Farbraum

Farbraum, or color space, is the mathematical description of a specific range of colors that can be represented within a color model. It is defined by a set of primaries and a white point and is inherently three-dimensional. Some Farbräume are device-dependent, tied to the characteristics of a particular device, while others are device-independent references used for color science, such as CIEXYZ, CIELAB and CIELUV.

Common Farbräume include sRGB, Adobe RGB, and ProPhoto RGB, used in different workflows and with different gamut sizes. CMYK spaces are designed for printing. Each Farbraum has a defined gamut—the subset of colors that can be reproduced—which is shown as a region in a chromaticity diagram like the CIE 1931 xy plane.

Technical aspects include the primaries and white point defining the gamut, and a transfer function or gamma encoding that maps linear light to digital values. Converting between Farbräume requires matrix operations and nonlinear corrections, and may involve ICC profiles for color management. Linear-light representations are often used for accurate color processing.

Applications include digital photography, video, computer graphics, display calibration, and print production. Color management aims to preserve intended colors across devices by using profiles, rendering intents, and gamut mapping when colors fall outside a target space.

Historically, the CIE system and standardized observer laid the foundation for device-independent spaces. The sRGB space, introduced in 1996, became a de facto standard for the web, followed by larger-gamut spaces such as Adobe RGB and ProPhoto RGB in professional workflows.