Colour assessment

What matters?

Colour assessment plays a key role in quality assurance, as you’ll discover throughout
this website. To be certain of reliable results, two factors are of paramount importance:
A light source of the right quality.

Standardised viewing conditions.

Quality light sources

Both natural and artificial light sources can vary so much that light must be accurately
measurable in order to grade its performance. The three key performance factors of light
are colour temperature, colour rendering and spectral power distribution.

Colour temperature

This is expressed as Kelvin (K) and has nothing to do with heat. Instead it attaches a
value to the colour appearance of a light source, and this varies with its spectral power
distribution (see below). For example, fluorescent lamps such as the VeriVide CIE
Illuminant 'A' have lower colour temperatures and so look red; while lamps with a higher
colour temperature such as the Warm White Fluorescent look blue. There are three CIE
‘Daylight’ illuminants: the most widely used is D65 (6500 K) for surface colour
industries - paint, textiles, plastics etc - and D50 (5000 K) for the graphic arts industry.
Other specialist applications use D75 (7500 K).

Colour rendering index (CRI)

CRI values measure how well a lamp renders colours relative to a reference light source.
The CRI index ranges from 0-100, with 100 representing an exact match. A lamp such as
the VeriVide D65, with a CRI of 98, will therefore show colours more accurately than a
lamp such as the CWF, with a CRI of 62. CRI rating is recognised by the Commission
International de l'Éclairage (CIE) and the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES).

Spectral power distribution (SPD)

Light is made up of the visible part of the electromagnetic spectrum, which the normal
human eye sees as colours. But some light sources are highly concentrated at different
areas of the spectrum, and this distorts the colour appearance of objects. For this reason
SPD rating is used to numerically characterise a light source. This is done by measuring
its relative SPD values at each discrete wavelength. This measurement is compared
against the CIE standard to determine how well that particular light source renders or
distorts colours. D65 is the CIE’s recommended light source for colour assessment, as it
comprises the entire electromagnetic spectrum in almost equal proportions.
Standardisation of viewing conditions

Standardisation is the keystone of effective supply chain colour management. In matters

Therefore, everyone in a supply chain needs to ensure that the equipment they use, and
the environment they use it in, meets CIE and relevant ISO standards. Key aspects of best
practice that need to be considered include:

Observer colour perception

All of us see certain colours in slightly different ways. It’s therefore advisable for
everyone involved in making colour decisions to have their colour perception tested first.
VeriVide can advise you how to do this – see Vision testing. [below – last item in ‘Want
to know more?’]

Optimum point of sale viewing

Eventually, finished product will be seen by your customers at a point of sale. It's
therefore important to determine at the design stage how you want the colour to appear in
those critical lighting conditions and in everyday use.

Lux levels

Lux is a unit that measures the volume of light. Lux level requirements vary according to
the task you want to carry out and the materials you’ll be working with. Too low or too
high a lux level makes correct colour rendering impossible.

Metamerism

If two coloured materials have identical spectral reflection curves, they will match
visually under any illuminant. If they have different spectral reflection curves, they may
match visually less than one illuminant but mismatch under another. Such matches are
termed metameric, and the cause is usually a difference in the colouring matter used in
each material.

Metamerism can be checked in a VeriVide colour assessment cabinet, which has up to

Colour assessment cabinets

Colour assessment cabinets must have neutral and blemish-free matt grey interiors. The
quality of the lamp reflector is also important: a poor reflector will distort the light from
the lamp. VeriVide reflectors use a special white coating, designed to maximise quality
by reflecting all light evenly.

The siting of the cabinet is critical. For best results, all sources of interference with the
visual response - for example glare or extraneous lighting - must be eliminated. Any
windows near the cabinet should be fitted with grey blinds; there should be no direct light
in the field of view; and all general lighting nearby should be VeriVide ‘Artificial
daylight’ to a level of 200-300 lux.