About Auric Artisan

Auric Artisan is a platform focused on color tools, color science resources, creative systems, web analysis, and theme generation. The platform brings together practical utilities, exploratory models, articles, and visual tools for people working with color, interfaces, design systems, and learning material.

The name draws from two roots: Auric — relating to gold, warmth, and luminance — and Artisan — someone who crafts with precision and intention. The platform reflects both: rigorous color science paired with careful visual craft.

Auric Artisan is built to grow over time. New color tools, web analysis capabilities, simulation models, articles, and creative workflows are added as the platform infrastructure develops. The current release represents a working foundation — functional, researched, and expanding.

Auric Artisan provides a working environment for color science tools, visual analysis, articles, theme creation, palette workflows, and simulation-based exploration. It is designed to help users understand color systems, evaluate visual choices, generate themes, and inspect web experiences from multiple angles.

The platform currently spans four primary capability areas:

• Color Science & Measurement — Analytical tools covering color spaces, difference metrics, chromatic adaptation, and spectral models grounded in CIE standards
• Vision Simulation — Over 70 models simulating how color-vision deficiencies, anomalous trichromacies, and acquired conditions affect visual perception
• Web Analysis — Multi-axis inspection of websites and interfaces: security posture, performance signals, responsive behavior, palette extraction, and WCAG contrast compliance
• Theme & Design System Generation — Tools to create, compare, and export color systems for UI design, CSS custom properties, design tokens, and framework integration

Across all areas, the platform focuses on clarity, structured output, and actionable analysis — supporting both practical creative work and deeper exploration of color science, accessibility, and visual perception.

Color science at Auric Artisan is grounded in the standards set by the International Commission on Illumination (CIE). The platform implements and exposes a wide range of color models, metrics, and transforms that are used in research, industry, and professional design practice.

Color Spaces Covered

• CIE 1931 XYZ — the foundational device-independent color space derived from human color matching functions
• CIE Lab* (CIELAB) — a perceptually uniform space designed so that equal distances represent equal perceptual differences
• CIE LCH — the polar representation of Lab*, with Lightness, Chroma, and Hue as axes more intuitive for color selection
• CIE Luv* (CIELUV) — an alternative uniform space well-suited for additive color mixing and emissive displays
• Oklab & Oklch — a modern perceptually uniform space by Björn Ottosson offering improved hue linearity for interpolation and gamut mapping
• sRGB — the standard web and consumer display color space, defined by IEC 61966-2-1
• Display P3 — Apple's wide-gamut display space with 25% broader coverage than sRGB, increasingly standard on modern screens
• Adobe RGB (1998) — a wide-gamut space commonly used in photography and print workflows
• HSL / HSV / HSB — cylindrical representations of sRGB used in design tools and CSS, with known perceptual non-uniformity
• HWB — Hue, Whiteness, Blackness — a CSS Color Level 4 space offering intuitive tinting and shading
• CMYK (approximation) — process color representation used in print production workflows

Color Difference Metrics

The platform supports all major deltaE formulas used to quantify perceptual color difference:

• CIE76 (ΔE*ab) — the original Euclidean distance in Lab* space; simple but not uniformly perceptual
• CIE94 (ΔE94) — introduces weighting factors for lightness, chroma, and hue to improve perceptual accuracy in industrial color matching
• CIEDE2000 (ΔE00) — the current standard for precise color difference evaluation; accounts for lightness, chroma, hue, and interactive correction terms
• CMC l:c (ΔE CMC) — used in textile and fashion industries; ellipsoidal tolerance model based on acceptability vs. perceptibility thresholds
• CIE94 Graphic Arts variant — adjusted weighting coefficients for screen and graphic output evaluation

Chromatic Adaptation & Illuminants

Color appearance changes under different light sources. Auric Artisan implements chromatic adaptation transforms to account for this:

• Von Kries adaptation — the classical cone-based scaling transform
• Bradford transform — the ICC-recommended chromatic adaptation used in ICC profiles and many professional workflows
• CIECAT02 — the CIE-standard adaptation model used within CIECAM02 color appearance modeling
• CAT16 — an updated adaptation model used within CAM16 with improved accuracy in certain illuminant conditions

Standard illuminants supported include D50, D55, D65 (standard daylight at different color temperatures), A (tungsten incandescent), F2 and F11 (fluorescent), and LED-series illuminants.

