Color Quantization
The process of reducing the number of distinct colors used to represent an image while minimizing visible distortion.
Computer-Vision Context
Color quantization reduces an image to a smaller palette using methods such as median cut, k-means, or histogram-based selection. Dithering can reduce visible banding, while palette size and color-space choice trade storage cost against perceptual fidelity in web, embedded, and archival imagery.
Perceptual Boundary
Reducing bit depth is not automatically a good quantizer. The color representation, distance metric, palette construction, and spatial error distribution can strongly change perceived quality.
Related Computer-Vision Concepts
- Quantization
- Dithering
- Color Space
- Image Compression