How to Convert CIELAB to HWB
Converting CIELAB (Lab) to HWB translates a scientific color model into a format designed to mimic mixing physical paint. Lab defines color using opponent axes (green/red and blue/yellow), while HWB defines color by adding white and black to a base hue.
Why Convert to HWB?
Lab is excellent for calculating color differences and generating smooth gradients, but it is difficult to read manually. If you need to quickly generate a monochromatic palette (a series of tints and shades based on a single color), HWB is much faster to work with. Converting a base Lab color to HWB allows you to lock the Hue and simply adjust the Whiteness and Blackness percentages.
The Conversion Pipeline
To convert Lab to HWB, the color must pass through the sRGB color space. The Lab values are converted to CIE XYZ, then to linear RGB, and finally to standard gamma-corrected RGB.
Once the RGB values (0-255) are established, the HWB Hue is calculated based on the dominant RGB channel. The Whiteness is determined by the lowest RGB channel, and the Blackness is calculated by subtracting the highest RGB channel from 100%.