Color & Color Measurement

Hue
When asked to identify the color of an object, you’ll most likely speak first
of its hue. Quite simply, hue is how we perceive an object’s color — red,
orange, green, blue, etc. As the wheel illustrates, if you were to mix blue and
green paints, you would get blue-green. Mix blue and yellow to get green,
red and yellow for orange, or add yellow to green for yellow-green, and so
on.

Chroma
Chroma describes the vividness or dullness of a color — in other
words, how close the color is to either gray or the pure hue. For
example, think of the appearance of a tomato and a radish. The red of
the tomato is vivid, while the radish appears duller.

Value
The luminous intensity of a color — i.e., its degree of lightness — is
called its value. Colors can be classified as light or dark when
comparing their value.
For example, when a tomato and a radish are placed side by side, the
red of the tomato appears to be much lighter. In contrast, the radish
has a darker red value. In Figure , the value, or lightness, characteristic
is represented on the vertical axis.
PANTONE BOOK (TCX, TPX):
This book is used for shade matching. Sometime buyer gave the pantone
no. in their order. Pantone no. indicates the shade of the garments. It’s a
universal shade matching book.
Full name : Pantone Textile Color Selector
Color numbering system : 6 digit + suffix
First two digits : 11 to 19 (range of lightness)
Middle two digits : 01 to 64 (range of hue)
Last two digits : 01 to 65 (range of chroma)
 Color combination Chart on basis On factory
Color
Black White Green Brawn Avg RSPL
Black OBA Turquoise navy Red Blue RSPL
dyes
Red Blue Blue Yellow Red
Yellow Yellow red Blue Yellow

Color
Navy Blue Ash Blue Red Pink Orange Olive
Navy Blue Ash Blue Red Red Yellow Blue≈
dyes Yellow
Red Red yellow yellow Red
Yellow Yellow Blue Red

Dye Pick up Temperature of different hue:

Yellow-60-65 ˚C( temp increase shade will be more yellowish)

Red-70 ˚C (temp increase shade will be more reddish)
Black-60-65 ˚C
Blue-60-65 ˚C
Turquoise-85 ˚C
OBA-80 ˚C
CIE: In 1931, CIE (Commission Internationale de I’Eclairage) was established at Paris in
France.
The aim of CIE system is to tell us how a color might be produced (by a mixture of three
primary sources) rather than describe.

Trichromatic Theory of color: Color that aspect of visual perception dependent on the
spectral comparison of observed radiant energy. Trichromatic or three-color theory was
proposed by Thomas Young in 1801 but remained unnoticed until Helmholtz rediscovered it,
about 50 years later in 1852 and experimented by Maxwell in 1860

1. Thomas Young (1801): Proposed that the eye perceive color interms of three color stimuli,
these are Red, Green and Blue.
2. Helmholtz theory (1852): First recognize the difference between the additive and
subtractive color mixing.
Additive or Light theory: In light theory, Subtractive or Pigment theory: In
the primary colors are red, blue and green. The pigment/subtractive theory, the primary colors
mixing of these three colors in equal quantity are red, yellow and blue. The mixing of these
produces white light. three colors in equal quantity produces black
The addition of these three primaries gives the shade.
following colors- The addition of these three primaries gives the
Red + Green=Yellow following colors-
Green+ Blue =Cyan Red + yellow=Orange
Blue+ Red=Magenta Yellow + Blue=Green
Blue + Red=Violet

3. Naxwell (1860): Most but not all color can be matched by a mixture of appropriate amounts of
Red, Yellow and Blue. It is the limitation of Trichometric theory.
The Munsell color order system:
The Munsell system is a subjective color ordering system developed by American Albert Munsek in 1915.
Using water colors he painted many hues on small squares of white papers and arranged those in the order
that became known as Munshell color order system. Samples in the Munsell set differ from adjacent samples
in equal visual steps.
Munsell color space can be described by the attribute hue, chroma and value.

Munsell hue is that quality of color by which we

distinguish blue from yellow, red from green etc. i.e.
the common name of color to perceive them. The 10
principal hues in Munsell system are yellow, yellow-
red, red, red-purple, purple, purple-blue, blue, blue-
green, green, green-yellow. Each hue as 10
subdivisions and the principal hue is designated as ‘5’.

