Perceived colour refers to what an observer sees in any given situation and so is a subjective experience.
- Our ability to perceive and distinguish between colours is crucial to how we experience and understand the world.
- Perceived colour is influenced by the range and mixture of wavelengths and intensities of light that enter the eye.
- Perceived colour can be influenced by the properties of light, objects, and the attributes of visual perception.
- Colour perception tends to prioritize information that is important to an observer, but it may not always be objectively accurate.
- The perceived colour of an object can be influenced by factors, such as the size, shape, and structure of objects, their position and orientation, and the direction of incident light.
- Colour perception can be described by chromatic colour names (such as pink, orange, brown, green, blue, and purple) and achromatic colour names (such as black, grey or white).
- Perceived colour is often a combination of chromatic and achromatic content.
- The state of adaptation of an observer’s visual system can affect colour perception, such as when fatigued cells in the retina produce after-images.
- An observer’s expectations, priorities, current activities, recollections, and previous experiences can all influence perceived colour.