About the HSB colour model
The HSB colour model is an additive colour model used to mix light (subtractive colour models are used to mix pigments and inks).
- The main difference between the HSB colour model and the RGB colour model is how colours are represented and managed in software and applications.
- The HSB model represents colours based on hue, saturation, and brightness, whereas the RGB model mixes red, green, and blue light to create colours.
- HSB is popular because it provides a user-friendly way to select and modify colours when using applications like Adobe Creative Cloud for design, photography, or web development.
- On HSB colour wheels, saturation typically increases from the centre towards the edge.
In the HSB colour model:
- Hue refers to the perceived difference between colours and is usually described using names such as red, yellow, green, or blue.
- Hue can be measured as a location on an HSB colour wheel and expressed as a degree between 0 and 360.
- Saturation refers to the vividness of a colour compared to an unsaturated colour.
- Saturation is measured between a fully saturated colour (100%) and an unsaturated colour (0%)that appear either:
- Dull and washed out until all colour disappears, leaving only a monochromatic grey tone (0%).
- Misty or milky the nearer they are to white.
- On many HSB colour wheels, saturation decreases from the edge to the centre.
- Saturation is measured between a fully saturated colour (100%) and an unsaturated colour (0%)that appear either:
- Brightness refers to the perceived difference in the appearance of colours under ideal sunlit conditions compared to poor lighting conditions where a hue’s vitality is lost.
- Brightness can be measured as a percentage from 100% to 0%.
- As the brightness of a fully saturated hue decreases, it appears progressively darker and achromatic.