Value is the lightness on darkness of color along a

white to black scale calibrated form1 to 10 where 1 is
perfect black and 10 is perfect white.
 Chroma is used to describe the intensity of color.
Chroma has no upper limit theoretically. It is the
vividness or dullness of color.

Colors are defined in terms of the Munsell Hue (H; indicates hue), Munsell Value (V; indicates lightness),
and Munsell Chroma (C; indicates saturation) and are written as H V/C.

For example, for the color with H=5.0R, V=4.0, and C=14.0, the Munsell notation would be: 5.0R 4.0/14.0
 4. XYZ theory: In 1931, CIE (Commission Internationale de I’Eclairage) was established.
They formulated XYZ-system of color specification. In this system, the response of the eye
was defined in terms of three reforms (X), (Y) and (Z) derived mathematically from (R),
(G) and (B)
X- Represents a red stimuli more saturated than any spectral Red.
Y- Represents a Green stimuli more saturated than any spectral Green.
Z- Represents a Blue stimuli more saturated than any spectral Blue.
X+Y+Z= White and R+Y+B= White
The unit amount of (X), (Y) and (Z) were adjusted so that equal quantities are required to
match as equal energy spectrum white.
The chromaticity diagram was derived depending on XYZ-system of color specification.

1.0X≡2.3646(R)-0.5151(G)+0.0052(B)
1.0Y≡-0.8965(R)+1.4264(G)-0.0144(B)
1.0Z≡-0.4681(R)+0.0887(G)+1.0092(B)
1.0X +1.0(Y)+1.0(Z)≡1.0000(R)+1.0000(G)+1.0000(B)

The chromaticity diagram was developed depending on XYZ system of color specifications. The
chromaticity co-ordinates X and Y are defined in an analogous way
X Y
x= , y= ,
X+Y+Z X+Y+Z
Chromaticity diagram: Chromaticity, an attribute of color, is the intensity or saturation level
of a particular hue, defined as the distance of departure of a chromatic color from the
neutral (grey) color with the same value (lightness/darkness)
In order to identify chromaticity, independent of lightness, CIE proposed chromaticity
coordinated or trichromatic co-efficient x and y –
X Y
x= , y= ,
X+Y+Z X+Y+Z

As only two variables are required to express

chromaticity, it is possible to plot the values
on a two-dimensional graph called CIE
chromaticity diagram. When the
chromaticity co-ordinates of spectral colors
are plotted in such diagram, a horse shoe
shaped curve is obtained.

As figure Hue is represented at all points

around the perimeter of the chromaticity
diagram. Saturation or Chroma is
represented by a movement from the
central white (neutral) area out towards
the diagrams perimeter, where 100%
saturation equals pure hue.
 The color of the spectrum lies on the curve, which encompasses all realizable colors. The
curve is closed by the purple line. The neutral point, also known as the white point. Lies
near the centre of the diagram and represents the chromaticity of white grey and black
colors. Colors of equal hue but different saturation lie on straight lines between the neutral
point and the respective spectral color. The saturation is indicated by the distance from the
neutral point. The greater the distance, the more saturated the color is.

The advantage of XYZ diagram is the

clear representation of colors in a plane
system. The disadvantage is that is that a
given distance between points on the
diagram can correspond to a visual color
difference of varying magnitude.
Chromaticity Values
Tristimulus values, unfortunately, have limited use as
color specifications because they correlate poorly
with visual attributes. While Y relates to value
(lightness), X and Z do not correlate to hue and
chroma.

As a result, when the 1931 CIE standard observer was

established, the commission recommended using the
chromaticity coordinates xyz. These coordinates are
used to form the chromaticity diagram in Figure 9.
The notation Yxy specifies colors by identifying value
(Y) and the color as viewed in the chromaticity
diagram (x,y).

As Figure shows, hue is represented at all points

around the perimeter of the chromaticity diagram.
Chroma, or saturation, is represented by a movement
from the central white (neutral) area out toward the
diagram’s perimeter, where 100% saturation equals
pure hue.

To overcome the limitations of chromaticity diagrams like Yxy, the CIE recommended two
alternate, uniform color scales: CIE 1976 (L*a*b*) or CIELAB, and CIELCH (L*C*h°).
CIELab

If we work with a cross section of the color

tree as CIELab space, this space is divided by
two axes which intersect at a grey neutral area
in the centre.

“a” is the red-green axis which is red on the

positive side and green on the negative side.

