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Helv
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February 12, 2024 14:14
In the thread about exact colors, two concrete proposals about basic colors emerged:


  1. a) Combine the basic colors violet and lilac into purple;
    b) Combine the basic colors olive with green
  2. Allow 4 or 5 basic colors instead of the current limitation of 2 (+ possibly extra for prints)

Ad 1) The "basic color" field is intended to make it easy to search for stamps. In Western Europe and the US (source of the large catalogues) we recognize 11 basic colours:
red, blue, yellow, green, black, white, purple, pink, orange, brown and gray.

It seems logical to supplement this with gold and silver (in connection with the gold stamps and "frames" around stamps that are sometimes in silver and sometimes in gold) and with "multi-colored".

Ad 2. A maximum of two basic colors are now permitted for stamps without print. If there are more, the stamp must be called "multi-colored".
For color searches it could be useful to allow more colors.
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February 12, 2024 18:55
Helv 
Allow 4 or 5 basic colors instead of the current limitation of 2 (+ possibly extra for prints)

basic: should be exact.

Better check a proposal twice to avoid any errors or loops.
And who will make any improvements, including transferring the no longer existing basic colors violet and lilac to the exact colors?

Helv
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February 12, 2024 19:30
basic: should be exact.
I have no idea what you will see in English, but I have written what I mean.

The background to this is that some stamps clearly have "discrete" colors, for example red, yellow and blue, but must be called multi-colored within the current rules.
If more than two basic colors are allowed, the idea is that the search will become easier.


And who will make any improvements, including transferring the no longer existing basic colors violet and lilac to the exact colors?
In this case, the basic colors lilac and violet can easily be combined into pair/purple/purple/poupre

The color olive is a bit more difficult, but the suggestion is to merge it with green.
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February 12, 2024 20:49
#2221857 might be a good example. Without going in person. Purely didactic.

The line is now '2 Basic Colors'. That is why the 3 colors mentioned in this item were, rightly, replaced by 'Multi-coloured'.
However, the basis of this item is a seal with 2 clearly distinguishable colors (Olive and Blue). A red print was placed on top.
That is why I dare to propose allowing 3 basic colors. Especially in order to make a special feature stand out for those items where this is necessary (a frame in gold or silver color, a print in a certain color, a background that returns in the series but always in a different color).
An item with 2 basic colors, and on top of that a red, green, blue or black print, is more common. The colors make searching (filtering) easier. The 'Multi-coloured' property is actually of no use to you.
Where the (original) item contains more than 2 colors, it will become multi-colored. For something like this you use other filter options.
The mother seal of the didactic example, #729039 , can be found via Basic color. The same stamp, with overprint, not.

You can make it complicated:
Max 2 Basic colors, unless a frame, background or print is involved. Then you may exceptionally add a third basic color.
With Multi-coloured, an extra basic color may be added for the frame, background or print.
Or just keep it simple:
Max 3 Basic colours. Up there it is always Multicolored.
Exceptionally with regard to frame, background or print, an additional Basic color may be added in addition to Multi-coloured.


With the complicated version, discussion could arise as to what is or is not considered a framework or background. Or why there are items with three basic colors that are approved, and items with three basic colors that are removed to make them Multicolor. Better avoid all those unnecessary discussions. My preference is therefore the simple version.

Closely related to this, I also think it is important to make it clear what the Basic Color field is for : filtering and searching. To the main item in the stamp catalog (hence face value only for the main item).
Determine the scope (where to fill in and where not to fill in).
You can find the side item (FDC, EDB, EDK, Maximum card, ...) by funneling the main item (the side item always contains at least one item from the main item), and from there via Issue to arrive at that FDC, EDB, Maximum card or whatever.
By limiting the scope (as we do with Nominal Value for the same reason) you increase effectiveness. You search (filter) in smaller groups that you can oversee more easily.
For the same reason we have the special 'Standard' filter in the stamp section: smaller selections, well-organized, from which 'the rest' is easily accessible.

A field does not have to be filled in always and everywhere if it does not matter (and especially not if it causes unnecessary ballast).
There are other fields where it does matter (e.g. there are still more than 11,000 items that have to do without Issue).

