A fast color image quantization algorithm integrated with gamma correction

The process of selecting a small number of representative colors from an image of higher color resolution is called color image quantization. The ultimate goal of color image quantization is to minimize visible distortion. While its application as a frame buffer technique requires that algorithm efficiency is crucial. In this paper, a significantly faster quantization strategy than previous methods: median cut, variance, or octree-based algorithms, etc., is suggested. The new perceptually algorithm integrated with gamma correction produces result approximately as accurate as previous methods. Overall, the new proposed method is a preferable tradeoff between the quantizer complexity and visible distortion of the quantized image.