Odcie

Odcie is a term used in discussions of color perception and design to denote a perceptual attribute related to the perceived shade of a color. It is not an established concept in formal color science; rather, it has appeared in speculative or educational contexts as a convenient label for describing how perceived lightness varies within a single hue.

Etymology and origins: The coinage appears to echo odcień, the Polish word for shade or tint, but its adoption in English-language design discourse is informal and inconsistent. As such, there is no universally accepted definition or standardized measurement for odcie.

Definition and scope: In this framework, odcie refers to the relative depth of shade—effectively a measure of lightness within a given hue, independent of chroma and hue. Higher odcie values correspond to lighter appearances, while lower values indicate deeper or darker shading. Odcie is intended to complement existing color attributes such as hue and saturation.

Measurement and methods: Odcie can be discussed using perceptual scales or in color spaces that separate lightness from chroma, such as a lightness axis within a color space. Designers might use odcie as a shorthand when comparing swatches or explaining shade variations in UI palettes.

Applications: In education and design practice, odcie helps describe and organize color samples by shade level, assist in accessibility work related to contrast, and aid in discussions of rendering under different illuminants.

See also: Shade, Tint, Tone, Lightness, Color space, Perceptual color metrics.