“b” is the yellow-blue axis which is yellow on

the positive end andblue on negative end.
Today the most widely used of the opponent-type
scales is the CIELab color scale. It was adopted in
1976 and identifies object color using three
coordinates (L*a*b*).

The tristimulus XYZ values of a color, when

converted to L*a*b* values, do a better job of
describing the color as seen by an observer.
L*a*b* theory:
In 1976, CIE recommended the CIE L*a*b* system.
Properties of CIELAB (L*a*b*) Color space:

The system is intended to be a uniform color space with the following properties-
1.A rectangular, three dimensional color space (L*a*b*) in which all surface colors can be
represented.
2.The distance between the points representing the colors of two samples is proportional to
the visual color difference between them.
3.The axes are scaled so the at a just perceptible color difference is represented by unit
distance.
4.The L*a*b* values can be easily interpreted in terms of the hue, lightness and depth of
shade.
L* =100
White +b*
-a*
L* is the vertical axis and represents lightness. Green
Yellow
0 being a perfect black and 100 a perfect white.
a* an axis in the plane normal to L which represents the
redness/greenness quality of the color, positive values
denote redness and negative values denote greenness
b* an axis normal to both L and a which represents the +a*
-b* Red
yellowness/blueness quality of the color, positive values Blue
L*=0
denote yellowness and negative value denote blueness. Black
 The co-ordinates of the points representing the color of a sample can also be expressed in terms of
the cylindrical co-ordinates lightness (L*), chroma (c*), and hue (h 0)

When, h0=0, red h0=270, blue

h0=45, orange h0=315 , Magenta
h0=90, yellow h0=360, red
h0=135 yellow h0=180, green
h0=225, cyan

1
c*=  a*  b*
2 2
 2

 b* 
h 0  tan -1  
 a* 
 L*C*h0 theory:
L*C*h color space uses the same diagram as L*a*b* color space, but employs cylindrical
rather than rectangular coordinates. L* is the same as the L* of the L*a*b* diagram. C*
is chroma, and h is the hue angle. The value of C* is zero at the center for an achromatic
color, and increases according to the distance from the center. Hue angle (h) is defined as
starting at the +a* axis and is expressed in degrees as the chroma axis rotates
counterclockwise.
1 The (L*C*h0) expression offers an advantage
c*=  a*2  b*2  2
over CIELAB because it can be easily related
to the earlier based on physical samples like
 b*  the Munshell color scale. Different hue angle
h 0  tan -1  
 a*  indicated different hue.

Color space: A system for ordering colors that respects the relationships of
similarity among them. There are variety of different color spaces, but they are all
three dimensional.
The two most widely known's of these methods are the Yxy color space, devised in 1931
based on the tristimulus values XYZ defined by CIE, and the L*a*b* color space, devised
in 1976 to provide more uniform color differences in relation to visual differences. Color
spaces such as these are now used throughout the world for color communication.
The L*C*h° expression offers an advantage
over CIELAB in that it’s very easy to relate to
the earlier systems based on physical samples,
like the Munsell Color Scale.

L* = 116 (Y/Yn)1/3 – 16
a* = 500 [(X/Xn)1/3 – (Y/Yn)1/3]
b* = 200 [(Y/Yn)1/3 – (Z/Zn)1/3]
L* =116 (Y/Yn)1/3 – 16
C* = (a2 + b2)1/2
h° = arctan (b*/a*)
Xn, Yn, Zn, are values for a reference
white for the illumination/observer used.
Hunter Lab
Hunter L, a, b and CIE 1976 L*a*b* (CIELAB) areboth color scales based on the Opponent-
Color
Theory. This theory assumes that the receptors in thehuman eye perceive color as the following
pairs of opposites.

• L scale: Light vs. dark where a low

number(0-50) indicates dark and a high number
(51-100)indicates light.
• a scale: Red vs. green where a positive
numberindicates red and a negative number
indicatesgreen.
• b scale: Yellow vs. blue where a positive
numberindicates yellow and a negative number
indicates blue.

The L value for each scale therefore indicates the level of light or dark, the a value
redness or greenness, and the b value yellowness or blueness.
All three values are required to completely describe an object‘s color
Which Scale Should I Use?
The formulas are calculated differently with HunterL, a, and b using square roots and using
CIELAB is calculated using cube roots of CIE XYZ.

