The Reproduction of Colour (The Wiley-IS&T Series in Imaging Science and Technology)

Rating:
Summary: The definitive reference on the reproduction of color.
Review: The author has an impressive array of initials after his name; he is, amongst other things, a Doctor of Science, a Member of the Imperial College, an Associate of the Royal College of Science, and a Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society as well as a Visiting Professor of Physiological Optics and of Colour Science, and a former Assistant Director of Research at Kodak. He has also been Chairman of the Colorimetry Committee of the International Commision on Illumination, and Chairman of the International Colour Association.

First published in 1957 and now in its much enhanced 5th edition, The Reproduction of Colour is the most comprehensive single resource available. Two quotes from the preface to the 5th edition describe what it is about:

"The object (is to present) the fundamental principles of colour reproduction, whether by photography, television, or printing in the hopes that all those engaged in producing, selling, buying, or using colour pictures will be able to see the nature of the problems they encounter. Those who want a general statement on colour reproduction will find it in the first part, and those who want a more detailed discussion of any one application in which they are particularly interested (will find it) in the later parts." and "The reproduction of colour involves physiology, psychology, physics, chemistry, and technology. presents complexities, (and) involves a wide variety of enterprises". Even though there are individuals skilled in processing and printing their own color film, and DTP bureaux had taken over some of the work of traditional printing houses, color reproduction was, until not so long ago, the province of technicians in the photographic, printing, and television industries, Now we have crossed the threshold of a new era in which a massive technology transfer is taking place, putting effective control over color into the hands of a much wider range of users. Even home users now have available to them very powerful tools that enable production of images that are, to the ordinary eye, indistinguishable from quality photographic prints.

That brings with it a need to understand the technology of color reproduction, and the definitive text is Dr Hunt's book. I have rated it 10/10 because of the remarkably wide range of disciplines covered and its astounding technical depth. Without it most of the information presented would have to be gleaned from numerous other books, professional journals, and published papers. Further, one does not have to have a scientific background to gain some understanding of what is involved in the reproduction of color. The fields covered television, photography, and printing are becoming less discrete with the application of digital technology; those who use computerized systems for the reproduction of color images will find relevant information spread throughout most parts of this book.

It is not a popular account, a color-for-cretins guide, or a how-to manual. This is a technical resource written in a style that makes it readable without diluting its professional integrity. Not all readers will need, or even want, to know the chemical structure of cyclic methylene magneta couplers, but may want information about the effects of signal processing on color reproduction. In what other recently published text would one find a comparison table of film speeds that includes the Weston system?

The Reproduction of Colour should be in any library with holdings on technical subjects; professionals in DTP, printing, photolabs, television, and digital imaging should have it; and anyone teaching or studying graphic arts, computer science, photography, printing, or subjects related to television technology should be aware of this edition. A check of some large libraries suggests that librarians may think earlier editions are good enough, but new developments demand this latest edition. Teachers of science in sub-tertiary institutions may well find this a useful text for its practical application of science to topical real-life problems.

The book is divided into parts: Fundamentals, Color Photography, Color Television, Color Printing, and Evaluating Color Appearance. Each chapter opens with an introduction that provides a succinct overview of the topic. Reviewed by Major Keary [[e-mail]]