Colorinverted

Colorinverted is a term used to describe an image, display, or graphical element whose colors are inverted relative to a standard reference. In a colorinverted representation, each color channel is mapped to its opposite value, causing bright areas to become dark and colors to shift toward their complementary counterparts. This effect resembles a photographic negative and can be applied to various media, including photographs, icons, and user interface elements.

In digital imaging, color inversion is typically achieved by subtracting each color channel from its maximum value. For an 8-bit RGB image, the operation is R' = 255 − R, G' = 255 − G, B' = 255 − B. Grayscale images follow the same principle using intensity values. The result is a visually distinct rendition that preserves relative luminance patterns while reversing color information.

Colorinverted representations have several uses. They can serve as an artistic effect, help reveal hidden details in technical imagery, or provide accessibility benefits for users who prefer high-contrast or inverted color schemes. In some contexts, inverted colors are used to reduce glare or to test the visibility of features under different luminance conditions.

Practical considerations include the fact that inversion is not perceptually neutral; some colors may appear unnatural or garish, and printer or display gamma and color space conversions can influence the final result. In web and software development, color inversion can be implemented through image processing operations or UI theming, and the term colorinverted may appear in documentation or code comments to denote an inverted state.

See also: color complement, negative image, image processing, accessibility.