chromatic adaptation

Definition: Change in colour perception of human eye due to change in colour sensitivity with prolonged viewing.
Watching colours dry
Chromatic adaptation is the physiological psychology behind why a nearly correctly colour-balanced print looks correct until put side-by-side with a perfectly balanced. The longer you look at it, the harder it is to decide whether a nearly correct print needs further correction: which is why it's useful to show it to someone else for evaluation. Or why processing professionals reach for the densitometer.

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