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Published in IET Signal Processing
Received on 5th December 2012
Revised on 21st February 2013
Accepted on 24th February 2013
doi: 10.1049/iet-spr.2012.0380

ISSN 1751-9675

Colour spaces effects on improved discrete wavelet

transform-based digital image watermarking
using Arnold transform map
Mehdi Khalili, David Asatryan
Institute for Informatics and Automation Problems, National Academy of Science, Yerevan, Armenia
E-mail: khalili@ipia.sci.am

Abstract: The most digital image watermarking algorithms have nearly always been realised in red, green and blue (RGB) colour
space. In this study, a secure, robust and imperceptible CDMA image watermarking scheme which uses discrete wavelet
transform is proposed and tested in eight colour spaces RGB, YCbCr, JPEG-YCbCr, YIQ, YUV, hue, saturation, intensity,
hue, saturation, value and CIELab to determine which colour space is more effective in watermarking algorithms based on
correlation techniques and provides a result which does not differ immeasurably from the original with respect to
imperceptibility and robustness. In the proposed scheme, a scrambled binary image by Arnold transform map, after
encryption, is embedded into sub-images of the rst channel wavelet decomposition of intended colour space using block
processing technique. The experimental results show that the proposed approach provides extra imperceptibility, security and
robustness against JPEG compression and different noise attacks compared to the similar proposed methods in earlier works.

Introduction

Along with the rapid development of multimedia technologies,

protecting the copyright of digital media has become an
important topic because of digital media can be copied and
modied easily. Therefore data hiding techniques have been
widely used in multimedia security applications such as
copyright protection, authentication and transaction tracking.
Many schemes have been proposed to full the design
requirements of various kinds of applications. As an effective
scheme, digital watermarking technique has received much
attention in the past decades [1, 2].
To function as an effective tool to enforce ownership rights,
the watermarking scheme must meet the requirements of good
imperceptibility, strong robustness and high-level security.
Particularly, owing to the property of imperceptibility, digital
watermarking takes an advantage in application over
traditional steganography and cryptography for the purpose
of copyrights protection: the watermarked multimedia can be
used in an overt manner, despite the presence of watermarks.
Accordingly, much effort has been devoted to the
development of reliable methods for perceptual quality
assessment in watermarking [3].
Watermark can be embedded onto the signal in spatial
domain or frequency domain. In frequency domain signal is
transformed by using transforms such as discrete cosine
transform (DCT), discrete Fourier transform (DFT), discrete
wavelet transform (DWT) and the watermark is embedded
onto the coefcients obtained in frequency domain [4].
Among transform domains, watermarking in DWT domain
has drawn extensive attention for its good time-frequency
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features and its accurate matching of the human visual

