monochroom

Monochroom is a term used in Dutch and other languages to describe an image, artwork, or display that uses only a single hue or color family, with variations in lightness and saturation. It denotes a monochrome composition, in contrast to polychrome works that employ multiple colors. The concept shares its roots with the Greek roots mono- “one” and chroma “color.”

In practice, monochrome refers to images tinted or rendered in one color, rather than using a full spectrum of hues. This differentiates monochrome from grayscale, which relies on variations of gray; a monochrome image may appear blue, sepia, red, or another color while still varying in brightness and intensity.

Historically, monochrome aesthetics have been central to photography, printing, and cinema. Early photographic processes produced single-color or limited-palette images, and deliberate color tinting—such as blue cyanotypes or sepia-toned prints—created recognizable monochrome looks. In film and art, monochrome works have been used to emphasize form, composition, and mood without the distraction of multiple colors. Today, digital workflows routinely produce monochrome images by applying a single hue to grayscale data or by using selective color channels.

In contemporary use, monochroom also appears in design and display contexts, where a single-color scheme can create unity, focus, or a particular atmosphere. In science and technology, the term can describe imaging and detection systems that operate in a single wavelength band, or filters and sensors designed for monochrome operation rather than color capture.