Abstract of COLOUR

TECHNIQUE
By Chetan Jawre
What is Colour:

Colour is property possessed by an Object of producing

different sensation on the human eyes as a result of
the way it reflects or emit light.

Colour is a visual perceptual property interacting with

human eye with spectral sensitivities of light
receptions.

Human eye can Perceive Colour as wavelength ranging

from 340 nm to 740 nm. This is called ‘visible light’.
Colour Property:
LIGHT FALLS ON THE OBJECT
* SOME OF THE PART IS ABSORBED
* SOME OF THE PART IS SCATTERED
* SOME OF THE PART IS REFLECTED

THE REFLECTED PART OF THE LIGHT ACTIVATE THE OBSERVER AND

THE DOMINENT WAVELENGTH IS SENSED AS COLOUR.

COLOUR IS MEASURED IN TERMS OF REFLECTANCE VALUE

% REFLECTANEC= Io / Ii

Io : LIGHT ENERGY RECEIVED BY THE OBSERVER IN %

Ii : INCIDENT LIGHT ENERGY OF THE LIGHT SOURCE IN %
Spectrophotometer:
Spectrophotometers are Devices which
quantitatively measures Reflection /
Transmission properties of object as a
function of wavelength.
Spectrophotometers are extensively
used in Colour Industry for Quality
control and by colorist for Colour
matching.
Type of Light source of
Spectrophotometer:

Quartz Tungsten Halogen

(QTH) Light:

Deuterium (D2):

Xenon Pulsed lamp:

Quartz Tungsten Halogen (QTH):

 A Quartz tungsten halogen lamp produces a continuous spectrum of

light, from near ultraviolet to deep into the infrared. Since the lamp
filament can operate at a higher temperature than a non-halogen
lamp, the spectrum is shifted toward blue, producing light with a
higher effective color temperature and higher power efficiency. This
makes halogen lamps the only option for consumer light source
with Black-body radiation spectrum similar to that of the sun and
most suitable for the eyes. Life of QTH is generally 2000 hrs.Quartz
tungsten lamp generally operates at higher temperature hence it
increases temp of the environment resulting condition change in
measurement of colour in object which is not preferable.
Deuterium (D2) :

 D2 is a general light source for UV range spectroscopic

applications. D2 lamps produce intense ultraviolet
radiation by maintaining a stable electric arc in a
deuterium atmosphere. The spectral power distribution
of this radiation has a continuous range that extends from
160 to 400 nm. Life time of a typical deuterium lamp is
about 1000 hours. Since D2 only cover UV range it is not
recommended for Colour matching in Visible range.
Xenon Pulsed lamp:

 Xenon lamp provides high energy light source, and it can

reach a steady state in a short time period. Its light covers
the entire UV and visible wavelength range, from 190nm
to 1100nm. As Xenon also tend to increase temp it is used
in pulse form. Xenon pulsed lamp has excellent pulse-to-
pulse stability for long measurements. An xenon lamp
flashes in a frequency of 80Hz, so that the life time is
longer than deuterium lamp or halogen lamp. However,
the cost of a xenon lamp is higher. Our Spectrophotometer
(Minolta CM - 3600D) in Lab has 4 pulsed xenon lamps.
Basic Structure of Spectrophotometer
Specular Component Included (SCI) vs.
Specular Component Excluded (SCE)

 The texture and glossiness of your samples may make them appear
brighter, duller, lighter, or darker. This is because an object's surface
condition directly affects how the wavelengths of light reflect off that
object and how our eyes will perceive its appearance. To more
effectively evaluate and control the color and appearance of your
samples and meet standards, it should be understood how light
interacts with various surface conditions and how that interaction
affects the appearance of color.
Color Measurement: Specular Component
Included or Specular Component Excluded?

 A glossy object dyed a blue color will appear more saturated and
vivid, while a rough-surfaced object dyed the exact same blue color
will appear duller. Although the dye color is the same on both objects,
their appearance still differs. Certain color measurement instruments,
including spectrophotometers, can quantify the "true" color of the
object or the appearance of the object to help users control its color
and appearance. This is done through the instrument's measurement
modes, Specular Component Included (SCI) and Specular Component
Excluded (SCE)
Color Measurement: Specular Component
Included or Specular Component Excluded?

 To measure the "true" color of an object, SCI mode is typically used. This type
of measurement includes both specular and diffused reflected light, making it
unaffected by any surface conditions. If we measure the two blue objects
mentioned above, a measurement in SCI mode would generate the same color
values for both objects. This mode is ideal when formulating recipes to match
colors and meet color quality standards more effectively
Color Measurement: Specular Component
Included or Specular Component Excluded?

