Hue, Lightness, Saturation (HLS) Color Model In the HLS Color Model, you specify a color by three characteristics: hue, lightness, and saturation. * Hue is color. * Lightness is color intensity; that is, the amount of the color. * Saturation is the purity of the color, or how much the color is diluted by white. The HLS Color Model contains three scales that represent the ranges of hue, lightness, and saturation. Additional topics: * Color Models