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

Hunt’s classic text The Reproduction of Colour has been fully revised and updated for the sixth edition to provide a comprehensive introduction to colour imaging and colour reproduction. New illustrations, diagrams and photographs ensure that both students and practising engineers using colour images can gain a full understanding of the theory and practical applications behind the phenomena they encounter.

Key features:

• Describes the fundamental principles of colour reproduction for photography, television, printing and electronic imaging.
• Provides detailed coverage of the physics of light and the property of colorants.
• Includes new chapters on digital printing and digital imaging, which discuss colour reproduction on HDTV and desktop publishing.
• Presents expanded coverage of the evaluation of colour appearance.

The Reproduction of Colour is already used as a basis for lectures in universities and specialist institutions and continues to be an essential resource for scientists, engineers and developers needing to appreciate the technologies of colour perception.

Reviews of the Fifth Edition:

"The book is beautifully written and superbly presented. It is a credit to both author and publisher, and deserves to be on the shelves of anyone who has any concern with the reproduction of colour."

From The Journal of Photographic Science, Vol. 43 1995

"Using his ability as a teacher, Dr Hunt has made potentially very difficult topics quite readable…he brings the insight that leads the reader to a greater depth of understanding."

From Color Research and Application, Vol. 23 1998

The Society for Imaging Science and Technology is an international society that aims to advance the science and practices of image assessment. A major objective of the Wiley-IS&T series will be to explain the latest scientific and technological developments in the field of imaging at a professional level. The broad scope of the series will focus on imaging in all its aspects, with particular emphasis on digital printing, electronic imaging, photofinishing, image preservation, image assessment, image archiving, pre-press technologies and hybrid imaging systems.

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 [majkeary@netspace.net.au]