Additional Analytical Capabilities

• Gamut mapping — visualize and remap colors when converting between spaces with different gamut boundaries
• Metamerism analysis — identify pairs of colors that match under one illuminant but diverge under another (illuminant metamerism)
• Contrast ratio calculation — compute WCAG-compliant relative luminance contrast using the sRGB gamma model
• Color harmony modeling — complementary, analogous, split-complementary, triadic, tetradic, and square harmonies
• Munsell system reference — map between digital color values and Munsell notation (Hue Value/Chroma)

Auric Artisan includes more than 70 vision simulation models, providing one of the most comprehensive software collections of color vision deficiency simulations available for web-based use. These tools help designers, researchers, educators, and developers understand how content appears to people with various visual conditions.

Algorithmic Foundations

The platform's simulations are implemented from peer-reviewed research:

• Viénot, Brettel & Mollon (1999) — the foundational linear transform-based simulation for dichromacy (protanopia, deuteranopia, tritanopia), widely used in accessibility tools
• Brettel, Viénot & Mollon (1997) — the two-half-plane model for tritanopia, accounting for the different spectral neutral point in the short-wavelength system
• Machado, Oliveira & Fernandes (2009) — anomalous trichromacy simulation via continuous severity parameters (0–1 scale), enabling graded simulation of protanomaly and deuteranomaly

Congenital Color Vision Deficiencies

• Protanopia — absence of long-wavelength (L) cone function; reds appear dark, red-green discrimination severely impaired
• Deuteranopia — absence of medium-wavelength (M) cone function; most common form; green shifts toward yellow-brown
• Tritanopia — absence of short-wavelength (S) cone function; rare; blue-yellow confusion
• Protanomaly — anomalous L-cone with shifted spectral sensitivity; graded from mild to severe
• Deuteranomaly — anomalous M-cone; the most prevalent color vision deficiency worldwide (~5% of males)
• Tritanomaly — anomalous S-cone; very rare; partial blue-yellow discrimination loss
• Achromatopsia (complete) — absence of cone function; full rod monochromacy; extreme light sensitivity and total absence of chromatic discrimination
• Incomplete achromatopsia — residual cone function with severely reduced chromatic discrimination

Acquired & Age-Related Conditions

• Cataracts — lens yellowing and opacity increases blue-light absorption; affects color discrimination in short wavelengths and reduces overall contrast
• Macular degeneration (AMD) — central vision loss affecting fine color discrimination; peripheral vision largely intact
• Glaucoma — progressive peripheral field loss with increased intraocular pressure
• Diabetic retinopathy — microvascular damage causing patchy vision and contrast reduction
• Optic neuritis — inflammation of the optic nerve causing desaturation (especially reds) and reduced acuity

Low Vision & Contrast Simulation

• Blur and acuity reduction models (Snellen equivalent approximations)
• Global contrast sensitivity reduction
• Scotopic (low-light) vision simulation
• Mesopic transition modeling (twilight conditions)
• Photophobia (light sensitivity) simulation

Auric Artisan provides multi-axis web analysis tools that inspect websites and pages from several complementary perspectives. These tools are designed for designers, developers, and accessibility practitioners who need to understand how a page looks, performs, and behaves across different conditions.

