Knowledge

RGBA color model

Source 📝

86: 148: 45: 514: 367:
system, where the two mnemonics are reverses of each other. Therefore, to be unambiguous, it is important to state which ordering is used when referring to the encoding. This article will use a scheme that has some popularity, which is to add the suffix "8888" to indicate if 4 8-bit units or "32" if
346:
of these four bytes in memory can differ, which can lead to confusion when image data is exchanged. These encodings are often denoted by the four letters in some order (most commonly RGBA). The interpretation of these 4-letter mnemonics is not well established. There are two typical ways to
335:(or in files on disk). In most cases four equal-sized pieces of adjacent memory are used, one for each channel, and a 0 in a channel indicates black color or transparent alpha, while all-1 bits indicates white or fully opaque alpha. By far the most common format is to store 8 bits (one 450: 351:
In the byte-order scheme, "RGBA" is understood to mean a byte R, followed by a byte G, followed by a byte B, and followed by a byte A. This scheme is commonly used for describing file formats or network protocols, which are both
445:
The channels are arranged in memory in such manner that a single 32-bit unsigned integer has the alpha sample in the highest 8 bits, followed by the red sample, green sample and finally the blue sample in the lowest 8 bits:
434:(PNG), the RGBA byte order is used, where the colors are stored in memory such that R is at the lowest address, G after it, B after that, and A last. On a little endian architecture this is equivalent to ABGR32. 496:
This layout became popular when 24-bit color (and 32-bit RGBA) was introduced on personal computers. At the time it was much faster and easier for programs to manipulate one 32-bit unit than four 8-bit units.
591: 316:
by the alpha value, and if they are it does not state what color space that premultiplication was done in. This means more information than just "RGBA" is needed to determine how to handle an image.
437:
In many systems when there are more than 8 bits per channel (such as 16 bits or floating-point), the channels are stored in RGBA order, even if 8-bit channels are stored in some other order.
355:
In the word-order scheme, "RGBA" is understood to represent a complete 32-bit word, where R is more significant than G, which is more significant than B, which is more significant than A.
485:
represents the minimum value blue can have (effectively – no blue). Consequently, red + green yields yellow. In cases where the alpha is not used this can be shortened to 6 digits
263: 469:
hex value, which is 128 in decimal, represents a 50.2% alpha value because 128 is approximately 50.2% of the maximum value of 255 (FF hex); to continue to decipher the
578:
would be Red and Green:50.2%, Blue:0% and Alpha:100%, a brown. This is what you would get if RGBA8888 data was read as words on these machines. It is used in
461:
digits, with each pair of the hexadecimal digits representing the values of the Alpha, Red, Green and Blue channel, respectively. For example,
500:
On little-endian systems, this is equivalent to BGRA byte order. On big-endian systems, this is equivalent to ARGB byte order.
212: 184: 191: 449: 553: 249: 231: 165: 129: 107: 72: 58: 100: 649: 17: 266:
Example of an RGBA image composited over a checkerboard background. alpha is 0% at the top and 100% at the bottom.
198: 169: 180: 323:
below), with other terms such as "BGRA" used for alternatives. In other contexts "RGBA" means any layout.
535: 524: 531: 605: 431: 313: 94: 158: 312:
define what RGB color space is being used. It also does not state whether or not the colors are
289:. Alpha indicates how opaque each pixel is and allows an image to be combined over others using 294: 111: 205: 298: 64: 31: 698: 8: 672: 625: 489:, this is why it was chosen to put the alpha in the top bits. Depending on the context a 331:
In computer graphics, pixels encoding the RGBA color space information must be stored in
590: 290: 30:"ARGB" redirects here. For the colorspace developed by Adobe in the late 1990s, see 567: 332: 282: 319:
In some contexts the abbreviation "RGBA" means a specific memory layout (called
692: 596:
The bytes are stored in memory on a little-endian machine in the order ABGR.
570:, colors were stored in 32 bits similar to ARGB32, but with the alpha in the 364: 579: 458: 278: 360: 682: 302: 363:
system, the two schemes are equivalent. This is not the case for a
147: 626:"Portable Network Graphics (PNG) Specification (Second Edition)" 427: 566:
In some software originating on big-endian machines such as
262: 583: 336: 676: 465:
represents 50.2% opaque (non-premultiplied) yellow. The
477:
represents the maximum value red can have; the second
534:. Please help to ensure that disputed statements are 339:) for each channel, which is 32 bits for each pixel. 685:– Preview page with implementation info on CSS3.info 493:or a number sign (#) is put before the hex digits. 172:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. 690: 301:of the edges of opaque regions. Each pixel is a 481:is like the previous but for green; the final 650:Microsoft MSDN XAML Color Structure reference 457:ARGB values are typically expressed using 8 73:Learn how and when to remove these messages 574:8 bits rather than the top. For example, 554:Learn how and when to remove this message 250:Learn how and when to remove this message 232:Learn how and when to remove this message 130:Learn how and when to remove this message 530:Relevant discussion may be found on the 261: 93:This article includes a list of general 277:. While it is sometimes described as a 27:RGB color model with an opacity channel 14: 691: 453:Sample layout in a typical 32bpp pixel 368:one 32-bit unit are being discussed. 507: 170:adding citations to reliable sources 141: 79: 38: 24: 652:(XAML/WPF/Silverlight), including 448: 99:it lacks sufficient corresponding 25: 710: 666: 326: 281:, it is actually a three-channel 54:This article has multiple issues. 589: 512: 347:understand the mnemonic "RGBA": 146: 84: 43: 157:needs additional citations for 62:or discuss these issues on the 643: 618: 372:RGBA representation converter 13: 1: 611: 586:, but in general it is rare. 320: 7: 599: 421: 285:supplemented with a fourth 10: 717: 29: 606:Portable Network Graphics 503: 440: 432:Portable Network Graphics 408: 397: 386: 114:more precise citations. 580:Portable Arbitrary Map 454: 267: 452: 265: 32:Adobe RGB color space 523:factual accuracy is 275:red green blue alpha 166:improve this article 658:sc# scA,scR,scG,scB 373: 673:Alpha transparency 455: 371: 268: 181:"RGBA color model" 679:PNG specification 564: 563: 556: 473:value, the first 419: 418: 291:alpha compositing 260: 259: 252: 242: 241: 234: 216: 140: 139: 132: 77: 16:(Redirected from 706: 660: 659: 655: 647: 641: 640: 638: 636: 622: 593: 577: 568:Silicon Graphics 559: 552: 548: 545: 539: 536:reliably sourced 516: 515: 508: 492: 488: 484: 480: 476: 472: 468: 464: 374: 370: 255: 248: 237: 230: 226: 223: 217: 215: 174: 150: 142: 135: 128: 124: 121: 115: 110:this article by 101:inline citations 88: 87: 80: 69: 47: 46: 39: 21: 18:RGBA color space 716: 715: 709: 