Whether fewer Basic colors should be available in the selection list? Not for me. The list is quite clear. Maybe it's a bit difficult with certain more limited abilities to oversee a list of 16 items... it could be.
Olive doesn't look green to me, nor brown.
Lilac looks more light purple to me. Light red is not included. So Lila can leave, if necessary.
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February 12, 2024 20:56
I never use Violet. Could it possibly be something Northern Dutch?
I only know Violet from Schone Schijn, but that's in a different section.
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az60
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February 13, 2024 10:51
Helv
1. With regard to the colors, from the Netherlands' perspective, adding purple instead of violet and lilac seems fine to me. The question, however, is whether this also applies to other languages. If not, then don't do it.
I think olive is dark yellow-green. It also has something of a brown tint to me. I won't be using that color anytime soon, but there are a lot of people who have. I would maintain this color. There has never been any discussion about it. Personally it doesn't bother me, but I won't miss it either.
I still have a question mark about white . I think a lot of stamps have a bit of white in them. I think it only makes sense if there are color variants that differ in white versus a color. I don't know if there are.
2. I choose the Raoul62 option:
Max 2 Basic colors, unless a frame, background or print is involved. Then you may exceptionally add a third basic color.
With Multi-coloured, an extra basic color may be added for the frame, background or print.
I think two basic colors are enough to look for. The extra color only if there are color variants. In this case I mean stamps that are (almost) identical and can be distinguished mainly by the mentioned color difference*. Below are the situations mentioned by Raoul.
* Color difference, so no nuance difference. The latter must be the exact color.
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February 13, 2024 10:55
Helv
Agree with the first post in this topic.

In my own stamp database I have been using 'purple' as the basic color from the start, with the exact color being 'violet' or 'lilac', among others. Although 'olive' does not necessarily always have to be 'green', that is the first association I make for 'olive'. We therefore assume that the current basic color 'Olive' is intended as 'Green Olive', and not, for example, as ''Brown Olive'.

I think it is important that the basic color(s) is/are filled in, in order to be able to find stamps via filters. The combination of filtering on basic color and face value is a strong function for finding stamps.
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Helv
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February 13, 2024 21:40
Raoul62 to make sure I understand you correctly:
In your proposal #7068287 (photo below) gets the basic colors: multi-colored, purple ?




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February 13, 2024 22:17
Yes, I think that would be the most practical for users who are searching.

The item is part of a series with similar items. Each time it has a different multi-coloured message, with a (single-coloured) background that has a different color for each item.
A frame or background. A recurring phenomenon in the same or a different color. Like a common thread, but not always red.

An example of a background/frame is a flower series from Tunisia.
It is even clearer with musical instruments .
I had already given an example with a gold-colored or silver-colored frame (with the same images each time, from Rwanda, with different year of issue).
You will also find great possible applications for this in Morocco. With the recurring coin series . (next coin series )... or the King series .
In the Arab Middle East regions (known for the super production of stamps in the late 1960s and early 1970s) there are many examples of series with photos of animals or paintings (multi-colored), which appear identical except for the border (yellow vs brown, gold vs silver, ...).

The modern stamps are almost all 'Multi-coloured'. Nothing can be done about that. By being allowed to add a striking (single-coloured) background/frame in addition to the hole-filling Multi-coloured, you extend the functionality of the filter on Basic Color to more recent years. Make optimum use.

But that's actually not a problem, because it's already stated in the manual.

The problem lies with the current limitation of 2 colors. Where many stamps with 2 colors reappear with an imprint (in green, red, blue or black).
A third color => 'Multi-coloured'. Which is a shame.
Just allow 3 colors.
Especially with old stuff, 2 colors are used on stamps, with a greater chance that those stamps are recycled with a colored print. Or be further reused after, for example, a coup or other local political change (if printed with a different country name or different currency).

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  • February 13, 2024 22:41
February 13, 2024 22:41
Is it strange if I say that this subjective way of determining color is outdated?
Color can easily be determined in absolute values (numerical).
Ultimately you can determine what percentage the colors in an image consist of.
The basic color is therefore not that difficult to determine.
Of course you have to make agreements about how this will be done (equipment, calibrate scanner ).

To colour



In a bitmap, each pixel can contain only one color.
A commonly used color system to capture colors in images is the RGB (Red, Green, Blue) system.

