Article:		dekePod Episode 003: Don't Fear the Lab Mode
Subject:		Well, it was a conscious decision
Date:		2008-08-06 20:24:34
From:		dekebytes
I realize there's a school of thought that says Lab should be pronounced L-a-b. (And possibly, that's how the creators said it.) Problem is, unlike the letters in RGB and CMYK, the a and b in Lab don't stand for anything. Only the L is an acronym. And my research into the origins of the mode suggest that it's no coincidence that the channels' initials L-a-b spell out lab, as in laboratory. My core argument, "Lab" is how just about everyone says it, may not sound particularly convincing. But consider, CIE designated Photoshop's variety of Lab as CIEL*a*b* D50, which is not how we write or say it, so whatever choice we make is an innovation. Words evolve, and I regard the one-word variety of Lab as a positive evolution.

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• Well, it was a conscious decision
  2008-08-07 18:35:06  Murray D [Reply | View]
  
  
  Yeah, but I just spent 6 months training myself to think L A B and not say lab whenever I see those letters in the context of color correction. Now you're telling me that nearly everyone says lab.
  
  OK, how about this... El ab... I bet that would turn a few heads the next time you're speaking in public!
  
  What the heck, you can say it however you like. For me it's back to the Lab... oops I mean lab... oops I mean CIEL*a*b*D50.
  
  Murray