Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) Practice Exam

Which characteristic is altered by "tinting" a color?

1. Saturation

2. Value

3. Temperature

4. Accent

The correct answer is: Value

Tinting a color refers to the process of adding white to a base color, which lightens it. This action directly affects the value of the color, resulting in a lighter shade. Value is the term used to describe the lightness or darkness of a color, and since tinting increases lightness, it is correct to say that tinting alters the value of a color. Saturation, on the other hand, pertains to the intensity or purity of a color rather than its lightness or darkness. Tinting does not enhance or diminish the color's saturation but rather modifies its value. Color temperature typically refers to the warmth or coolness of a color and is not affected by the addition of white; instead, adding black would darken it while retaining or altering its warmth or coolness. Accent, in this context, does not relate to the fundamental characteristics of color and is more about the focus or emphasis of a particular color in a composition.