HWB - A more intuitive hue-based color model

Abstract:

The two most common color selector models, other than RGB (Red-Green-Blue), are the hue-based HSV (Hue-Saturation-Value) and HSL (Hue-Saturation-Lightness) color models. It is shown that both of these models are flawed. A closely related model, HWB (Hue-Whiteness-Blackness), is introduced that avoids the flaws, is slightly faster to compute, and is very easy to teach to new users: Choose a hue. Lighten it with white. Darken it with black. We explain that lightening is not the opposite of darkening.

Source Code:

Downloadable C code that implements the color transforms described in the paper: HWB to RGB transforms, and the closely related HSV to RGB transforms.

Revision history:
31 Jan 1996	Initial version.
28 Mar 1997	HSV to RGB: Corrected bug in test if i is even (see erratum below).
27 Oct 1997	HSV to RGB: deleted spurious line b = 1-v;

Errata:

• On page 17, in the source code for the routine HSV_to_RGB(), the line
      if (i^1) f = 1 - f; // if i is even
  should be:
      if (!(i&1)) f = 1 - f; // if i is even
  This correction has been made in the downloadable source code listed above.