Accessibility & WCAG Compliance

• WCAG 2.1 / 2.2 contrast ratio checking — computes relative luminance contrast per the W3C algorithm; evaluates against AA (4.5:1 normal, 3:1 large) and AAA (7:1 normal, 4.5:1 large) thresholds
• Color-blind safe palette analysis — simulates extracted palette colors through CVD models to identify pairs that become indistinguishable
• Focus indicator presence — checks for visible focus states on interactive elements per WCAG 2.4.7 and the stronger WCAG 2.2 criteria
• Text alternative detection — scans for missing or decorative alt text on images and ARIA label coverage on interactive controls
• Touch target sizing — evaluates interactive element dimensions against WCAG 2.5.5 (44×44 CSS pixels) and 2.5.8 (24×24 minimum)

Security Header Inspection

• Content-Security-Policy (CSP) presence and directive completeness
• HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) including max-age and includeSubDomains
• X-Content-Type-Options, X-Frame-Options, Referrer-Policy
• Permissions-Policy (formerly Feature-Policy) coverage
• Subresource Integrity (SRI) for external script and stylesheet loading

Performance Signals

• Core Web Vitals estimation: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS), Interaction to Next Paint (INP)
• Resource loading analysis: render-blocking resources, unused CSS, oversized images
• Caching policy review: Cache-Control, ETags, and resource freshness signals

Visual & Palette Analysis

• Color palette extraction — identifies dominant and accent colors from a page or uploaded image using k-means clustering in Lab* space
• Dark mode compatibility check — evaluates whether color choices translate adequately to prefers-color-scheme: dark contexts
• Responsive layout review — breakpoint behavior and viewport adaptation across common device widths
• Typography contrast analysis — evaluates text-on-background combinations across the full page

Auric Artisan's theme generation tools allow users to build, refine, and export complete color systems for digital interfaces. The approach is grounded in color science — generated palettes use perceptually uniform spaces to ensure consistent visual weight across scales.

Color Scale Generation

• Generate multi-step tonal scales (50–950 or custom steps) in Oklab or Lab* for perceptually even spacing
• Semantic role assignment: primary, secondary, surface, on-surface, error, warning, success, info
• Automatic contrast pairing — the system identifies which text colors meet WCAG thresholds against each scale step
• Dark mode variant generation — creates paired light/dark palettes with appropriate chroma and lightness adjustments

Export Formats

• CSS Custom Properties — complete :root variable declarations for direct web use
• Design Tokens (JSON / DTCG format) — structured token files compatible with Style Dictionary and Token Transformer
• Tailwind CSS config — theme.extend.colors object with full scale mapping
• SCSS variables & maps — $variable declarations and nested map structures for preprocessor workflows
• Figma-compatible output — color style definitions ready for import via Figma Tokens or Variables
• Swift / SwiftUI color assets — named color export for iOS and macOS development
• Android / Jetpack Compose — color.xml and MaterialTheme color scheme output

Palette Management

• Import and analyze existing palettes from hex lists, CSS files, or image extraction
• Compare two themes side-by-side with deltaE difference visualization
• Accessibility audit built into the generation pipeline — flags non-compliant combinations before export

Auric Artisan publishes articles, guides, and references covering color science fundamentals, applied design practice, accessibility, and visual perception. These are written for a range of audiences — from designers encountering color theory for the first time to practitioners seeking deeper technical grounding.

Topic Areas

• Color space primers — what XYZ, Lab*, LCH, Oklab, and sRGB actually represent, and when each is the right choice
• deltaE explained — a complete walkthrough of why there are multiple difference formulas and how to interpret their outputs
• Chromatic adaptation in practice — how light sources change color appearance and what that means for display calibration and print matching
• Vision and perception — how human color perception works, why it varies, and how cone spectral sensitivities relate to colorimetry
• WCAG contrast in depth — the mathematics behind relative luminance, common failure modes, and the limitations of the current standard
• Design token architecture — building scalable, maintainable color systems for large products
• Dark mode color science — why simply inverting colors doesn't work and how to build genuinely perceptual dark themes

Reference Material

• Standard illuminant spectral power distributions
• CIE color matching function tables (2° and 10° observer)
• Common deltaE threshold reference values by application domain
• Color rendering index (CRI) and its limitations compared to TM-30 metrics

Auric Artisan includes an Ishihara-style plate generator for exploratory and demonstration purposes. It generates pseudo-isochromatic plate patterns using procedural dot placement and color selection based on CVD simulation models.

