Lightness

Lightness refers to how we perceive the brightness or luminance of a color, indicating how light or dark it appears. It is an attribute of color perception that helps distinguish shades, from black (very low lightness) to white (very high lightness). In practical terms, lightness is what makes a gray color appear closer to charcoal or to snow, depending on its value. It plays a key role in visual design, photography, and art, enabling us to create contrast, depth, and emphasis by manipulating how light or dark an element appears within a composition.