Color image generation and display technologies [an overview of methods, devices, and research] - Signal Processing Magazine, IEEE

olor image generation and processing has been growing at an unprecedented rate over the last two decades, and its effects are being felt throughout our everyday lives. Today, scanners, digital cameras, displays, and printers are available at relatively inexpensive prices for commercial and consumer applications. With the overwhelming number of image input and output devices, it is critical for the imaging engineer to understand the underlying transformations, from physical properties to digital representation, that take place in the recording hardware. It is equally important to comprehend the transformations that will occur when a digital image is sent to the output hardware for display or printing. Generally speaking, recording and display devices are limited in terms of noise, dynamic range, metamerism, spatial resolution, gamut, and spectral response. To fully comprehend the meaning of the recorded digital data and the displayed image, it is necessary to know the limits of the recording system and display hardware in these terms. This knowledge enables the optimization of processing methods from a system viewpoint [32] yielding better results with reduced resources. The goal of this article is to provide an overview of the transformations and limitations that occur in color imaging input and output devices. It is beyond the scope of the article to do an exhaustive survey of all devices. Instead, we will concentrate on two common recording devices and three common output devices. First we provide an overview of digital scanners and cameras, and then we discuss inkjet and laser printers. Finally, liquid crystal display (LCD) devices are presented. Color Image Generation and Display Technologies [An overview of methods, devices, and research] [Michael Vrhel, Eli Saber, and H. Joel Trussell]