With these three main colors, in different proportions, any color imaginable can be created. The RGB system has 8 bits (= 1 byte) available per main color.

A bit has the value 0 or 1. This means that 2 ^ 8 = 256 gradations of that color can be created per color.

Because the color of a pixel is made up of red, green and blue, the total number of possible colors per pixel is 256 x 256 x 256 = 16.7 million colors.

This type of 24 bit (3 x 8) images is also called true color images.

See below an example of a simple color dominance determination.

https://g.co/gemini/share/427166f8a8a0

PS this is just an example, with a non- calibrated scanner, so don't immediately jump over the outcome of the color analysis.
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Helv
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February 14, 2024 00:51
Is it strange if I say that this subjective way of determining color is outdated?
No, that's not very strange.
Of course you have to make agreements about how this will be done (equipment, calibrate scanner ).
Are there simple tools to calibrate any given scanner so that a specific stamp will give the same results on all of them?

I have experimented with color recognition apps that work with a mobile phone camera. So far only applied to the SG and Mi color charts (uniform areas) and not to real stamps. I have noticed that despite the built-in calibration, external lighting continues to play a major role. However, with a strong daylight lamp I get clearly different RGB values for SG yellow than for Mi yellow. If I then enter that again on a website, I get fairly convincing results.
SG Yellow = RGB (255, 200, 20)
Mi Yellow = RGB (255, 255, 10)

The first resembles RAL 1018, the second resembles RAL 1026.




This also immediately reveals the subjective perception because when I look at the SG Fan with the color yellow, I would rather place it below the basic color orange.

The colors you see above depend on your screen settings, but there will be a clear difference.

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  • 10 messages
  • February 14, 2024 02:32
February 14, 2024 02:32
Yes, there are some things available:

Take a look and read this site .

After profiling the scanner, the result should be the same (at least in bits and bytes).
Then the software can at least determine the colors correctly.

But if you want to get the same result on the screen , the screen must also be calibrated. This might also be fun reading material .

Furthermore, AI naturally does most of the work in a few seconds.
Measure the difference in dominant color and prominent colors .
Compares the colors, finds the different stamps (and also shows where the deviations are).
Creates a digital album in a few seconds with a nice description.

So yes, the human work is increasingly disappearing, but there must be a reliable reference.
And the free AI versions are not the most reliable source.
Only paper thickness, etc. is still human work. :).

Finally, we humans cannot determine colors objectively , nor can temperature.
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az60
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February 14, 2024 21:32
Sielpost
Thank you for your interesting posts. It is always good to look at some ingrained issues in a different way. Nevertheless, I would like to make a few comments. I'm afraid it won't work for a while. Not as long as it is not going to be a plug-in and play system and not if the equipment/software is still (relatively) expensive. First of all, among stamp collectors we mainly deal with the old and elderly categories. Not everyone wants or is able to keep up with recent developments. So this technique will certainly not become commonplace. And if it does not become commonplace, the quality of the scanner and the perception of the observer will remain decisive.
And then the question is what this technology contributes. In any case, new problems. Because what is a color variant? Are we dealing with a color variant if one bit changes? I think there are already some natural deviations in the color of all printed copies of a particular stamp. In addition, not everyone handles their stamp with the same care. As Raoul indicates, some people leave them on the parcel shelf of their car for a long time. In another they are collecting dust on a desk. So there is still noise.
I do see a positive contribution in determining the color differences in the current (recognized) color variants. I now see examples on the site where I think: 'Guys, you say it, but I don't see the difference'. I think that with the technique you provide, someone will be much better able to determine in his/her own collection which color variant(s) are in that collection. And then you come back to the essence of the discussion elsewhere. What is the point of indicating the exact color of each stamp? So it is great that the technology provided allows us to determine much more objectively what color a particular stamp has. But that doesn't contribute to anything, although three color fanatics continue to race on a dead end. It is and remains fun and informative, but not functional. Every time they indicate that things are not right, because the perception is different, because the different catalogs interpret the colors differently, but they cannot come to the only correct conclusion. The conclusion you also rightly came to:
people cannot determine colors objectively
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February 14, 2024 21:48
but they just can't come to the one correct conclusion.

