Two bits, four bits, six bits a dollar,
between closing a sale and losing a ogy of milk and white paint, then it
this color business makes me want
sale to a competitor. So, what is
should be clear to you that 2-bit
to holler. If you grew up in the 60's
the difference? It is a difference in
and four-bit depths aren't as rich as
that bit might mean something to-
perceived quality.
8-bit depth. Why?
tally different to you than it does
The less the bit depth, the less the
It is very simple and the easiest
today. In 1960, a bit equaled a
quality. Color output with a low bit
way to explain it is a "bit" is used to
quarter. When we speak of a bit
depth is a bit like painting one half
describe each "dot" of color. The
today we are usually
speaking about com-
each color, a 2-bit color printer
Konica color printers use 8-bit color ences and make sure they accept
could print a range four tones for
depth and by now you can probably nothing less. What happens when
each color or a total of sixteen
imagine that 8-bit depth is probably
there is a low bit-depth?
tones that is the low end for color
better than any listed so far and
When the bit-depth is low, details
printing. Even with a high print res-
you are right–it is. Eight-bit color
are lost. Solid areas become fea-
olution the human eyes would be
able to determine that this is not an
depth generates 256 tones for each tureless and fine details disappear.
color which in a four-color process The mark of low bit depth is the
optimum color print. Nevertheless,
generates 16.7 million color possi-
loss of details in the shadows and
bilities which is generally as much
highlights. Good color rendition
several competitive printers use
more bits, the
1-bit
2-bit
better the description. A bit
computer language
depth of one
everything doubles
is the smallest
can only be
as we go up the
amount of informa-
"on" or "off"
bit-depth ladder.
tion that a computer
which is the
can understand.
What does that have
to do with color? Ev-
Notice the ragged color
transitions and lack of
smoothness.
erything!
seems to be playing directly in
you will run into in-
Konica’s market, but a closer look
stances of 16-bit color,
We started with
reveals the limitations of the
24 bit color and even
equivalent of
one-bit that gave us
machine and chief among them is
32-bit color. Don't let
white and
two tones. Then we
its 2-bit color depth. At 2-bit color
thee terms confuse
black. Exam-
went to 2-bit which
depth the AP3800CMF is not a
you; they are simply
gave us four tones.
serious color contender for true color as it can only print up to
additives of the number
Now we're going to
4 gradations of color per pixel which is a far cry from Konica’s
of tones used in the
4-bit color depth
256 per pixel. This same printer is sold as the Savin SLP
color process. Exam-
and that will give us
38cS and obviously has the same short coming when it
ple: 24-bit color is sim-
comes to color. Even though the AP3800CMF prints at 1200
ply 8-bits for each
x 1200 dpi, the color deficiency is clear. In addition, when the
additive color channel
printer prints from in the 1200 x 1200 mode it slows down to
or RGB, while 32-bit
14 pages per minute.
color is 8-bits for each
ple: In a 2-bit
digital color printing
are four possi-
there is often refer-
ble combina-
8-bit
tions of 00, 01,
how many tones?
depth or image
10 and 11. In
depth. What does
this manner,
that mean and why
00 would rep-
16 tones. With 16
should you care?
resent black
tones for each col-
What it means is not
and 11 would
or, pictures begin to
The 8-bit color depth employed by
difficult, but why
represent
look like pictures instead of bad
Konica gives it a significant advan-
should you care is
white, while 01
Matisse paintings. In the four-color
tage when compared with competi-
critical in color sales.
would equal
process, 4-bit printing now makes
tors using lower bit-depths.
Knowing the differ-
dark gray and
16 tones available for each color or
Still, competitors will try to sell
a total of 64 colors and 65,536
based on speed or resolution while
ence between bit-depths and how it of a house with milk and the other
relates to color output, particularly
quality, is imperative in winning
competitive sales. Knowing the
benefit of 8-bit color versus 4-bit or
2-bit color can mean the difference
half with white paint–they will both
10 would equal light gray. Even
though the bit depth is two, a maxi-
be white but the difference between mum of four tones can be generatthe two will be clearly visible. Some ed.
of our competitors use 2-bit and
4-bit depth. If you follow the anal2
When working in the
world of computer files
image, there
4-bit
brightest highlight.
Two-bit Color Printing
This product priced at $17,000
When speaking of
ence to 8-bit color
shadow as well as
If you are following,
you will notice how
puters. A "bit" in
as the eye can see (256x256x256). shows details into the darkest
2-bit color printing.
And the answer is--
color possibilities! There are a cou-
subtractive color channel C, M, Y and K. These terms are
used for color file generation--not
printing!
Bit Depth/Number of Possible Colors
glossing over the bit-depth issue. If
ple of competitors who use this bit-
the customer wants true color, then
depth with their color printers.
anything less than 8-bit color depth
Let's put the 2-bit example into a
Combined with high-resolution (600 is unacceptable. It is our job to
four-color printer using CMYK. With
dpi or more) these prints look good. make them aware of the differ3
1-bit
21
2 colors
2-bit
2
4 colors
4
16 colors
8
256 colors
16
65,500 colors
24
16.7 million colors
32
4.3 billion colors
4-bit
8-bit
16-bit
24-bit
32-bit
2
2
2
2
2
2