A color space is a mathematical representation of a set of colors

.
The three most popular color models are
RGB (used in computer graphics);
YIQ , YUV or YCbCr (used in video systems);
and CMYK (used in color printing).
However , none of these color spaces are directly related to the
intuitive notions of hue , saturation , and brightness .
This resulted in the temporary pursuit of other models , such as
HSI and HSV , to simplify programming , processing , and end-
user manipulation .
All of the color spaces can be derived from the RGB information
supplied by devices such as cameras and scanners .
The color systems used by scientists and artists are entirely
different. An artist will mix blue and yellow paint to get a shade
of green; a scientist will mix green and red light to create
yellow.
The printed page in a magazine is yet another system.
It's important to define the two different kinds of color that we
see in the world as the first step in understanding color systems.
First, there's the color you can touch, such as the skin of an
apple or a painted wall. These colors are part of the surface of
an object. Next, there's the color you can't touch, such as a
beam of red light and the colors produced by your computer
monitor.
Colors generated by light are part of one color system. The
tangible colors which are on the surface of objects or on the
printed page are another color system.





There are five major models, that sub-divide into others, which
are: CIE, RGB, YUV, HSL/HSV, and CMYK.
CIE
CIE 1931 XYZ
The first attempt to produce a color space based on
measurements of human color perception and it is the basis for
almost all other color spaces.
CIELUV
A modification of "CIE 1931 XYZ" to display color differences
more conveniently. The CIELUV space is especially useful for
additive mixtures of lights, due to its linear addition properties
CIELAB
The intention of CIELAB (or L*a*b* or Lab) is to produce a color
space that is more perceptually linear than other color spaces.
Perceptually linear means that a change of the same amount in
a color value should produce a change of about the same visual
importance. CIELAB has almost entirely replaced an alternative
related Lab color space "Hunter Lab". This space is commonly
used for surface colors, but not for mixtures of (transmitted)
light.
CIEUVW
Measurements over a larger field of view than the "CIE 1931
XYZ" color space which produces slightly different results.

Additive Color System
Red - Green - Blue (RGB)

Scientists recognize the light primaries of red, green and blue.
When combined, red and green light rays produce yellow, blue
and green produce cyan, red and blue produce magenta. Red,
green and blue mix to create white (light).
This color model is used in computer monitors, television sets,
and theater.
Red, green and blue dots of light are creating the image. Where
red and green overlap, you'll see yellow.
This system applies only to devices employing light, such as
computer monitors and television sets.
RGBA with an additional channel, alpha, to indicate RGB is
transparency.

Subtractive Color System
Red - Yellow - Blue
Most artists recognize red, yellow and blue as the 3 basic
primary colors. These primaries are the pure colors which cannot
be created by mixing any other colors. Secondary hues are the
result of mixing any of the two primaries. Tertiary colors result
from mixing the secondary hues.
In subtractive color theory, all colors mix to yield black.


Luma plus chroma / chrominance
YIQ, YUV, YDbDr
chroma or value with two luma tem stores a This sys
values, corresponding approximately to the chrominance
amounts of blue and red in the color.
YPbPr, YCbCr
YPbPr is a scaled version of YUV. It is most commonly seen in
, used widely YCbCr its digital form,
compression schemes such image and video in
. JPEG and MPEG as
xvYCC
xvYCC is an extension of YCbCr that extends the color gamut
beyond the R/G/B primaries specified by BT.709.

Hue and saturation
HSV
(hue, saturation, value), also known as HSB (hue,
saturation, brightness), is often used by artists because it is
often more natural to think about a color in terms of hue and
saturation than in terms of additive or subtractive color
components. HSV is a transformation of an RGB color space,
and its components and colorimetry are relative to the RGB
color space from which it was derived.
HSL
(hue, saturation, lightness/luminance), also known as HSL, HSI
(hue, saturation, intensity) or HSD (hue, saturation, darkness), is
quite similar to HSV, with "lightness" replacing "brightness". The
difference is that the brightness of a pure color is equal to the
brightness of white, while the lightness of a pure color is equal
to the lightness of a medium gray.


CMYK (Cyan - Magenta - Yellow - Black)
CMYK is used in the printing process, because it describes what
kind of inks need to be applied so the light reflected from the
substrate and through the inks produces a given color. One
starts with a white substrate (canvas, page, etc.), and uses ink to
subtract color from white to create an image. CMYK stores ink
values for cyan, magenta, yellow and black. There are many
CMYK color spaces for different sets of inks, substrates, and
press characteristics (which change the dot gain or transfer
function for each ink and thus change the appearance).
In the print industry, cyan, magenta, yellow and black are used
as the primary colors. When you mix all the colors, the result is
gray.





RESOURCES :
http://www.colormatters.com/color-and-design/color-systems-rgb-and-cmyk

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_color_spaces_and_their_uses

http://www.compression.ru/download/articles/color_space/ch03.p
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