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LUVColor[l,u,v]

represents a color in the LUV color space with lightness l and color components u and v.

LUVColor[l,u,v,a]

specifies opacity a.

LUVColor["string"]

returns a color from an HTML color name etc.

LUVColor[color]

returns the LUV representation of color.

Details
Details and Options Details and Options
Examples  
Basic Examples  
Scope  
Colors in 3D  
Color Operations  
Generalizations & Extensions  
Properties & Relations  
Neat Examples  
See Also
Tech Notes
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History
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LUVColor

LUVColor[l,u,v]

represents a color in the LUV color space with lightness l and color components u and v.

LUVColor[l,u,v,a]

specifies opacity a.

LUVColor["string"]

returns a color from an HTML color name etc.

LUVColor[color]

returns the LUV representation of color.

Details

  • LUVColor is a color space designed to have perceptual uniformity, i.e. equal changes in its components will be perceived by a human to have equal effects.
  • LUVColor is device independent and corresponds to the CIE 1976 color space with .
  • The parameters have the following interpretation:
  • llightness, approximate luminance
    ucolor
    vcolor
  • ColorConvert can be used to convert LUVColor to other color spaces.
  • The parameters , , and are given by , TemplateBox[{u, *}, Superscript]=13 TemplateBox[{L, *}, Superscript] (4 x/(x+15 y+3 z)-4 x_n/(x_n+15 y_n+3 z_n)), and TemplateBox[{v, *}, Superscript]=13 TemplateBox[{L, *}, Superscript] (9 y/(x+15 y+3 z)-9 y_n/(x_n+15 y_n+3 z_n)), where , , and are color parameters, , , and are white point parameters in XYZColor, and is a piecewise function that is equal to for and for .
  • LUVColor allows any real number for l, u, and v.
  • RGBColor approximately corresponds to l between 0 and 1, u between and 1.76 and v between and 0.88.
  • If no opacity has been specified, LUVColor[l,u,v] is equivalent to LUVColor[l,u,v,1].
  • LUVColor[l,u,v,a] is equivalent to {LUVColor[l,u,v],Opacity[a]}.
  • The alternative forms LUVColor[{l,u,v}] and LUVColor[{l,u,v,α}] can also be used. »
  • {LUVColor[…], p1, …} indicates that graphics primitives pi should be displayed in the color given.
  • The following wrappers can be used around colors:
  • ColorsNear[color,…]specifies a region around color
    Directive[…,color,…]specifies a color in combination with other directives »
    Glow[color]specifies color independent of lighting »
    Opacity[a,color]specifies a color with an opacity a
    Style[expr,color]displays expr with the specified color »
  • For 3D surfaces, explicit LUVColor directives define surface colors; the final shading depends on lighting and contributions from specularity and glow. »

Examples

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Basic Examples  (4)

Specify the color of graphics primitives:

Wolfram Language code: Graphics[{LUVColor[.5, 1.5, 0], Disk[]}]

Specify the color with opacity:

Wolfram Language code: Graphics3D[{LUVColor[.5, 1.5, 0, .5], Sphere[]}]

Specify the output color of expressions:

Wolfram Language code: Style[x ^ 2 + y ^ 2, LUVColor[.5, 1, 0]]

Specify the color of plots:

Wolfram Language code: Plot[Sin[x ^ 2], {x, 0, 2Pi}, PlotStyle -> LUVColor[.5, 1, 1]]

Scope  (3)

Colors in 3D  (1)

Use diffuse surface color:

Wolfram Language code: Graphics3D[{LUVColor[1, -.5, 1], Sphere[]}]

Use diffuse and specular surface color:

Wolfram Language code: Graphics3D[{LUVColor[1, -.5, 1], Specularity[White, 20], Sphere[]}]

Use glow color, setting the diffuse surface color to black:

Wolfram Language code: Graphics3D[{Black, Glow[LUVColor[1, -.5, 1]], Sphere[]}]

Color Operations  (2)

Use Blend to mix two or more colors:

Wolfram Language code: {Graphics[{LUVColor[1, 0, 1], Disk[]}], Graphics[{Blend[{LUVColor[1, 0, 1], LUVColor[.5, 1, .5]}], Disk[]}], Graphics[{LUVColor[.5, 1, .5], Disk[]}]}

Use Lighter and Darker to mix with white and black, respectively:

Wolfram Language code: {Graphics[{Lighter[LUVColor[0.5, 1.7, 0.2], .4], Disk[]}], Graphics[{LUVColor[0.5, 1.7, 0.2], Disk[]}], Graphics[{Darker[LUVColor[0.5, 1.7, 0.2], .4], Disk[]}]}

Generalizations & Extensions  (2)

LUVColor[{l,u,v}] is equivalent to LUVColor[l,u,v]:

Wolfram Language code: {Graphics[{LUVColor[{1, 0, 1}], Disk[]}], Graphics[{LUVColor[1, 0, 1], Disk[]}]}
Wolfram Language code: Map[Graphics[{LUVColor[#], Disk[]}]&, {{1, 0, 1}, {1, 1, -1}, {1, -1, 0}}]

Use Opacity with LUVColor:

Wolfram Language code: Table[Graphics[{Orange, Disk[{1, 0}], Opacity[a], LUVColor[1 / 2, 1 / 2, 1 / 3], Disk[]}], {a, 0, 1, .33}]

Use the opacity argument in LUVColor directly:

Wolfram Language code: Table[Graphics[{Orange, Disk[{1, 0}], LUVColor[1 / 2, 1 / 2, 1 / 3, a], Disk[]}], {a, 0, 1, .33}]

Properties & Relations  (1)

Blend of LUVColor directives happens in Luv parameter space:

Wolfram Language code: {c1, c2} = {LUVColor[1, 0, 1], LUVColor[0.5, 1, 0]}; Blend[{c1, c2}]//InputForm
Wolfram Language code: Table[Graphics[{color, Disk[]}], {color, {c1, Blend[{c1, c2}], c2}}]

Neat Examples  (1)

Visualizing the color space:

Wolfram Language code: Graphics3D[{Opacity[.7], {LUVColor[#], Cuboid[#, # + {.1, .2, .2}]}& /@ Tuples[{Range[0, 1, .2], Range[-1, 1, .4], Range[-1, 1, .4]}]}, Axes -> True, AxesLabel -> {"L", "u", "v"}, Lighting -> "Neutral", BoxRatios -> 1]
Wolfram Research (2014), LUVColor, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/LUVColor.html (updated 2021).

Text

Wolfram Research (2014), LUVColor, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/LUVColor.html (updated 2021).

CMS

Wolfram Language. 2014. "LUVColor." Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Wolfram Research. Last Modified 2021. https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/LUVColor.html.

APA

Wolfram Language. (2014). LUVColor. Wolfram Language & System Documentation Center. Retrieved from https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/LUVColor.html

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_luvcolor, author="Wolfram Research", title="{LUVColor}", year="2021", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/LUVColor.html}", note=[Accessed: 13-June-2026]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2026_luvcolor, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={LUVColor}, year={2021}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/LUVColor.html}, note=[Accessed: 13-June-2026]}