Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Transparency

  • Living reference work entry
  • Latest version View entry history
  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Color Science and Technology

  • 28 Accesses

Synonyms

Translucency

Definition

Transparency/translucency: (a) the degree of visibility of an object through a medium; (b) the property of a material or substance by which objects may be seen through that material or substance. Transparency occurs when objects are clearly perceived through the medium, while translucency occurs when they appear hazy. Very often the term transparency is used instead of translucency.

General

The episcotister-based model is suitable to describe the perception of transparency as it involves different areas separated by clear margins, while variations of this model are required to deal with translucency due to blurred edges which add some degree of opacity to the impression of transparency [1].

First, figural and topological conditions, not discussed here, must be met: they essentially consist of figural unity of the transparent layer, continuity of the boundary line, and adequate stratification. Another important factor which strengthens the figural...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Metelli, F., da Pos, O., Cavedon, A.: Balanced and unbalanced complete and partial transparency. Percept. Psychophys. 38, 354–366 (1985)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Metelli, F.: The perception of transparency. Sci. Am. 23, 90–96 (1974)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Ekroll, V., Faul, F.: Transparency perception: the key to understanding simultaneous color contrast. J. Opt. Soc. Am. A. 30, 342–352 (2013)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. Singh, M., Anderson, B.L.: Photometric determinants of perceived transparency. Vis. Res. 46, 879–894 (2006)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. D'Zmura, M., Rinner, O., Gegenfurtner, K.R.: The colors seen behind transparent filters. Perception. 29, 911–926 (2000)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Ripamonti, C., Westland, S., da Pos, O.: Conditions for perceptual transparency. J. Electron. Imaging. 13, 29–35 (2004)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Richards, W., Koenderink, J.J., van Doorn, A.: Transparency and imaginary colors. J. Opt. Soc. Am. A. 26, 1119–1128 (2009)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Metzger, W.: Über Durchsichtigkeits – Erscheinungen. (Forläufige Mitteilung). Riv. Psicol., Fascicolo Giubilare. 49, 187–189 (1955)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Beck, J.: Additive and subtractive color mixture in color transparency. Percept. Psychophys. 23, 256–267 (1978)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Gerbino, W., Stultiens, C.I.F.H.J., Troost, J.M., de Weert, C.M.M.: Transparent layer constancy. J. Exp. Psychol. Hum. Percept. Perform. 16, 3–20 (1990)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Vladusich, T.: A reinterpretation of transparency perception in terms of gamut relativity. J. Opt. Soc. Am. A Opt. Image Sci. Vis. 30, 418–426 (2013)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. Masin, S.C., Tommasi, M., da Pos, O.: Test of the singh-Anderson model of transparency. Percept. Mot. Skills. 104, 1367–1374 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. da Pos, O., Devigili, A., Giaggio, F., Trevisan, G.: Color contrast and stratification of transparent figures. Jpn. Psychol. Res. 49, 68–78 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Adelson, E.H., Anandan, P.: Ordinal characteristics of transparency. In: AAAI-90 Workshop on Qualitative Vision, July 20, Boston, pp. 77–81 (1990)

    Google Scholar 

  15. da Pos, O., Burigana, L.: Qualitative inference rule for perceptual transparency. In: Albetazzi, L. (ed.) Handbook of Experimental Phenomenology: Visual Perception of Shape, Space and Appearance, pp. 369–394. Wiley Blackwell, Chichester (2013)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Masin, S.C.: The luminance conditions of transparency. Perception. 26, 39–50 (1997)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Masin, S.C., Gardonio, G.: The evaluation of the apparent density of a filter on a bicolored background. Percept. Psychophys. 37, 103–108 (1985)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Brill, M.H.: The perception of a colored translucent sheet on a background. Color. Res. Appl. 19, 34–36 (1994)

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  19. Beck, J., Prazdny, K.: The perception of transparency with achromatic colors. Percept. Psychophys. 35(5), 407–422 (1984)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Epstein, W.: Percept-percept couplings. Perception. 11, 75–83 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1068/p110075

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. da Pos, O.: Trasparenze. Transparency. Icone, Milano (1989)

    Google Scholar 

  22. NCS Colour Atlas: SIS Standardiserings Kommissionen I Sverige, 2nd ed. Stockholm (1989). SS 01 91 02

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy

    Osvaldo Da Pos

Authors
  1. Osvaldo Da Pos
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Osvaldo Da Pos .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Color Science & Imaging Lab, North Carolina State Univ, Raleigh, NC, USA

    Renzo Shamey

Section Editor information

  1. Color Science, NC State University, Raleigh, NC, USA

    Rolf G. Kuehni

  2. Color Research & Application, Pennsville, NJ, USA

    Rolf G. Kuehni

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 Springer Science+Business Media LLC

About this entry

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this entry

Da Pos, O. (2020). Transparency. In: Shamey, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Color Science and Technology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27851-8_270-2

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27851-8_270-2

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-27851-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-27851-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Physics and AstronomyReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Chemistry, Materials and Physics

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Transparency
    Published:
    24 April 2020

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27851-8_270-2

  2. Original

    Transparency
    Published:
    30 September 2015

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27851-8_270-1

Search

Navigation