FreieFarbe and the quest for free color communication
Color my Freedom

FreieFarbe is an association dedicated to promoting free standards for color graphics.
Colors and color palettes existed for many years before the arrival of modern computers, and the graphics industry developed methods for handling color that seem out of date by today's standards. Different organizations and vendors often have their own color palettes. In some cases, the formula necessary for creating a color is guarded as a trade secret. Some colors are even trademarked. An organization called freieFarbe (Free Color) has been working to modernize color specifications. FreieFarbe advocates open and free color communication. Their goal is to promote the use of mathematically defined color models and ISO standards for color specification and selection.
FreieFarbe was founded in Oldenburg, Germany in 2016. The founding members are German and Swiss professionals who use color in their work. The association now has around 50 members. The association's ecosystem includes commercial providers, as well as free projects such as Scribus and Gimp.
The Problem
The freieFarbe website gives an example based on the RAL color palette, a standard used for specifying colors for varnish, powder coatings, and plastics in Europe. An architect or designer can specify a RAL color, such as RAL 6011, but the options for recreating this color graphically are actually quite limited. The RAL color palette is not available on the computer without specialized software. Even if you were able to recreate the hue on your computer using computer-friendly RGB colors, you wouldn't be able to print it, because printer ink and printing devices don't map conveniently to the RAL color space, and the RGB spectrum itself is device-dependent, so it might not print the way it looks on your screen.
[...]
Buy this article as PDF
(incl. VAT)
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

News
-
System76 Releases COSMIC Alpha 7
With scores of bug fixes and a really cool workspaces feature, COSMIC is looking to soon migrate from alpha to beta.
-
OpenMandriva Lx 6.0 Available for Installation
The latest release of OpenMandriva has arrived with a new kernel, an updated Plasma desktop, and a server edition.
-
TrueNAS 25.04 Arrives with Thousands of Changes
One of the most popular Linux-based NAS solutions has rolled out the latest edition, based on Ubuntu 25.04.
-
Fedora 42 Available with Two New Spins
The latest release from the Fedora Project includes the usual updates, a new kernel, an official KDE Plasma spin, and a new System76 spin.
-
So Long, ArcoLinux
The ArcoLinux distribution is the latest Linux distribution to shut down.
-
What Open Source Pros Look for in a Job Role
Learn what professionals in technical and non-technical roles say is most important when seeking a new position.
-
Asahi Linux Runs into Issues with M4 Support
Due to Apple Silicon changes, the Asahi Linux project is at odds with adding support for the M4 chips.
-
Plasma 6.3.4 Now Available
Although not a major release, Plasma 6.3.4 does fix some bugs and offer a subtle change for the Plasma sidebar.
-
Linux Kernel 6.15 First Release Candidate Now Available
Linux Torvalds has announced that the release candidate for the final release of the Linux 6.15 series is now available.
-
Akamai Will Host kernel.org
The organization dedicated to cloud-based solutions has agreed to host kernel.org to deliver long-term stability for the development team.