Color management may not be fun, but we once we break the topic down into small parts it becomes much easier to digest. In the introduction I suggested that it’s no longer possible to completely ignore color management, so with that out of the way, let’s get started.
Sooner or later, any discussion about color leads to this diagram here – it even has a name, it’s called “CIE 1931”. In order to understand what this diagram means and why it’s so critical to the topic of color, we’re going to look back at where it came from. Understanding the history and the story behind it will help us understand its significance.
The first part of this story involves one of the most famous scientists of all time – Isaac Newton. Although there have been many people involved in the history of color theory and science, Newton is our starting point as we head towards the CIE 1931 diagram. Newton is famous for many things, including co-inventing calculus and his work on gravity. But he also played a crucial role in the study of light – which is why we’re looking at him now.
While Newton’s book “Opticks” is still being published today, you can read it online through the Guttenberg project.
If you feel inspired to check out Cosmos, then episode 3 with Isaac Newton can be viewed here – although note that it doesn’t cover his work on optics.
If you missed the introduction then you can catch up here.
And if you’ve found this useful, then I’ve been writing After Effects articles and tutorials for over 10 years, so please check them out!