Saturation is the purity or intensity, potency and strength of a color. A pure color has the highest saturation. A brilliant color is strongly saturated, and also very light in value. A deep color is also highly saturated, but has little lightness. A pale color is little saturated and has great lightness.

The most saturated colors are vivid, rich, vibrant and strong. Colors with lower saturation appear anemic, muted, faded, pallid and lackluster. For example, gray has zero saturation. In fact, when the saturation is zero, the color is white, gray or black. But when saturation is one, the color is 'pure' with no white mixed in. 'Pure' colors are composed of at most, two of the primary colors red, yellow, and blue.