The perfect color scale would be uniform throughout color space, meaning that a one unit
difference between two colors would appear to be visually different by the same amount
whether red, purple, orange, or blue. In truth, neither Hunter L, a, b nor CIELAB is perfectly
uniform. The Hunter L, a, b scale contracts in the yellow region of color space and expands
in the blue region. The CIELAB scale, is a bit expands in the yellow region and this is more
obvious when a sample‘s CIE Z value is less than one. The CIELAB scale generally gives
better approximation to visual evaluation of color difference for very dark colors.
The L*a*b* color space (also referred to as the CIELAB space) is one of the uniform color
spaces defined by the CIE in 1976. The values of L *, a*, and b* are calculated according to the
formulas below:
Lightness variable L*: X, Y, Z:
Tristimulus values XYZ (for 2° Standard
Observer) or (for 10° Standard Observer) of
the specimen
Chromaticity coordinate a* and b*: Xn, Yn, Zn:
Tristimulus values XYZ (for 2° Standard
Observer) or (for 10° Standard Observer) of a
perfect reflecting diffuser

If X/Xn, Y/Yn, or Z/Zn is less than 0.008856, the above equations are
changed as described below:
The Hunter Lab space was developed in 1948 by R. S. Hunter as a uniform color space which could be
read directly from a photoelectric colorimeter (tristimulus method). Values in this space are defined by the
following formulas:

where
X, Y, Z: Tristimulus values of the specimen (X10,
Y10, Z10 tristimulus values can also be used.)
X0, Y0, Z0: Tristimulus values of the perfect
reflecting diffuser

For the 2˚ Standard Observer and Standard Illuminant C, the above equations would become:

Color difference ∆EH in the Hunter Lab color space, which indicates the degree of color difference but
not the direction, is defined by the following equation:
Color difference
 In CIE L*,a*, b* space, the color difference between a standard and a trial sample is
1
expressed numerically
 *2 *2
E= L  a  b *2 2

* *
where, L*  L T  LS
* *
a *  a T  a S
* *
b*  b T -bS
Where, the subscripts T and S denote trial and standard samples respectively.
The color difference can also be specified in terms of co-ordinates L*, C* and H*
where C* represents Chroma and H* represents hue angle
CMC-Color Measurement Committee
C*= the distance between the sample and L-axis CMC is not a new color space but rather a
H*= the angle made by the chroma line and a* axis. tolerance system. CMC Tolerance system
is a modification of CIE LAB which
provide better agreement between visual
The total color difference (in CIELCH system) assessment. Color is measure by
spectrophotometer(data color) by
1 reflectance value.
 2
E= C*  H*  L*
2 2

 2
For perfect black-reflectance=0
For perfect white-reflectance=1
1

 2 2
E= C*  H*  L*
2

 2
 Acceptable limit of Color difference

Practically zero color difference ∆E is impossible. Even in a same place of a colored

sample, if we test twice the instrument will show color difference. But there is an
acceptable range of color difference.
∆E>1, color do not match,
∆E≤1, color match

But it depends on visual assessment, if color matches visually (i.e. visually looks good), the value
of ∆E is ignored. Score Evaluation Symbol
Upto 1 No color √
difference
+1 Very little O
color
difference
+2 Little color ∆
difference
+3 Considerable ×
color
difference
+4 Remarkable ××
color
difference
 Color Difference

A color difference measurement is calculated by subtracting the L*a*b* of

standard from the batch. Differences seen in the previous examples are illustrated
below.

Batch Std Diff. Visual Terms

L*= 40 50 - 10 Darker
a*= 20 30 - 10 Less Red
b*= 30 20 10 Yellower

We can now calculate the total color difference between the Standard and the
Batch by calculate the distance between the samples in all three dimensions.
(L,a,b)

DL*,+ DL = Lighter Da*, + Da* = Redder or Less Green

- DL = Darker - Da* = Greener or Less Red
Db*, + Db*= Yellower or Less Blue
- Db*= Bluer or Less Yellow
 Total Color Difference
A color difference equation using DL*, Da* and Db* to calculate the Total
Color Difference between Std and the Batch. This Total Color Difference
is called delta E and it represented by symbol DE*. DE* can be calculated
using this equation;

DE* = [(DL*)2 + (Da*)2 + (Db*)2 ]1/2

With reservation it can be said that color difference DE* >1

Mainly Data color gives three types of result
-Pass { When DE =(0-.7)}
-Warm { when DE =(.71-.99)}
-Fail {when DE =( 1 above)}

Color difference also depends on light source (D65,TL84,TL87,TL83) but its

show the average value i.e CMC DE
When CMC value is Pass

If your hue value is more than buyer required in spite of color difference value within 1,shade
will be rejected. Another factor is that visually one shade can not be matched with standard
despite of color difference within range ,then you have to notice your DC* value and take steps
according this value.
When CMC value is warn
When CMC value is Fail
Hue angle difference Δh
However, the hue angle difference Δh is in degrees,

and so is incommensurate with the other two variables: the substitution is

mathematically invalid.