system (HVS) [5]. In addition, watermarking algorithms have
been named according to embedded multimedia contents
such as image, audio and video. For example: Chen et al. in
[6, 7] proposed two DWT-based audio watermarking
algorithms that one of them is based on optimisation scheme
using group-amplitude quantisation and the other embeds
information by energy-proportion scheme. So that, by using
normalised energy instead of probability, the study rewrites
the entropy in information theory as energy proportion
function. Preda et al. in [810] proposed three DWT-based
video watermarking approaches in which the watermarks
used are binary images. Although, in one of them a
spread-spectrum technique is used to spread the power
spectrum of the watermark data, in the two others,
watermarking methods are based on a combination of spread
spectrum and quantisation. Also, in [11], Deng and Jiang
proposed a DWT-based image watermarking algorithm in
which the code-division multiple access (CDMA) encoded
binary watermark, adaptively is embedded into the third level
detail sub-band of DWT domain.
On the other hand, colour spaces abound, but not all of
them are appropriate for the entire spectrum of image
processing tasks. A colour space is a mean of specifying
colours, and they can be classied into three basic parts:
HVS-based colour spaces [e.g. red, green and blue (RGB),
HVS, hue, saturation, intensity (HSI) and etc.], application
specic (e.g. YCbCr, YUV, YIQ and etc.) and CIE colour
spaces (e.g. CIELab and etc.) [12]. Within rst category,
the most widely used colour space in digital image
watermarking is RGB (short for Red-Green-Blue), a
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device-dependent colour space loosely based on the HVS
photoreceptors. The main problem with processing in this
domain is that RGB is psychologically non-intuitive, and is
perceptually non-uniform [12]. Another other problem
occurs when algorithms are applied to RGB images.
As there is no separation between colour and intensity
information, changes that are made to the image are
non-hue preserving. Phenomenal colour spaces also form
part of this rst category incorporating colour spaces such
as hue, saturation, value (HSV) and HSI, which are simply
linear transformations from the RGB space. As such they
suffer from lack of information about chromaticity, and
deciencies associated with their relationship to human
perception [12]. The second category deals with
application-based colour spaces. This includes CMY
(Cyan-Magenta-Yellow) used in printing applications and
TV-related colour spaces such national television system
committee (NTSCs) YIQ, YUV and YCbCr [12]. The third
category deals with the CIE colour spaces. International
Commission on Illumination (CIE) species three colour
spaces: CIE*XYZ, CIE*Lab and CIE*Luv, which CIE*Lab
and CIE*Luv provide a perceptually equal space [12].
In this paper a CDMA digital images watermarking
for ownership verication and image authentication
applications, is proposed and tested in RGB, HSV, HSI,
YCbCr, JPEG-YCbCr, YIQ, YUV and CIELab colour
spaces to explore how the choice of colour space, inuences
the results of correlation based image watermarking
algorithms with respect to changes in watermarking
anticipating properties such as imperceptibility and
robustness against different attacks. In the proposed
scheme, for more security, before watermark embedding
process, the binary watermark image after scrambling by
Arnold transform map (ATM) method is reshaped to a
sequence and then a random binary sequence R of size n is
adopted to encrypt the watermark, where n is the size of the
watermark. This adopting process uses a pseudo-random
number generator to determine the pixel to be used on a
given key. On the other hand, the RGB channels of the
host image are converted to the intended channels and then
the rst channel is pre-ltered to enhance embedding
process. After that, low frequency sub-band of wavelet
decomposition of its rst channel, is quantised and divided
to different sub-blocks with the certain sub-block size to
embed the encrypted watermark.

Discrete wavelet transform

The wavelet transform describes a multi-resolution

decomposition process in terms of expansion of an image
onto a set of wavelet basis functions. Discrete wavelet
transformation has its own excellent space frequency
localisation property [13]. Application of DWT in
two-dimensional (2D) images corresponds to 2D lter
image processing in each dimension. The input image is
divided into four non-overlapping multi-resolution
sub-bands by the lters, namely LL1 (approximation
coefcients), LH1 (vertical details), HL1 (horizontal details)
and HH1 (diagonal details). The sub-band (LL1) is
processed further to obtain the next coarser scale of wavelet
coefcients, until some nal scale N is reached. When N
is reached, 3N + 1 sub-band are obtained consisting of the
multi-resolution sub-bands. Which are LLX and LHX, HLX
and HHX where X ranges from 1 until N. Generally,
most of the image energy is stored in the LLX sub-bands [13].
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Colour spaces

