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2. Basics of Image Processing

## 2.15 Colors

There are several types of colors in PhotoLine with or without transparency. Depending on the field of application, you may not use all types or may not use transparency.

Colors are usually set using in a color field (chapter 3.3.2). You can edit all types of color in the Color Editor (chapter 3.4).

Patterns, vector patterns, textures and gradients can optionally be transformed along with the layer they are used in. You can activate that in the Layer Attributes (chapter 4.7).

Normal Colors

You can define normal colors in all standard color spaces and using the HSV color model.

Spot Colors

A spot color is an additional color when printing documents. Print shops have lists of predefined spot colors and their corresponding CMYK values. Common spot color lists are HKS, Pantone and RAL.

Spot colors are used primarily for two reasons:

- A well-defined color is required (e.g. for a company color).
- You need a color, that can’t be created by mixing the classic printing colors C, M, Y and K (e.g. gold or gloss paint).

In PhotoLine you can create spot colors by using the document color list (see chapter 4.16).

Process Colors

Process colors are the primary colors used in printing. These are the pure CMYK colors cyan, magenta, yellow and black.

Tint Colors

Tint colors are derived from a base color. The base color can be a normal color or a spot color. They are always a mix of the base color and white. A tint value of 100% results in the base color, a tint of 0% results in white.

Patterns And Vector Patterns

Patterns and vector patterns are both pattern colors. But while patterns are simple images, vector patterns may contain any kind of layer.

You can transform (scale, rotate, ...) these colors in the Pattern subdialog (chapter 3.4.3) of the Color Editor. With vector patterns, you have extended editing option in the Vector Pattern subdialog (chapter 3.4.4).

If you have assigned a pattern to a vector layer, you can use the Vector Edit tool (chapter 6.4.1) to change the size and position of this pattern in the document window.

Textures

Textures are similar to patterns, but they are not defined using an image. Instead, they are created using a texture generator (chapter 3.4.5).

Gradients

Gradients are created in the Gradient subdialog (chapter 3.4.6) of the Color Editor. They can be edited - similar to patterns - in the document window by using the Vector Edit tool (chapter 6.4.1).

There is also a special tool for applying gradients to images (chapter 6.3.10).