Comparison and optimization of methods of color image quantization

Color image quantization, the process of reducing the number of colors in a digital color image, has been widely studied for the last fifteen years. In this correspondence, the different steps of clustering methods are studied. The methods are compared step by step and some optimizations of the algorithms and data structures are given. A new color space called H1H2H3 is introduced, which improves quantization heuristics. A low-cost quantization scheme is proposed.