Colorimetry 1

Colorimetry
Colorimetry (British English: colourimetry) is "the science and technology used to quantify and describe
physically the human color perception."[1] It is similar to spectrophotometry, but is distinguished by its interest in
reducing spectra to the physical correlates of color perception, most often the CIE 1931 XYZ color space tristimulus
values and related quantities.[2]

Instruments
Colorimetric equipment is similar to that used in spectrophotometry. Some related equipment is also mentioned for
completeness.
• A tristimulus colorimeter measures the tristimulus values of a color.[3]
• A spectroradiometer measures the absolute spectral radiance (intensity) or irradiance of a light source.[4]
• A spectrophotometer measures the spectral reflectance, transmittance, or relative irradiance of a color sample.[4]
[5]

• A spectrocolorimeter is a spectrophotometer that can calculate tristimulus values.

• A densitometer measures the degree of light passing through or reflected by a subject.[3]
• A color temperature meter measures the color temperature of an incident illuminant.

Tristimulus colorimeter
In digital imaging, colorimeters are tristimulus devices used for color
calibration. Accurate color profiles ensure consistency throughout the
imaging workflow, from acquisition to output.

Spectroradiometer, Spectrophotometer,
Spectrocolorimeter
The absolute spectral power distribution of a light source can be
measured with a spectroradiometer, which works by optically
collecting the light, then passing it through a monochromator before
reading it in narrow bands of wavelength.
Reflected color can be measured using a spectrophotometer (also
Two spectral reflectance curves. The object in
called spectroreflectometer or reflectometer), which takes
question reflects light with shorter wavelengths
measurements in the visible region (and a little beyond) of a given while absorbing those in others, lending it a blue
color sample. If the custom of taking readings at 10 nanometer appearance.
increments is followed, the visible light range of 400-700nm will yield
31 readings. These readings are typically used to draw the sample's spectral reflectance curve (how much it reflects,
as a function of wavelength); the most accurate data that can be provided regarding its characteristics.
Colorimetry 2

The readings by themselves are typically not as useful as their

tristimulus values, which can be converted into chromaticity
co-ordinates and manipulated through color space transformations. For
this purpose, a spectrocolorimeter may be used. A spectrocolorimeter
is simply a spectrophotometer that can estimate tristimulus values by
numerical integration (of the color matching functions' inner product
with the illuminant's spectral power distribution).[5] One benefit of
spectrocolorimeters over tristimulus colorimeters is that they do not
CRT phosphors
have optical filters, which are subject to manufacturing variance, and
have a fixed spectral transmittance curve—until they age.[6] On the
other hand, tristimulus colorimeters are purpose-built, cheaper, and easier to use.[7]

The CIE recommends using measurement intervals under 5 nm, even for smooth spectra.[4] Sparser measurements
fail to accurately characterize spiky emission spectra, such as that of the red phosphor of a CRT display, depicted
aside.

Color temperature meter

Photographers and cinematographers use information provided by these meters to decide what color balancing
should be done to make different light sources appear to have the same color temperature. If the user enters the
reference color temperature, the meter can calculate the mired difference between the measurement and the
reference, enabling the user to choose a corrective color gel or photographic filter with the closest mired factor.[8]
Internally the meter is typically a silicon photodiode tristimulus
colorimeter.[8] The correlated color temperature can be calculated from
the tristimulus values by first calculating the chromaticity co-ordinates
in the CIE 1960 color space, then finding the closest point on the
Planckian locus.

The normals are lines of equal correlated color

temperature.

See also
• Photometry
• Radiometry

Further reading
• Schanda, János D. (1997). "Colorimetry" [9]. in Casimer DeCusatis. Handbook of Applied Photometry. OSA/AIP.
pp. 327–412. ISBN 978-1563964169.
• Bala, Raja (2003). "Device Characterization" [10]. in Gaurav Sharma. Digital Color Imaging Handbook. CRC
Press. ISBN 9780849309007.
• Gardner, James L. (May-June 2007). "Comparison of Calibration Methods for Tristimulus Colorimeters" [11]
(PDF). Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology 112 (3): 129–138.
Colorimetry 3

External links
• MacEvoy, Bruce (2008-05-08). "Overview of the development and applications of colorimetry" [12].
Handprint.com. Retrieved 2008-07-17.
• Colorimetric equipment by X-Rite Optronik [13] An informative brochure with background information and
specifications of their equipment.
• Konica Minolta Sensing - Precise Color Communication [14] A brief yet informative introduction to color theory
and color measurement, with the emphasis on communicating color information numerically to avoid subjective
interpretations.

