colour gamut

Definition: Range of colours that can be produced or addressed by a device or reproduction system. * A larger gamut implies more colours can be produced. * Gamuts of similar size may not be co-extensive, so colours produced in one may be out-of-gamut in the other.
Matching gamuts
Reliable colour reproduction is hampered by the differing colour gamuts of devices that are supposed to work together: after the human eye, colour film has the largest gamut, computer monitors have less than colour film but greater than ink-jet printers; good modern ink-jet printers have a greater colour gamut than four-colour off-set printing.

Related Terms: colour mapping

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