The definition of CIELAB color difference includes two methods of overcoming the problem.

 The first uses radian measure to obtain a close approximation to a hue

(not hue angle)

 difference ΔH* in units commensurate with those of the other variables

Visual Color and Tolerancing
Poor color memory, eye fatigue, color blindness and viewing conditions can all affect the
human eye’s ability to distinguish color differences. In addition to those limitations, the eye does
not detect differences in hue (red, yellow, green, blue, etc.), chroma (saturation) or lightness
equally.
In fact, the average observer will see hue differences first, chroma differences second and
lightness differences last. Visual acceptability is best represented by an ellipsoid (Figure 1).

As a result, our tolerance for an acceptable color match consists of a three dimensional boundary
with varying limits for lightness, hue and chroma, and must agree with visual assessment.
CIELAB and CIELCH can be used to create those boundaries. Additional tolerancing formulas,
known as CMC and CIE94, produce ellipsoidal tolerances.

Figure 1: Tolerance ellipsoid

CIELAB Tolerancing
When tolerancing with CIELAB, you must choose a
difference limit for ∆L* (lightness), ∆a* (red/green), and
∆b* (yellow/blue).

These limits create a rectangular tolerance box around the

standard (Figure 2).

When comparing this tolerance box with the visually

accepted ellipsoid, some problems emerge. A box-shaped Figure 2:CIELAB tolerance box
tolerance around the ellipsoid can give good numbers for
unacceptable color. If the tolerance box is made small
enough to fit within the ellipsoid, it is possible to get bad
numbers for visually acceptable color (Figure 3).

Figure 3:Numerically correct vs.visually acceptable

CIELCH Tolerancing
CIELCH users must choose a difference limit for ∆L*
(lightness), ∆C* (chroma) and ∆H* (hue). This creates a
wedge-shaped box around the standard. Since CIELCH
is a polar-coordinate system, the tolerance box can be
rotated in orientation to the hue angle (Figure 4).

When this tolerance is compared with the ellipsoid, we

can see that it more closely matches human
perception. This reduces the amount of disagreement
between the observer and the instrumental values Figure 4:CIELCH tolerance wedge
(Figure 5).

CMC Tolerancing

The CMC color difference formula is based on the

colorimetric principles of the CIE 1976 system. It is
typically employed as a color tolerancing system in
industrial applications. CMC color difference(D
ECMC), a modification(transformation) of CIE
L*C*h*color difference, has proven to be a useful
measure of the commercial acceptability of colored
products.

Figure 5:CIELCH tolerance ellipsoids

CMC color difference is often employed in pass/fail color production applications, where a
single numerical tolerance can be established and utilized to make acceptability decisions. An
important advantage of CMC is that once a tolerance has been successfully implemented for a
product, the same tolerance may prove applicable for other colors produced under similar
commercial conditions.
The CMC calculation mathematically defines an ellipsoid around the standard color with semi-
axis corresponding to hue, chroma and lightness. The ellipsoid represents the volume of
acceptable color and automatically varies in size and shape depending on the position of the
color in color space.

Figure 6 shows the variation of

the ellipsoids throughout color
space. The ellipsoids in the
orange area of color space are
longer and narrower than the
broader and rounder ones in
the green area. The size and
shape of the ellipsoids also
change as the color varies in
chroma and/or lightness.
Figure 6: Tolerance ellipsoids
in color space
Since the eye will generally accept larger differences
in lightness (l) than in chroma (c), a default ratio for
(l:c) is 2:1. A 2:1 ratio will allow twice as much
difference in lightness as in chroma. The CMC equation
allows this ratio to be adjusted to achieve better
agreement with visual assessment at Figure 8 .