As it was mentioned above, a colour space is a mathematical

representation of a set of colours. Three fundamental colour
models are: colour spaces based on HVS (e.g. RGB, HVS,
HSI and etc.); application specic (e.g. YCbCr,
JPEG-YCbCr, YUV, YIQ and etc.) and CIE colour spaces
(e.g. CIELab and etc.). The RGB colour space is widely
used in computer graphics and imaging. Red, green, and
blue are three primary additive colours which the individual
components are added together to form a desired colour and
are represented by a 3D, Cartesian coordinate system.
However, RGB is not very efcient when dealing with
real-world images [14]. YCbCr is a component colour
space used by digital video. Unlike the RGB model, YCbCr
breaks the visual information into black and white (luma)
signal and two colour components. It separates luminance
from chrominance (lightness from colour). With many more
rods than cones, the human eye is more attuned to
brightness and less to colour differences. Hence the YCbCr
colour system allows more attention to be paid to Y, and
less to Cb and Cr [15]. To improve the obtained results
from YCbCr colour space a new test with the same method,
original images and watermark image is performed on
another rescaling of YCbCr called JPEG-YCbCr which is
used in the JPEG image format, with Y, Cb and Cr in [0,1].
The transform from RGB to JPEG-YCbCr and the
backward transform from JPEG-YCbCr to RGB are shown
in our previous work in [16]. The YIQ system is the colour
primary system adopted by NTSC for colour television
broadcasting. Like RGB, the YIQ colour space is a
device-dependent colour space which means the actual
colour you see on your monitor depends on what kind of
monitor you are using and what its settings are. In this
colour space, Y-component stands for luminance or
brightness, the I-component seems to mimic mostly shifts
from blue, through purple, to red colours (with increasing
I ), and the Q-component seems to mimic mostly the value
of green; the I and Q components jointly represent the
chromatic attributes [17]. The decorrelation of R, G and B
component images makes the Y, I and Q component images
complementary to each other [17]. The YUV colour space
is widely used in video and broadcasting today. It is very
different from RGB colour space; instead of three large
colour channels, it deals with one brightness or luminance
channel (Y ) and two colour or chrominance channels
(U-blue and V-red). HSI is the most frequently used
application oriented colour space. HSI colour space is based
on the human visual perception theory and is suitable for
describing, and interpreting colour. H, S and I represent
hue, saturation and intensity, respectively. The supposed
separation of the luminance component from chrominance
information is stated to have advantages in applications
such as image processing. Embedding the watermark in the
intensity component of HSI colour space can resist the
ltering, sharpening etc. attacks effectively [18]. In HSV
colour space, the colour is decomposed into hue; saturation
and luminance value similar to the way humans tend to
perceive colour. Ledleys research shows that the
performance of HSV colour space is good in colour
improving [19]. Among the three components of HSV
colour space, hue is the attribute of a colour, which decides
which colour it is. For the purpose of enhancing a colour
image, it is to be seen that hue should not change for any
pixel. If hue is changed then the colour gets changed,
thereby distorting the image [19]. Compared with other
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perceptually uniform, it is easier to control the hue component
of colour and avoid colour shifting in the HSV colour space.
In 1976, the CIE recommended the CIE L*a*b*, or CIELab
colour space for colour quality estimation [20]. The colour
space CIELab is a perceptually uniform colour space
created by nonlinear transformations of tristimulus XYZ
values to overcome the non-uniformity of colour spaces
which had been discussed by Macadam [20]. The main
intention was to provide a standard and approximate
uniform colour space which can be used to compare the
colour values easily. In this colour space the differences
between points plotted in the colour space correspond to
visual differences between the colours plotted. The CIE
recommended to use XYZ coordinate system to transform
RGB to L*a*b*.

Arnold transform map

ATM or Arnold transform Map is a kind of image scrambling

methods, called as Arnolds cat mapping. Cause of this name
is that, it is proposed by Vladimir Arnold and it is used on the
image of a cat in Arnolds work, in the 1960s [1]. The discrete
Arnold transformation is dened as follows [1]

Xn+1
Yn+1

a b
=
c d

Xn
Yn

X
=A n
Yn


mod N

(1)

where, a, b, c and d are positive integers, and

| A| = ad bc.1, so only three among the four parameters
of a, b, c and d are independent. Xn+1, Yn+1, Xn and Yn are
integers in {0,1,2, , N 1}. In this paper the extended
Arnold transform in [21] is used to scramble watermarking
of copyright protection.