 To measure the appearance of an object's color, SCE mode is

typically used. This type of measurement excludes any specular
reflected light, making it more sensitive to surface conditions.
If we measure the two blue objects mentioned above, a
measurement in SCE mode would generate different color
values for each object. The glossy object would fall in a darker,
more saturated region of the defined color space and the
rough-surfaced object would fall in a lighter, less saturated
region of the defined color space. This mode is more often used
during quality control evaluations to ensure the appearance of
their products maintain consistency and meet the standard.
Colour Measurement / Colour
Difference:
 The difference or distance between two colors is a metric of
interest in color science.
 The International Commission on Illumination (CIE) calls their
distance metric ΔE*ab (also called ΔE*, dE*, dE, or "Delta E")
where delta is a Greek letter often used to denote difference,
and E stands for Empfindung, German for "sensation“
 Different studies have proposed different ΔE values that have
a JND (just noticeable difference). Unempirically, a value of
'1.0' is often mentioned, but in a recent study, Mahy et al.
(1994) assessed a JND of 2.3 ΔE. Non-uniformities are important
because the human eye is more sensitive to certain colors than
others hence there is no standard ΔE can be establised.
CIE76:
 The 1976 formula is the first color-difference formula that related a
measured to a known set of CIELAB coordinates
 The three coordinates of CIELAB represent
the lightness of the color (L* = 0 yields black
and L* = 100 indicates diffuse white; specular
white may be higher), its position between red
magenta and green (a*, negative values indicate
Green\ less Red while positive values indicate Red)
and its position between yellow and blue
(b*, negative values indicate blue and positive values indicate yellow)
Using (L1, a1, b1) and (L2, a2, b2) for two colour

ΔE = (L 2 – L 11)2 + (a 2 – a 1)2 + (b 2 – b 1)2

Although the calculation formula was defined based on the

color vision of the human eye, some color differences are
evaluated differently between the color difference ΔE*ab
and the human eye. This is because the color discrimination
threshold of the human eye greatly differs from the range of
color differences ΔE*ab and Δa*b* defined by CIE Lab.
CMC (l:c)
 In 1984, the Colour Measurement Committee of
the Society of Dyers and Colourists defined a difference
measure, also based on the L*C*h color model. Named
after the developing committee, their metric is
called CMC l:c. The quasimetric has two parameters:
lightness (l) and chroma (c), allowing the users to weight
the difference based on the ratio of l:c that is deemed
appropriate for the application. Commonly used values
are 2:1 for acceptability and 1:1 for the threshold of
imperceptibility. CMC (l:c) gives results matching with
human eyes in better than CIELAB.
CMC (l:c) diagram:
Delta E calculation:
Where
Colour Consistency:
Colour Consistency:
 The goal of implementing a color quality process is to get the color you want,
or your customer wants, for the final product through an efficient and
streamlined process. If the color of a product doesn't meet the standard,
customer satisfaction is compromised and the amount of rework and costs
increase. Establishing color tolerances objectively within the color quality
process is an effective way to ensure consistency and accuracy throughout the
supply chain and from one batch of material to the next.
 A color tolerance is a limit to how big the difference in color between a
sample and standard is allowed to be for the sample to be considered
acceptable. Tolerance values should correlate to the human eye so that color
is both visually and numerically acceptable. The CMC tolerance system is
recommended because the ellipsoids in this system are based on the color
discrimination threshold of the human eye. This system was established to
address the weaknesses of other tolerance systems and improve accuracy.
Factors affecting Colour Consistency:

 Each Lot of colour pigments should be of same tone as standard specified by

user.
 Consistency of Substrate is very important.
 Calibration of Colour Difference Measuring instrument is disturbed.
 Storage of Pigment in hot and humid condition.
 Improper measurement of pigments during batch making.
 Eye to eye difference in shade inspection.
 Change of pigment supplier.
 Change in process condition.
 Manual systems.
Colour Quadrants of L*A*B:
1) Whole batch should be made
in only one quadrant.

2) Another suggestion given by

Mr. V.C. Gupte in the book
colour technique was
that order of a shade should
be taken from customer
by asking them their best
suitable quadrant, so that
colour matching can be done
as per customers demand.
Metamerism:
 Metamerism is a perceived matching of the colors that,
based on differences in spectral power distribution, do
not actually match. Colors that match this way are
called metamers.
 Metameric shades have tendency of giving off different
spectral power distribution signal to human eye receptors
with change in viewing angle or change in light source,
such type of shade are most difficult to match and can be
only be matched in terms of dE Value.
 Metamerism can only be avoided with the use of
electronic Colour measurement.
Way forward:
Shade matching needs to
be more computerized.

Automatized batcher and

Quality control instrument auto control dumping
need to be periodically system need to be
calibrated with third adopted to minimize
party to avoid erratic dE shade variation in one lot
value. and improve colour
consistency

Awareness about Pigment substrate need to

customer sensitivity to be uniform throughout
colour fibre can be the machine run to avoid
spread. shade variation.

New shade orders to be

taken with best suitable
colour quadrant as
requested by customer.