For the textile industry it was recommended that l = c =

1 for perceptibility decisions, whereas for acceptability
decisions it was recommended that l = 2 with c = 1.
The reason for this difference is that it is considered
that, in terms of acceptability,differences in lightness
should be weighted to be half as important as
differences in either chroma or hue. Figure 8 : CMC tolerance ellipsoids

SL, SC, and SH are CMC weighting functions that

adjust the CIE differences (ΔL*, ΔC*, ΔH*)
depending upon the location of the standard in CIE
1976 color space Figure 7 :Commercial factor(cf) of tolerances
L*S, C*ab,S and h ab,s are respectively the CIELAB lightness, chroma and hue angle (in
degrees) of the standard
CIE94 Tolerancing
In 1994 the CIE released a new tolerance method called CIE94. Like CMC, the CIE94
tolerancing method also produces an ellipsoid. The user has control of the lightness (kL) to
chroma (Kc) ratio, as well as the commercial factor (cf). These settings affect the size and
shape of the ellipsoid in a manner similar to how the l:c and cf settings affect CMC.

SL SC SH are CIE94 weighting functions that adjust the CIE differences (ΔL*, ΔC*, ΔH*)
depending upon the location of the standard in CIE 1976 color space.
SL = 1; SC = 1 + 0.045 C* ; SH = 1 + 0.015 C* .

•kL, kC, kH are numeric parametric factors.

When KL=KC=KH=1, the model is applied for general industrial uses.
When KL=2 and KC=KH=1, the model is applied for allowable color differences in the textile industry.

However, while CMC is targeted for use in the textile industry, CIE94 is targeted for use
in the paint and coatings industry. If the surface is textured or irregular, CMC may be the
best fit. If the surface is smooth and regular, CIE94 may be the best choice.
Color space Color space Color Matching Tolerance Viewin
diagram Tolerance with visual diagram g angle
method agreement

CIE L*a*b* CIE LAB 75%

Hunter Lab CIE LCH 85%

CIE LCH CMC or CIE 95%

94

CMC or CIE 1. Hue differences first, chroma differences second and

94 lightness differences last.
2. Eye will generally accept larger differences in lightness (l)
than in chroma (c), a default ratio for (l:c) is 2:1
 2º & 10° Standard Observer

At the time the 1931, 2º Standard Observer experiments were conducted it was thought that the
cone concentration was in the foveal region. Later it was determined that the cones were
spread beyond the fovea. The experiments were re-done in 1964, resulting in the 1964 10º
Standard Observer.
Spectrophotometer:
The spectrophotometer is a physical tool which is eminently suited to measure the most
important variable of all, the shade and strength of the dyestuffs themselves, whether they
be in solution or on the fiber .Spectrophotometer used by dyeing factory and colorant
manufacturers all over the world. Normally Color lab manager analysis the color of swatch
with the help of spectrophotometer

Spectrophotometers measure reflected or

transmitted light across a light spectrum. The
resulting data creates a visual curve. Spectral
data is invaluable to anyone in the printing
trades. Spectral measurements ensure that color
is consistent across varying substrates and
production processes. A densitometer checks
density but does not see color, and this can often
result in color variations that might not meet
customer expectations.
Standard Aperture Plates
The apertures listed below are provided with
every model:
• Large Area View (LAV)
• Ultra-Small Area View (USAV)
Optional Aperture Plates
• Medium Area View (MAV)
• Small Area View (SAV)
• Extra Ultra Small Area View (XUSAV)
• Medium Area View (MAV), barium coated
A black trap, white tile and green tile are provided with all instruments:
• The black trap and white tile are used each time the instrument is calibrated.
• The green tile is used to perform an optional diagnostic test. A CD and diskette containing the
calibration values for the white tile are also provided
Spectralon (White) Transmission
Calibration Standard
Black Calibration Card

Instrument type : Dual beam d/10º

spectrophotometer………. ?
Illumination source: Pulsed xenon
filtered to approximate D65
Sphere diameter: 152 mm / 6 in
Wavelength Range: 360 nm -700 nm

Automated, adjustable UV Calibration: yes

UV Cutoff Filters:………………?
400 nm
420 nm
460 nm
Flow Chart of Color Matching
Process with Spectrophotometer:
 Functions of spectrophotometer:
1.Color difference
2.Metamerism
3.Pass/fail operation
4.Fastness rating
5.Shade library
6.Cost comparison
7.Color match production
8.Reflectance curve. Color is measurement by spectrophotometer