Watermark preprocessing

A digital watermarking system usually consists of embedding

framework and extraction framework. The block diagram of
the proposed watermarking approach is shown in Fig. 1.
5.1

Embedding framework

Step 9: Embedding the watermark using the correlation

properties of additive pseudo-random noise patterns
according to equation shown in below:

IW x,y (u, v) =

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if W = 0
Otherwise

(2)

where k denotes a gain factor for completely controlling the

imperceptibility of watermarked images and the robustness
of watermarks and also Iw is the resulting watermarked
image.
Step 10: Apply the sign matrix.
Step 11: Perform inverse DWT on new rst channel with all
changed and unchanged DWT coefcients.
Step 12: Reconvert intended channels of the changed host
image into RGB channels.
Step 13: Save key times of ATM, random binary sequence R
and index of the embedded sub-band as the authenticated key.
5.2

Extraction framework

The proposed algorithm is a blind watermarking algorithm

and thus the original host image is not required to extract
the watermark. Extraction algorithm is the same as
embedding one and pre-ltering is used before applying
DWT transform to better separate watermark information
from host image. The watermark extraction procedure is
described in details in the following steps:
Step 1: Convert RGB channels of a watermarked image H
into the intended channels.
Step 2: Pre-ltering the rst channel.
Step 3: Decompose the rst channel into three levels with ten
DWT sub-bands. The sub-band LL3 is taken as the target
sub-band for extraction watermarks.
Step 4: Quantisation of the selected embedding coefcients.
Step 5: Divide of the target sub-band into the different
sub-blocks.
Step 6: Determining the maximum message size of each
sub-blocks.
Step 7: Computation of threshold T as follows

The steps involved in the embedding of watermark image into

LL3 coefcients of the host image are described as follows:
Step 1: Convert RGB channels of a host image H into the
intended channels.
Step 2: Pre-ltering the rst channel.
Step 3: Decompose the rst channel into three levels with ten
DWT sub-bands, F(Y ). The sub-band LL3 is taken as the
target sub-band for embedding watermarks.
Step 4: Creating a sign matrix to save the signs of selected
target sub-band coefcients.
Step 5: Quantisation of the selected embedding coefcients.
Step 6: Divide the target sub-band into the different
sub-blocks. In this paper each sub-block size is equal to 16.
Step 7: Determining the maximum message size of each
sub-blocks.
Step 8: For more security of watermarks, rst, the watermark
W is scrambled for key times with presented ATM algorithm
in [22] and then reshaped to a sequence; after that, a random
binary sequence R of size n is adopted to encrypt the
watermark, where n is the size of the watermark image.
This adopting process uses a pseudo-random number
generator to determine the pixel to be used on a given key.

Ix,y + k Wi ,
Ix,y Wi ,

T=

Correlation(HL) + Correlation(LH)
2

(3)

Step 8: Computation of the threshold T and each embedded

coefcient correlation in sub-blocks, separately.
Step 9: The sequence encrypted watermark is extracted as
follows


Wi = 0,
Wi = 1,

if Ci lT
Otherwise

(4)

Step 10: The encrypted image watermark is produced by

reconverting the extracted sequence watermark.
Step 11: Scramble the encrypted image watermark with the
same ATM algorithm with the same key times.

Experimental results

To achieve the high watermark security, imperceptibility

and robustness against different attacks such as
JPEG compression and noise, the proposed perceptual
watermarking scheme was implemented to evaluate the best
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Fig. 1 Block diagrams of the proposed watermarking approach

a Embedding procedure
b Extraction procedure

colour space for watermarking algorithms based on

correlation techniques. Three 512 512 famous images:
Lena, peppers and baboon shown in Figs. 2ac were taken
as the host images to embed a 15 64 binary watermark
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image shown in Fig. 2d. For gain factor k, the value 1.0
was taken through implementation of the proposed CDMA
scheme. It should be mentioned that in all of the
implementations, MATLAB R2007a software was used.
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Fig. 2 Experimental results of three famous host images and a

binary watermark image
ac Host Lena, peppers and baboon images
d Watermark image

Also, nine digit keys used as initial state of MATLAB

random number generator and 79 biorthogonal spline
(B-spline) wavelet lters for computation of the wavelet
transforms, were used. Cause of using B-spline function
wavelet is that, B-spline functions, do not have compact
support, but are orthogonal and have better smoothness
properties than other wavelet functions [1].
After watermark embedding process, the similarity of
original host images and watermarked images was
measured by the standard correlation coefcient (Corr) as
[23]




x x y y
Correlation = 

2
(x x )2 y x

(5)

