A color space also defines what “white” means, not just the interpretation of the component values. For example, sRGB defines a D65 white point. This is the ab

A color space also defines what “white” means, not just the interpretation of the component values. For example, sRGB defines a D65 white point. This is the absolute color of the light that the monitor should emit for white pixels. It’s usually defined using the XYZ color space (or derived x/y chromaticity coordinates). XYZ is the scientific baseline for color, but it’s not widely used for content creation. Other color spaces are designed to make color more intuitive and easier to encode. Talking about color in the XYZ space would be sort of like talking about music using absolute frequencies. It’s often more practical and flexible to say “note A” rather than “440 Hz.”