Subjectively pleasing color gamut mapping in a color computer graphics

Abstract

A method is provided for use in a color computer graphics system whereby mapping constraints are relaxed and redefined so as to allow out-of-gamut colors to be mapped to in-gamut colors in a manner that is significantly more visually pleasing than in conventional methods. More particularly, the present invention provides a method of mapping source device colors to destination device colors in a computer graphics system having a color image source device and a color image destination device having non-coincident color gamuts such that a plurality of colors within a color gamut of the source device are out of gamut colors outside a color gamut of the destination device. A color name is associated with an out-of-gamut color, which is mapped to a first in-gamut color within the color gamut of the destination device. A color name is also assiciated with the first in-gamut color. If the color name associated with the out-of-gamut color and the color name associated with the first in-gamut color are different, the out-of-gamut color is remapped to a different in-gamut color within the color gamut of the destination device. The color name associated with the out-of-gamut color and the color name associated with the first in-gamut color are based on psychophysical experimentation, i.e., are indicative of what an average user is likely to call the color in question. The remapping may be single-step or iterative.