Moreover, the peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) was used to

evaluate the quality of the watermarked images as [24]
PSNR = 10 log10

2552
(dB)
MSE

(6)

where mean-square error (MSE) is dened as [24]

m 
n 

1 
MSE =
hi,j hi,j
mn i=1 j=1

(7)

where {hi,j} and {hi, j} are the grey levels of pixels in the host
and watermarked images, respectively.
The larger PSNR is, the better the image quality is. In
general, a watermarked image is acceptable by human
perception if its PSNR is >30 dBs. In other words, the
correlation is used for evaluating the robustness of
watermarking technique and the PSNR is used for
evaluating the transparency of watermarking technique [23,
24]. Also the normalised correlation (NC) coefcient
was used to measure the similarity between original
watermarks W and the extracted watermarks W. It was
dened as [21, 24]
 
NC =

i
j wi,j wi,j


2
i
j wi,j

(8)

Fig. 3 shows the watermarked images in all colour spaces. As

it can be seen the proposed CDMA watermarking scheme
yields satisfactory results in watermark imperceptibility
and robustness in all colour spaces except HSI and HSV
colour spaces. The results of PSNRs are shown in Table 1.
As it is obvious, in proposed watermarking scheme after
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JPEG-YCbCr colour space, respectively, RGB, YCbCr,

YUV, CIELab and YIQ colour spaces have the greatest
PSNR values. It means, performing the proposed method in
JPEG-YCbCr colour space and then, respectively, RGB,
YCbCr, YUV, CIELab and YIQ colour spaces lead to the
best watermark imperceptibility property.
It should be mentioned, because of the different
experimental methods and different parameters the
comparison between different experimental results is
difcult. However, from obtained results, it can be said that
the proposed algorithm increases imperceptibility property
in comparing with the similar algorithms in previous works
such as [2527]. So that, the PSNRs values of watermarked
image, in [25] are about 48.249 dB for 2472 watermark
bit and in [26] and [27] are, respectively, about 33.234 dB
and 3536 dB, for 1024 watermark bit; While, the PSNRs
of the watermarked images produced by the proposed
scheme are all greater than 67 dB (in baboon in YIQ colour
space) for 960 watermark bit. In addition, NCs between
original watermark images and extracted watermark images
in all colour spaces are all equal 1.
After achieving the desired delity, various attacks were
performed to test the robustness of the proposed scheme
and it was found that the proposed scheme performs
excellently robustness against JPEG compression and
different noise attacks.
6.1

Robustness to JPEG compression

To evaluate the response of the watermarking scheme to

JPEG compression, watermarked images were compressed
with different JPEG quality factors Qs: 10, 15, 25, 50 and
75. The overall robustness of proposed scheme for JPEG
compression is considered high level, according to the
robustness requirements table provided by Petitcolas [28].
Fig. 4 shows the extracted watermarks from compressed
watermarked images in all colour space after JPEG
compression under quality factor (Q) 15 and Table 2
illustrates the related percentage of error bit rates. Also,
Fig. 5 shows the percentage of error bit rates of extracted
watermarks from JPEG compression under all JPEG quality
factors Qs: 10, 15, 25, 50 and 75 in all colour spaces.
As it is obvious, the obtained results show that in
comparing with earlier works such as [23, 29], our
proposed scheme improves robustness against JPEG
compression. So that, the percentage of error bit rates of
compressed watermarked baboon with quality factor Q = 15
in [23] is near to 23% and in [29] is near to 50%. While, in
our proposed scheme and in the same condition, the
maximum value is 17.08% (in JPEG-YCbCr colour space)
and minimum equals to 0.3% (in CIELab colour space). In
addition, by comparing different colour spaces, it can be
found that YIQ colour space has the greatest error bit rate
value and it equals to 28.54%; while after that, respectively,
JPEG-YCbCr, YUV, RGB, YCbCr and CIELab colour
spaces have the greatest values. It means, performing the
proposed method on CIELab colour space and then,
respectively, YCbCr, RGB, YUV, JPEG-YCbCr and YIQ
colour spaces lead to the most robustness against JPEG
compression.
6.2

