Producing colorimetric data from densitometric scans

Michael A. Rodriguez; Thomas G. Stockham Jr.

doi:10.1117/12.152715

8 September 1993 Producing colorimetric data from densitometric scans

Michael A. Rodriguez, Thomas G. Stockham Jr.

Proceedings Volume 1913, Human Vision, Visual Processing, and Digital Display IV; (1993) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.152715
Event: IS&T/SPIE's Symposium on Electronic Imaging: Science and Technology, 1993, San Jose, CA, United States

Abstract

Electronic graphic arts scanners are analogous to the photographic separation methods they replace in that they measure the density of colorants in the red, green, and blue parts of the visible spectrum. Color correction setups to specify conversion to print data are traditionally created by skilled operators using trial and error. With increasing demand for device independent color processing, conversion of scanner densities to colorimetric quantities is needed. We describe a method for scanned transparencies that uses only the spectral characterization of the scanner channels and of the colorants being scanned; the scanner itself need not be modified. The basic idea is simple. First, convert scanner densities to colorant amounts. Scaling the characteristic spectral density curves by these amounts and summing gives reconstruction of the full color spectrum of the pixel. Any colorimetric quantity can then be calculated. The key aspect of the method, calculating colorant amounts, is accomplished with an iterative loop where estimated amounts are processed with the colorant and scanner characterizations to stimulate scanner densities. The errors between these and the actual scanner densities provide corrections to improve the estimates. The iteration converges quickly to the true colorant amounts. This technique is accurate and works well with lookup table methods with negligible loss of accuracy.

Citation Download Citation

Michael A. Rodriguez and Thomas G. Stockham Jr. "Producing colorimetric data from densitometric scans", Proc. SPIE 1913, Human Vision, Visual Processing, and Digital Display IV, (8 September 1993); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.152715

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