midtodark

midtodark is a term that has emerged in discussions of tonal range in visual media. It is a portmanteau of midtones and darks, used informally to refer to the tonal region between the brighter midtones and the deepest shadow values. Because it is not part of a formal color theory framework, its exact meaning varies by author and discipline.

In photography and digital imaging, practitioners sometimes describe midtodark as the transition zone where details in both midtones and shadows should be preserved, guiding exposure or editing decisions; others use the term to refer to a target range in histogram-based adjustments or color grading. In design and art contexts, midtodark can describe a visual balance principle, focusing on retaining information in those darker mid-range values.

There is no universal numeric definition; sensitivity to display, dynamic range, and color space influence what counts as midtodark. See also midtones, shadows, histogram, dynamic range. As a relatively new or informal term, midtodark appears in industry discussions, tutorials, and some niche publications but remains nonstandard in formal color theory.