, HSV
Glen
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