What color is this spectrum?
 by nikhil bhatla, nikhil@superfacts.org, nikhil.superfacts.org
 more web-apps at WormWeb.org
 published March 1, 2011 (version 1)

For many years now, I've been curious how the physical quantity of light translates into the perceptual quality of color. So I decided to make a simple web-app that would help me better understand the link between the two.

Below you'll find a space to draw a spectrum, with wavelength on the x-axis and relative intensity on the y-axis. Within this space, draw a line that represents the relative light power found at each wavelength. The web-app will then translate that spectrum into a splotch of color, which you can see to the right. To draw a new spectrum, just start drawing over the old one, and it will update each wavelength with the new intensity value that you draw. You can also clear the entire spectrum with the "Clear spectrum" button.

This web-app is adapted from code and algorithms by John Walker.

If you want to leave a comment or ask a question, check out the blog post.

Please use Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or another web browser that supports the <canvas> tag to use this web-app.

         
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precise color

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