Color is measured by spectrophotometer by reflectance value. Reflectance can be defined as-

Intensity of reflected light
Reflectane=
Intensity of incident light
The material absorbs some light. So reflectance value ranges from 0-1.
For perfect black, reflectance=0
For perfect white, reflectance=1
Reflectance is often expressed as percentage (%).
Spectrophotometer follows the simple theory of color vision.
A light source is used to illuminate the sample using a specific illuminant and specific
viewing geometry. Reflected or transmitted light is then passed onto at e spectral analyzer,
where the light is split into its spectral components. Then the light detector and control
electronics are used to make measurements across the visible spectrum.
More sensitive spectrophotometers measures wavelength at 5nm interval (like
500,505,510…..nm) and less sensitive ones measure at 10nm intervals.
Minolta, Datacolor, Spectroflash, SF-300, F-600 are the examples of some
spectrophotometers. Portable spectrophotometers are used in finishing dept.

CIE standard Illuminant:

Illuminants are standard light sources defined by specific spectral power distribution.
The reliability and reproducibility of any color measurement is highly dependent on the
particular illuminant employed on the color. Standard Illuminants are introduced to
provide standard conditions of illumination characterized by their standard chromaticity
co-ordinates x, y and z.
So CIE in 1931 defined 4 standard sources of illuminants. These are-
Illuminant A
Illuminant B
Illuminant C
Illuminant D65
• Illuminant A: Illuminant A represents interior illumination by a gas filled called
tungsten filament lamp. The illuminant is incandescent, yellow-orange in color with a
wavelength range of 380-700nm.

•Illuminant B: It represents illumination by direct sunlight. It is obtained by

combining illuminant A and liquid filters containing different chemical solutions. It has
lack in Ultra-Violet light which exists in real day light.

•Illuminant C: It also represents illumination by average daylight coming from clear

northern sky (average 5500Lux). It is a tungsten illumination, bluish in color with a
correlated color of 6774K. It also obtained by combing illuminant A with chemical
solution filters and also has lack in UV lights.

•Illuminant D65 : Artificial daylight, correlated color temperature 6500K, illuminate

for color matching appraisal for most applications where there is need to maintain color
consistency and quality conforming highly to the C IE specifications for accurate color
matching.
Reflectance of light
For opaque materials most of the incident light is reflected. Color is seen in the diffuse
reflection and gloss is seen in the specular reflection. The reflection at the specular angle is
generally the greatest amount of light reflected at any single angle. However specular
reflection only represents less than 4% of the total reflected light. The remaining reflection is
in the diffuse reflection

When you look at samples

that are exactly the same
color, but have different
surface characteristics, the
apparent color you perceive Effect of surface characteristics on perceived color
is different for each. The effect of increased surface roughness is the dilution of the
•Glossy surfaces appear pigment color so that it appears lighter and less saturated. This is
darker and more chromatic. caused by the dilution of the diffuse reflectance (where we see
•Matte and textured pigment color)by the increased scatter of the specular reflectance
surfaces (white). The rougher the surface, the greater the scatter of the
appear lighter and less specular reflectance.
chromatic
Specific Viewing Geometry:
The angles and method by which a sample s illuminated and viewed can affect the observed
color dramatically. The geometry, of a color measurement instrument is therefore an
important factor in its design. The geometry of illuminating and viewing lights in such
instruments can be of two types-
1.Bidirectional geometry In bidirectional geometry, the two directions may be 0º and 45
º(to measure reflectance) or 0º and 180º(to measure transmission) with tolerance limit ±5°

•Diffuse geometry using integrating sphere

In diffuse geometry wither illumination or viewing should be in direction normal to the
sample (i.e. 00 with tolerance ±5°)
And the remaining diffused i.e. collected from all directions.
CIE has recommended four different instrument geometries for the measurement of color-

45/0 (45/normal)
0/45 (normal/45)
D/O (diffuse/normal)
O/d (normal/diffuse)
Directional geometry

45/0 (45/normal): Illumination of the sample by one or more beams at an angle of 45 0 to

its surface and direction of the reflected light at close to right angle.

•0/45 (normal/45): The specimen is illuminated by one or more beams whose effective
axis is normal to the specimen and direction of reflected light at 45 0 20 to the specimen
surface.
Diffuse geometry

Diffuse (sphere) geometry instruments typically use a white coated sphere to diffusely
illuminate the sample.