The generator can be used to understand visual contrast in plate design, explore how color arrangement creates figure-ground separation for different vision profiles, and produce plate-like patterns for educational illustration or demonstration.

Auric Artisan is designed for anyone working seriously with color — from practical daily use to deep technical exploration.

• UI/UX designers — building accessible, perceptually consistent design systems; generating and exporting palettes; checking contrast compliance across color pairs
• Web developers — auditing sites for security headers, performance signals, and accessibility failures; generating CSS custom property themes and Tailwind configurations
• Accessibility specialists — evaluating page color usage through CVD simulation; validating WCAG 2.1/2.2 contrast requirements; identifying color-blind unsafe palette combinations
• Color scientists & researchers — working with CIE color spaces, deltaE formulas, chromatic adaptation transforms, and metamerism analysis in an interactive environment
• Art directors & brand designers — building color systems with scientific grounding; understanding how brand colors translate across displays, print, and lighting conditions
• Students & educators — learning colorimetry, color perception, and vision science through interactive tools and structured articles
• Print & packaging professionals — evaluating color reproduction fidelity, gamut mapping, and illuminant-dependent appearance shifts
• Game & film colorists — understanding HDR gamut boundaries, color grading workflows, and viewer perception across display technologies

Auric Artisan collects only the data necessary to operate the platform — authentication, account management, essential notifications, and platform functionality when those systems are active.

The platform does not sell personal information, does not build advertising profiles, and does not share user data with third parties for marketing purposes. Browser-side preferences and settings (theme choice, eye-rest configuration, tool state) are stored in localStorage and never transmitted.

When web analysis tools inspect external URLs, those requests are made server-side and no browsing history is retained beyond the immediate analysis session. Color inputs, palette data, and generated themes are processed locally in the browser where possible. Full details are provided in the Privacy Policy.

Account registration, sign-in, and the account dashboard are live. Every tool is free on every tier; paid plans add conveniences — such as an ad-free experience, cross-device sync, richer exports, and higher usage quotas — and never gate tool access.

Paid access is sold as one-time plan passes through the official checkout, processed by Razorpay (cards, UPI, netbanking, in INR). There are no recurring subscriptions and nothing auto-renews. Current plans are on the Pricing page; refund terms, including the 7-day money-back window on plan purchases, are in the Refund Policy.

Auric Artisan does not guarantee that any specific feature, tool, model, analysis type, or service will remain available indefinitely. Access, features, and plans may vary by region and change over time as the platform evolves.

Auric Artisan is an independent platform. It is not a government entity, not affiliated with public institutions, academic departments, standards bodies, or software vendors, and does not provide official public services.

The platform's color science implementations are based on published CIE standards, peer-reviewed academic research, and W3C specifications. References to these sources are provided for informational purposes. For real-world research, certification, medical evaluation, safety-critical color matching, security review, or authoritative assessment, users should consult qualified professionals and appropriate institutions.

Auric Artisan may link to or reference external tools, libraries, or publications. These links do not imply endorsement and external resources are outside the platform's control.

Auric Artisan is guided by a core principle: Tools That Respect Intelligence.

Color science is a mature, rigorous discipline — but access to its tools has historically been fragmented across academic software, paid industry suites, and disconnected browser utilities. The web has lacked a platform that treats color with the same seriousness as the underlying science warrants.

Auric Artisan aims to close that gap: making professional-grade color analysis, perceptually grounded palette tools, and scientifically based vision simulation genuinely accessible — without dumbing them down, without hiding the math, and without requiring a £500 software license.

The platform is designed with care for everyone who encounters it — including people with color vision deficiencies, low vision, or sensitivity to visual stimulation. Accessibility is not an afterthought; it is a design requirement enforced by the same tools the platform provides to others.