The chroma of a colour is the intensity

High intensity of colour - high fluorescence (fluro)

Low intensity is the opposite (washed out)

When chemicals were used after the industrial revolution there was an ability to suddenly create more high chroma colours. In the past these colours were very expensive as they used a high concentration of things from nature.

LOW CHROMA LOOKS 'WASHED OUT"

If you were to push a soft coloured pencil really softly on the paper you obtain a low chroma - there is a low saturation of colour. Using water colours - with a lot of water will achieve a low chroma.

In interiors colours will often have a low chroma if they are a coloured light, or through glass.

The table above shows the gradation of high to weak chroma

(Intensity of colour)

And the gradation of high to low value

(The amount of light on an object - sunny to shade ).

Meet Chromy Chroma - he helps explore all about chroma!

If you were to push a soft coloured pencil really hard on the paper you obtain a high chroma - there is a high saturation of colour.