•D/O (diffuse/normal): The specimen is illuminated diffusely by an integrating sphere. The

angle between the specimen and the axis of the viewing beam should not exceed 100. The
direction of the reflected light at close to perpendicular to the sample.

•O/d (normal/diffuse): The light source is placed at perpendicular to the specimen and the
detector receives the reflected light which comes diffusely from the integrating sphere.
That is to say, the sample is illuminated vertically and the diffusely reflected light is
collected in the integrating sphere and measured.
 Sphere geometry d/8 º

The measurement is at an 8 º angle (d/8º). Normally the specular reflection is included in

the measurement. This negates differences due to surface differences and provides
measurements that correspond to changes due only to pigment color. Sphere instruments
also have the ability to exclude specular reflection, however they are not efficient at doing
this.
Integrating sphere
The integrating sphere is the optical component used to generate the condition of diffuse
illumination or diffuse observation.  It consists of a hollow metal container, not necessarily
spherical in shape, whose inner surface is covered with a very high reflectivity, matt coating
material.  The coating is commonly made from either barium sulphate, magnesium oxide or
poly(tetra fluoroethylene) powder.  The coated sphere not only creates the diffuse condition
but also "traps" light within the system to give a higher intensity of collected light than a 0/45 or
a 45/0 arrangement.

Commonly there are four apertures or ports in the spheres surface to allow light to enter and
leave.  The arrangement for a 10°/T system is shown in Figure.  At the bottom of the sphere is
the sample port; the object to be measured is placed flush against the port.  The illumination port
is in the diametrically opposite portion of the sphere wall, and in this case is at 10° to the normal
to the sample surface.  A lens system directs a collimated beam of light onto the sample surface.
Principles of operation of a Spectrophotometer:
The wavelength of the light reflectance (of light) by an opaque object or transmittance of light
through a transparent object describes the color of the object. The spectrophotometer measures
color by measures this reflectance or transmittance of the light.
This a classical dual beam reference spectrophotometer.
Spectrophotometer has three essential parts- a light source, a monochromator and a
detector. An output device such as a chart recorder or printer is often present . A light source
such as a tungsten halogen lamp or Xenon flash lamp usually provides the light for
spectrophotometer.

Tungsten halogen lamp

Xenon flash lamp

Tungsten lamp of the type used in spectroscopy and its spectrum . Intensity of the tungsten
source is usually quite low at wavelengths shorter than about 350 nm. Note that the
intensity reaches a maximum in the near-IR region of the spectrum (<1200 nm in this
case).
The monochromator is a prism, spectrum filter or diffraction grating which splits the light
from the source into a spectrum . Although the word “monochromatic” means one color or one
wavelength, the monochromator and slit select a narrow band of light to be measured. The slit
scans across the spectrum selecting the band of light to be measured.
The monochromator and slit are placed before the sample position for giving monochromatic
illumination and they are placed after the sample position for giving polychromatic
illumination. However only polychromatic illumination followed by separation of the reflected
light by a monochromator gives an accurate spectrophotometric curve .
Detector array

When a photon strikes a semiconductor, it can

promote an electron from the valence band
(filled orbitals) to the conduction band (unfilled
orbitals) creating an electron(-) - hole(+) pair.
The concentration of these electron-hole pairs
is dependent on the amount of light striking
the semiconductor, making the semiconductor
suitable as an optical detector. There are two
ways to monitor the concentration of
electron-hole pairs.

In photodiodes, a voltage bias is present and the concentration of light-induced electron-

hole pairs determines the current through semiconductor.

Photovoltaic detectors contain a p-n junction, that causes the electron-hole pairs to
separate to produce a voltage that can be measured.
Block diagram of dual beam
spectrophotometer
Difference between Colorimeter and Spectrophotometer:

Colorimeter Spectrophotometer
1.May be associated with 1. It must be associated with
microcomputer or not. microcomputer.
2. Cheaper than spectrophotometer 2. costly

3. simple operation 3. complex in operation

4. Recipe match prediction is not 4. One of the most important
possible functions is recipe match prediction.

5. Based on CIE and XYZ color 5. Based on CIE LAB system.

matching function.
6. gives stimulus value directly 6. Gives reflectance% which is used
to compute tristimulus values.

7. Continuous light source is used. 7. Light source may be continuous or

pulsed.
8. Incident beam angle can not be 8. beam angle can be changed
changed.
9. less used 9. used widely