References
[1] Ohno, Yoshi (16 October 2000). "CIE Fundamentals for Color Measurements" (http:/ / physics. nist. gov/ Divisions/ Div844/ facilities/ photo/
Publications/ OhnoNIP16-2000. pdf). IS&T NIP16 Intl. Conf. on Digital Printing Technologies. pp. 540–45. . Retrieved 2009-06-18.
[2] Gaurav Sharma (2002). Digital Color Imaging Handbook (http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=OxlBqY67rl0C& pg=PA17&
dq=colorimetry+ cie+ xyz+ tristimulus+ values& lr=& as_brr=3& ei=QVM6Sq-3CoHgkwTfrsGPAw#PPA15,M1). CRC Press. pp. 15–17.
ISBN 9780849309007. .
[3] ICC White Paper #5 (http:/ / www. color. org/ ICC_white_paper5glossary. pdf)
[4] Lee, Hsien-Che (2005). "15.1: Spectral Measurements" (http:/ / books. google. com/ books?id=CzAbJrLin_AC& pg=PA369&
dq=spectroradiometer+ spectral& ei=xrewR_GKHZHCzASjo_DRAw& sig=ar9VSAEe55o94rK1FYs04fONBQA). Introduction to Color
Imaging Science. Cambridge University Press. p. 369–374. ISBN 052184388X. . "The process recommended by the CIE for computing the
tristimulus values is to use 1 nm interval or 5 nm interval if the spectral function is smooth"
[5] Schanda, János (2007). "Tristimulus Color Measurement of Self-Luminous Sources". Colorimetry: Understanding the CIE System. Wiley
Interscience. doi:10.1002/9780470175637.ch6. ISBN 978-0-470-04904-4.
[6] Andreas Brant, GretagMacbeth Corporate Support (2005-01-07). "Colorimeter vs. Spectro" (http:/ / lists. apple. com/ archives/
Colorsync-users/ 2005/ Jan/ msg00118. html). Colorsync-users Digest. . Retrieved 2008-05-06.
[7] Raymond Cheydleur, X-Rite (2005-01-08). "Colorimeter vs. Spectro" (http:/ / lists. apple. com/ archives/ Colorsync-users/ 2005/ Jan/
msg00120. html). Colorsync-users Digest. . Retrieved 2008-05-06.
[8] Salvaggio, Carl (2007). Michael R. Peres. ed. The Focal Encyclopedia of Photography: Digital Imaging, Theory and Application (http:/ /
books. google. com/ books?id=VYyldcYfq3MC& pg=RA1-PA741& lpg=RA1-PA741& dq=three+ silicon+ photodiodes+ "color+
temperature"& source=web& ots=sYm8zsOh8V& sig=uoNw3QoF85yaP99mmYOvlm7vJrE#PRA1-PA741,M1) (4E ed.). Focal Press. p. 741.
ISBN 0240807405. .
[9] http:/ / www. knt. vein. hu/ Tantargyak/ Szinmeres/ Colour. pdf
[10] http:/ / chester. xerox. com/ ~raja/ papers/ CRC_Chapter5. pdf
[11] http:/ / nvl. nist. gov/ pub/ nistpubs/ jres/ 112/ 3/ V112. N03. A01. pdf
[12] http:/ / www. handprint. com/ HP/ WCL/ color6. html#colorimetry
[13] http:/ / www. optronik. de/ Photometer. pdf
[14] http:/ / www. konicaminolta. com/ instruments/ knowledge/ color/ index. html
Article Sources and Contributors 4

Article Sources and Contributors

Colorimetry  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=350739766  Contributors: 2D, AAA!, Adoniscik, Alexander Ogorodnikov, Biscuittin, Brim, Chameleon, Chinasaur, Dfeuer,
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Melchoir, Michael Hardy, Mikker, Minhongyu, NekoDaemon, NeonMerlin, Noldoaran, Odo1982, PaperTruths, Quiddity, Radagast83, Ram32110, Richdavi, Rifleman 82, Rjwilmsi, SD6-Agent,
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Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors

Image:ReflCurve.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:ReflCurve.png  License: GNU Free Documentation License  Contributors: Original uploader was Dkroll2 at
en.wikipedia
Image:CRT phosphors.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:CRT_phosphors.png  License: GNU Free Documentation License  Contributors: Original uploader was
Deglr6328 at en.wikipedia
Image:Planckian-locus.png  Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Planckian-locus.png  License: Public Domain  Contributors: User:Adoniscik

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