Robustness to noise attacks

The CDMA proposed scheme was tested in all colour spaces

for evaluating its robustness against different noises. This was
done by rst introducing Gaussian noise with zero mean and
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Fig. 3 Watermarked images in different colour spaces

different variances 0.11 to noise into the watermarked

images. Fig. 6 and Table 3, respectively, show the extracted
watermarks of different colour spaces under Gaussian noise
of 1% and their percentage of error bit rates. Also, the

percentage of error bit rates of extracted watermarks for

different colour spaces under Gaussian noise with zero
mean and different variances: 0.11 are shown in Fig. 7,
too. From the results, it can be found that the proposed

Table 1

PSNRs values of watermarked images in different

colour spaces
Colour space

RGB
YCbCr
JPEG-YCbCr
YIQ
YUV
CIELab

Watermarked images
Lena

Peppers

Baboon

94.35
91.72
96.36
86.19
94.30
77.07

94.26
91.58
94.32
72.15
84.36
76.82

94.36
91.72
94.37
67.12
79.77
77.70

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Fig. 4 Extracted watermarks from watermarked images in all

colour space after JPEG compression under quality factor Q = 15
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Table 2 Percentage of error bit rates in JPEG experiment
under quality factor Q = 15
Colour space

RGB
YCbCr
JPEG-YCbCr
YIQ
YUV
CIELab

Error bit rate % (Q = 15)

Lena

Peppers

Baboon

23.43
16.14
24.06
25.62
25.41
0.1

23.95
21.14
26.25
28.54
28.33
0.2

15.93
12.39
17.08
16.66
16.25
0.3

scheme satises robustness against Gaussian noise as well

and enhances related results in [23]. So that, in the same
condition, the maximum percentage of error bit rates is
35.45% (in RGB colour space) and minimum is 2.6% (in

CIELab colour space) for 960 watermark bit, while in [23],

it is about 815% for 1281024 watermark bit.
By comparing all colour spaces, it can be found that the
percentages of error bit rates in RGB colour space are
greatest than the others; whereas after that, respectively,
YCbCr and GPEG-YCbCr, YIQ, YUV and CIELab colour
spaces have the greatest values. It means, performing the
proposed scheme on CIELab colour space and after that,
respectively, YUV, YIQ, YCbCr and JPEG-YCbCr and
RGB colour spaces lead to the most robustness against
Gaussian noise attack. It is necessary to note that YCbCr
and JPEG-YCbCr colour spaces have the same robustness
against Gaussian noise attack.
When the salt and pepper noise with zero mean and
different noise densities 0.01 to 0.5 introduced in the
watermarked images, it was found that the proposed CDMA
scheme is very efcient in robustness against salt and

Fig. 5 Percentage of error bit rates of extracted watermarks from JPEG compression in all colour spaces
a Lena
b Peppers
c Baboon
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Table 3 Percentage of error bit rates in Gaussian noise
experiment under variance of V = 1
Colour space

RGB
YCbCr
JPEG-YCbCr
YIQ
YUV
CIELab

Error bit rate % (V = 1)

Lena

Peppers

Baboon

34.45
14.16
14.16
15.41
8.75
2.6

35.41
12.29
12.29
12.7
10.31
3.12

32.50
12.97
12.97
12.25
11.14
7.18

Fig. 6 Extracted watermarks from Gaussian noise of 1%

peppers noise attack. Fig. 8 shows the extracted watermarks in

all colour spaces, from noisy watermarked images under noise
density N.D = 0.5 and Table 4 shows the related percentage of
error bit rates.

