Colour measuring equipment

Colour measurement

We know that colour is a psychophysical experience of an observer which changes from observer to observer and is therefore impossible to replicate absolutely. In order to quantify colour in meaningful terms we must be able to measure or represent the three attributes that together give a model of colour perception. i.e. light, object and the eye. All these attributes have been standardised by the CIE or Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage.

The colours of the clothes we wear and the textiles we use in our homes must be monitored to ensure that they are correct and consistent.

Colour measurement is therefore essential to put numbers to colour in order to remove physical samples and the interpretation of results.

Measuring instruments

The measuring instrument collects and quantifies the amount of light reflected from an illuminated object. It does not however tell us anything about how that information is translated into human colour perception.

Basically, measuring colour involves finding the amounts of red, green and blue light which need to be mixed together to give the same colour as the object being measured. This can be done using instruments.

Two types of instruments are commonly used to measure colour. The simplest device is the colorimeter the other is a spectrophotometer.