Which term describes the intensity of colors in an image?

• A. Brightness
• B. Hue
• C. Contrast
• D. Saturation

Answer: (D)

Saturation describes how pure or vivid a color appears. It measures the intensity of the color itself—high saturation makes colors look bold and vibrant, while low saturation shifts them toward gray. Brightness (or lightness) is about how light or dark the image is overall, not how intense the colors are. Hue is the actual color family (red, blue, green, etc.), and contrast refers to the difference between light and dark areas, shaping tonal separation rather than color strength. Understanding saturation helps you control the mood of a photo: increasing saturation boosts color intensity, while decreasing it dulls colors without changing their hue or the image’s brightness. So the term that describes the intensity of colors is saturation.