Why is colour appearance device-dependent?
When we look into our surroundings or into nature, we can see a myriad of colours. The way we perceive colour is complex: the basic principle is that light enters our eyes, and the information carried by light is decoded by our eyes and brain to give us the perception of a specific colour. (However, even that statement is too simple, as the environmental context also plays a critical role in colour perception, as well as our experiences and memories.)
The same image (from the CHROMO Sorting Set) displayed on a desktop, laptop and tablet. The different appearances in the grey backgrounds is immediately apparent. Notice differences between the coloured swatches.
When we try to capture colours that we see in our world using a camera, phone or tablet, the way that the camera processes the light that enters it is different from the way that our human eyes and brain process light. As well, each type of device and each manufacturer process the light differently from each other. When we then display a digital image captured by a camera, the device displaying the image will try to match the way we perceive the colour of the real-world object, but the match will not be exact. So when we compare the colours we see in the real world with the colours we see displayed on a device (like a phone, tablet, laptop, TV), they may be very close in appearance, but not an exact match. There are even variations from one type of device to another (e.g. a phone vs. a computer screen) and within specific devices themselves (e.g. different brands or models of phones).
The way various devices process the light they receive and display images is extraordinarily complex. Professor Steve Westland, at the University of Leeds, discusses Colour Management and Fidelity of Digital Systems in a lecture for undergraduates (some background required).
