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XYZColor[x,y,z]

represents a color in the XYZ color space with tristimulus values x, y and z.

XYZColor[x,y,z,a]

specifies opacity a.

XYZColor["string"]

returns a color from an HTML color name etc.

XYZColor[color]

returns the XYZ representation of color.

Details
Details and Options Details and Options
Examples  
Basic Examples  
Scope  
Colors in 3D  
Color Operations  
Generalizations & Extensions  
Neat Examples  
See Also
Tech Notes
Related Guides
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XYZColor

XYZColor[x,y,z]

represents a color in the XYZ color space with tristimulus values x, y and z.

XYZColor[x,y,z,a]

specifies opacity a.

XYZColor["string"]

returns a color from an HTML color name etc.

XYZColor[color]

returns the XYZ representation of color.

Details

  • XYZColor is a color space defined in terms of standard responses to a power spectrum. It was the first standard quantitative color space and allows for objective comparison of colors.
  • XYZColor is device independent and corresponds to the CIE 1931 color space.
  • ColorConvert can be used to convert XYZColor to other color spaces.
  • The parameters are defined as:
  • xcolor, combination of green and red
    yapproximate luminance
    zcolor, approximately blue
  • The functions , and are the CIE standard human observer color-matching functions, is the spectral power distribution, and is the wavelength in nanometers.
  • XYZColor allows any non-negative real number for x, y, and z; negative values will be clipped.
  • RGBColor approximately corresponds to x between 0 and 0.97, y between 0 and 1, and z between 0 and 0.83.
  • If no opacity has been specified, XYZColor[x,y,z] is equivalent to XYZColor[x,y,z,1].
  • XYZColor[x,y,z,a] is equivalent to {XYZColor[x,y,z],Opacity[a]}.
  • The alternative forms XYZColor[{x,y,z}] and XYZColor[{x,y,z,a}] can also be used. »
  • {XYZColor[…], 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[XYZColor[…]]specifies color independent of lighting »
    Opacity[a,color]specifies a color with an opacity a
    Style[expr,XYZColor[…]]displays expr with the specified color »
  • For 3D surfaces, explicit XYZColor 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[{XYZColor[1, 0, 1], Disk[]}]

Specify the color with opacity:

Wolfram Language code: Graphics3D[{XYZColor[1, 0, 1], Sphere[]}]

Specify the output color of expressions:

Wolfram Language code: Style[x ^ 2 + y ^ 2, XYZColor[1, 0, 1]]

Specify the color of plots:

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

Scope  (3)

Colors in 3D  (1)

Use diffuse surface color:

Wolfram Language code: Graphics3D[{XYZColor[.4, 1, 0], Sphere[]}]

Use diffuse and specular surface color:

Wolfram Language code: Graphics3D[{XYZColor[.4, 1, 0], Specularity[White, 20], Sphere[]}]

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

Wolfram Language code: Graphics3D[{Black, Glow[XYZColor[.4, 1, 0]], Sphere[]}]

Color Operations  (2)

Use Blend to mix two or more colors:

Wolfram Language code: {Graphics[{XYZColor[1, 0, 0], Disk[]}], Graphics[{Blend[{XYZColor[1, 0, 0], XYZColor[0, 0, 1]}], Disk[]}], Graphics[{XYZColor[0, 0, 1], Disk[]}]}

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

Wolfram Language code: {Graphics[{Lighter[XYZColor[0.4, 0.2, 0.1], .4], Disk[]}], Graphics[{XYZColor[0.4, 0.2, 0.1], Disk[]}], Graphics[{Darker[XYZColor[0.4, 0.2, 0.1], .4], Disk[]}]}

Generalizations & Extensions  (2)

XYZColor[{X,Y,Z}] is equivalent to XYZColor[X,Y,Z]:

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

Use Opacity with XYZColor:

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

Use the opacity argument in XYZColor directly:

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

Neat Examples  (1)

Visualizing the XYZ color space:

Wolfram Language code: Graphics3D[{Opacity[.7], {XYZColor[#], Cuboid[#, # + .1]}& /@ Tuples[Range[0, 1, .2], 3]}, ...]
Wolfram Research (2014), XYZColor, Wolfram Language function, https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/XYZColor.html (updated 2021).

Text

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

CMS

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

APA

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

BibTeX

@misc{reference.wolfram_2026_xyzcolor, author="Wolfram Research", title="{XYZColor}", year="2021", howpublished="\url{https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/XYZColor.html}", note=[Accessed: 13-June-2026]}

BibLaTeX

@online{reference.wolfram_2026_xyzcolor, organization={Wolfram Research}, title={XYZColor}, year={2021}, url={https://reference.wolfram.com/language/ref/XYZColor.html}, note=[Accessed: 13-June-2026]}