708: 707: 705: 704: 703: 689: 688: 669: 664: 663: 657: 653: 648: 644: 634: 632: 624: 623: 619: 614: 602: 575: 560: 549: 543: 540: 529: 521:This section's 517: 513: 506: 490: 486: 482: 478: 474: 470: 466: 462: 443: 424: 333:computer memory 329: 283:RGB color model 256: 245: 244: 243: 238: 227: 221: 218: 175: 173: 163: 151: 136: 125: 119: 116: 106:Please help to 105: 89: 85: 48: 44: 35: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 714: 713: 702: 701: 687: 686: 680: 668: 667:External links 665: 662: 661: 642: 616: 615: 613: 610: 609: 608: 601: 598: 562: 561: 520: 518: 511: 505: 502: 442: 439: 423: 420: 417: 416: 413: 410: 406: 405: 402: 399: 395: 394: 391: 388: 384: 383: 380: 377: 357: 356: 353: 352:byte-oriented. 328: 327:Representation 325: 308:The term does 258: 257: 240: 239: 154: 152: 145: 138: 137: 92: 90: 83: 78: 52: 51: 49: 42: 26: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 712: 711: 700: 697: 696: 694: 684: 681: 678: 674: 671: 670: 651: 646: 631: 627: 621: 617: 607: 604: 603: 597: 594: 592: 587: 585: 581: 573: 569: 558: 555: 547: 544:December 2015 537: 533: 527: 526: 519: 510: 509: 501: 498: 494: 460: 451: 447: 438: 435: 433: 429: 414: 411: 407: 403: 400: 396: 392: 389: 385: 381: 379:Little-endian 378: 376: 375: 369: 366: 365:little-endian 362: 354: 350: 349: 348: 345: 340: 338: 334: 324: 322: 317: 315: 314:premultiplied 311: 306: 304: 300: 299:anti-aliasing 296: 292: 288: 287:alpha channel 284: 280: 276: 272: 264: 254: 251: 236: 233: 225: 214: 211: 207: 204: 200: 197: 193: 190: 186: 183: –  182: 178: 177:Find sources: 171: 167: 161: 160: 155:This article 153: 149: 144: 143: 134: 131: 123: 113: 109: 103: 102: 96: 91: 82: 81: 76: 74: 67: 66: 61: 60: 55: 50: 41: 40: 37: 33: 19: 645: 633:. Retrieved 629: 620: 595: 588: 571: 565: 550: 541: 522: 499: 495: 456: 444: 436: 425: 358: 343: 341: 330: 318: 309: 307: 286: 274: 270: 269: 246: 228: 222:October 2012 219: 209: 202: 195: 188: 176: 164:Please help 159:verification 156: 126: 120:October 2012 117: 98: 70: 63: 57: 56:Please help 53: 36: 699:Color space 683:RGBA Colors 635:25 November 459:hexadecimal 382:Big-endian 295:transparent 279:color space 273:stands for 112:introducing 630:www.w3.org 612:References 361:big-endian 297:areas and 192:newspapers 95:references 59:improve it 654:#aarrggbb 532:talk page 415:RGBA8888 412:ABGR8888 404:ARGB8888 401:BGRA8888 387:RGBA8888 303:4D vector 65:talk page 693:Category 600:See also 576:808000FF 525:disputed 471:80FFFF00 463:80FFFF00 422:RGBA8888 321:RGBA8888 582:and in 409:RGBA32 398:ARGB32 393:RGBA32 390:ABGR32 293:, with 206:scholar 108:improve 572:bottom 504:RGBA32 487:RRGGBB 441:ARGB32 428:OpenGL 208:  201:  194:  187:  179:  97:, but 359:In a 344:order 213:JSTOR 199:books 656:and 637:2021 584:FLTK 430:and 342:The 337:byte 271:RGBA 185:news 677:W3C 675:on 426:In 310:not 168:by 695:: 628:. 491:0x 483:00 479:FF 475:FF 467:80 305:. 68:. 639:. 557:) 551:( 546:) 542:( 538:. 528:. 253:) 247:( 235:) 229:( 224:) 220:( 210:· 203:· 196:· 189:· 162:. 133:) 127:( 122:) 118:( 104:. 75:) 71:( 34:. 20:)

Index

RGBA color space
Adobe RGB color space
improve it
talk page
Learn how and when to remove these messages
references
inline citations
improve
introducing
Learn how and when to remove this message

verification
improve this article
adding citations to reliable sources
"RGBA color model"
news
newspapers
books
scholar
JSTOR
Learn how and when to remove this message
Learn how and when to remove this message

color space
RGB color model
alpha compositing
transparent
anti-aliasing
4D vector
premultiplied

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.