| This is the supporting web page for the proposal of
Aguiar (2005)
for complementing
color descriptions in taxonomic works using a widely adopted system for color description,
the RGB, or "red, green, blue" system. This page allows the visualization of colors
for RGB formulas. Each corresponding value, from 0 to 255, must be entered in the respective box
(Red, Green, Blue).
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| The choice of background color aims to minimize the influence of adjacent colors in changing the
perception of the displayed color, either by the action of reflections
or by the iris level of contraction in response to different levels of color brightness.
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| Notes: |
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The RGB system consists of breaking the intensity of each root color into
even values from 0-255 (or hexadecimal numbers 00 to FF). This gives a total of
256³, or 16,777,216 colors, referred to in computer jargon as "millions of colors,"
"True Color," or "24-bit color."
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The idea consists only of adding a 3-number code, corresponding to the RGB formula of the
described color, to taxonomic descriptions which require accurate color description. Thus, for example,
instead of describing a particular wasp as having "wing membrane amber," the RGB code for the particular
amber tone observed for the specimen in hand would be specified. The description would read "wing membrane
amber (255,234,151)." Although many different combinations of RGB values could be attributed
to the color name "amber," the codes narrow down the spectrum of potential values to that originally
observed.
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Bloj et al. (1999, Nature 402:877-879) demonstrated that color perception is affected by
subtle reflections of light between the surfaces in a scene. Aguiar (2005), however, observed that
colors reproduced on computer screens are hardly affected by adjacent colors because monitors
function by emission of light instead of reflection. Thus, a white screen will still be perceived
as pure white even when completely encircled by red surfaces or illuminated with an external
red light source. The same does not occur with printed colors which can influence each other as well as
be influenced by the effect of surrounding objects, walls, etc.
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