As it is obvious, the maximum percentage of error bit rate

is 28.22% (in RGB colour space). The percentages of error bit
rates of extracted watermarks for different colour spaces
under salt and pepper noise with noise densities 0.010.5

Fig. 7 Percentage of error bit rates of extracted watermarks for different colour spaces under Gaussian noise experiment
a Lena
b Peppers
c Baboon
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Table 4 Percentage of error bit rates in salt and pepper noise
experiment under noise density N.D = 0.5
Colour space

RGB
YCbCr
JPEG-YCbCr
YIQ
YUV
CIELab

Error bit rate % (N.D = 0.5)

Lena

Peppers

Baboon

28.22
15.72
18.64
19.68
8.75
3.33

26.97
16.66
19.79
20.72
10.31
4.06

25.52
16.66
19.79
20.62
11.14
3.22

Fig. 8 Extracted watermarks from salt and pepper noise

experiment with noise density N.D = 0.5

Fig. 9 Percentage of error bit rate of extracted watermarks for different colour spaces under salt and pepper noise experiment
a Lena
b Peppers
c Baboon
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are illustrated in Fig. 9. From the obtained results it can be
said that, RGB colour space has the greatest values of error
bit rates in comparing with the other colour spaces; while
after that respectively, YIQ, JPEG-YCbCr, YCbCr, YUV
and CIELab have the greatest values. It means that
performing the proposed scheme on CIELab colour space
and after that respectively, YUV, YCbCr, JPEG-YCbCr,
YIQ and RGB colour spaces lead to the most robustness
against salt and pepper noise attack.

Conclusions

In this paper a CDMA watermarking scheme which uses

DWT2 was proposed and implemented in eight historical
colour spaces: RGB, YCbCr, JPEG-YCbCr, YIQ, YUV,
HSI, HSV and CIELab in order to investigate the inuence
of colour spaces on image watermarking algorithms based
on correlation techniques. The proposed approach except
HSI and HSV colour spaces satises the watermark
imperceptibility, robustness and security in six other colour
spaces: RGB, YCbCr, JPEG-YCbCr, YIQ, YUV and
CIELab much better than the earlier works. The lowest
PSNR value of the host images belongs to YIQ colour
space and is greater than 67 dB and all NCs of extracted
watermarks from watermarked images are 1. The obtained
results of extracted watermarks from JPEG-compression
(even if quality factor is low) and also Gaussian and salt
and pepper noises (even in high noisy attacks) are
satisfactory. The observations regarding the proposed
watermarking scheme are summarised as follows:
The watermarking security is more satisfactory than
the earlier works such as [23]; so that, the watermark W
is scrambled by ATM and after converting to a sequence,
is adopted with a random binary sequence using a
pseudo-random number generator to encrypt the watermark.
In addition, embedding watermark in the intended channel
of each colour space, increased security property, too.
Except HSI and HSV colour spaces, the proposed approach
improves watermark imperceptibility in all colour spaces
more than the obtained results in [2527] and enhances
robustness against JPEG compression and Gaussian noise
attack, respectively more than the obtained results in [23,
29] and [23].
In correlation based watermarking techniques,
JPEG-YCbCr colour spaces satisfy the imperceptibility
property more than the other colour spaces. After that,
respectively, RGB, YCbCr, YUV, CIELab and YIQ colour
spaces satisfy this property.
The CDMA proposed approach satises high robustness
against JPEG compression. In addition, CIELab colour
space has the most robustness against JPEG compression in
correlation-based watermarking techniques in related to the
others. Then, respectively, YCbCr, RGB, YUV,
JPEG-YCbCr and YIQ colour spaces have the most
robustness.
In correlation-based watermarking techniques, CIELab
colour space has the most robustness against Gaussian noise
attack in comparing with the other colour spaces. After
CIELab colour space, YUV, YIQ, YCbCr & JPEG-YCbCr
and RGB colour spaces have the most robustness.
The proposed scheme satises robustness against salt and
pepper noise attack as well. In addition, CIELab colour
space has the most related robustness in correlation-based
watermarking techniques compared with the other colour
186
& The Institution of Engineering and Technology 2013

spaces. Then, YUV, YCbCr, JPEG-YCbCr, YIQ and RGB

colour spaces satises this requirement.

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