This is your conclusion az60 . Doesn't have to be the right one. Just give it some time, and just look at the other side every now and then. We'll figure it out with the three of us.
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az60
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February 14, 2024 22:05
Doesn't have to be the right one.
That's right, but I think so.
Furthermore, I notice that the exact colors are important to you. Then you also have the right to advocate for that, as I do for the themes/motifs. I find that more difficult with Helv. I get the impression that the collector Helv is slightly more decisive here than the super manager Helv. As a collector he also has that right. As a super administrator, I prefer to see him busy with more relevant matters. But not too much criticism. A lot of work has been done recently. He (and the team) deserve kudos for that.
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February 14, 2024 22:06
 This is your conclusion  . Doesn't have to be the right one. Just give it some time, and just look at the other side every now and then. We'll figure it out with the three of us. 
What a pretension!
We have to look at the other side and we don't understand it at all.
I'm afraid it's more of a new try with no results, like so many lately.
Then you'd better meet somewhere separately so we don't have to swallow your insults and your know-it-all.
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February 14, 2024 22:08
Nice job tapir.
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  • February 14, 2024 23:05
February 14, 2024 23:05
Thank you for your response az60,


But someone needs to start setting a standard for digitization.
Consider ICC (International Color Consortium) workflow .
Once the method of digitization has been determined, digital measurements can then also be taken, such as centering, perforations, dimensions, etc. Establishing the standard only takes time.
Ultimately, the equipment is becoming more and more affordable.

But if you want to get the youth on board, something really has to be done (NVPH?).
Otherwise, I think stamp collectors will become a dying breed.
I also have no idea what the population of stamp collectors looks like (age).
Maybe someone from the graphics industry wants/can take this up.

Because I am not a collector (and am not going to be) I look at it very differently.
Ran into various inconsistent (number system) and other non-objective issues.
And I didn't feel like sorting everything out manually.

It ultimately took me a week of work to categorize an entire (!) NVPH collection in the order of the NVPH catalogue, digitize it and prepare it for rearranging into albums. Now at least even a layman (the family) can trace everything back to the NVPH catalogue.

PS, color variant:
If everything is laid down in numbers, you can of course start thinking in terms of standard deviations .
You do not have to qualify every "deviation" as a variant,
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Helv
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February 15, 2024 09:58
He (and the team) deserve kudos for that.
Thank you for this positive message, especially towards the team.

collector Helv is slightly more decisive here than the super manager Helv.
In this case, it is more the area manager Helv who always has to determine whether he should approve the Yvert color or the Michel color and then sees/saw a mismatch with the local catalogue. The collector Helv has not been featured much lately.
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  • February 15, 2024 10:26
February 15, 2024 10:26
az60

I looked at simple solutions for a color workflow.
I think this solution needs little further explanation.
Most (even the older ones) can use a mobile phone.
Then you have recorded at least part of your ICC.

Would also be nice for auction sites, then you will at least see the correct colors on your screen.

And if you want to make a classification for color variants, you will first have to determine a basic seal (color), and then agree on which deviation (std. deviation) you will designate as a variant.

A scanner would be my preference at the moment, because you can also do something with calibration for dimensions (perforation dimensions, dimensions of seals, centering).

Perhaps there are enthusiasts who can elaborate on the above from their field of expertise?

Can be a fun hobby project.

Also take a look at this website .

Flatbed scanner .
IPAD - Mobile scanner

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Helv
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February 15, 2024 11:37
Sielpost thanks for your thoughts.
Most (even the older ones) can use a mobile phone.
I think this app is only available for iOS (Apple), which is a serious limitation.

In the past there have been programs that tried to determine perforation from a scan. That didn't work very well in my experience. You may be able to take a step with ML, but you already have electronic perforation meters that work faster than scanning each stamp separately.

You also have handheld spectrocolormeters:
https://www.pantone.com/eu/en/products/graphics/capsure-with-formula-guide
These are also too expensive, even for the above-average collector.

The only possible direction seems to me to be scanner calibration of home-garden-and-kitchen scanners. Or a robust app that is available for both Android and iOS. A problem I still see is with stamps that combine two or three colors.
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  • February 16, 2024 22:46
February 16, 2024 22:46
Helv

This is probably known to you , but if not, here it is.
I haven't read up on it yet, but it also has some color recognition built in.
And with a quick glance, the manual also works with a color chart.


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