Colour-difference assessment

Abstract

For colourant users such as the textile, leather, paper and paint industries, the difference in colour of two specimens, namely a standard and a sample, or of different portions of a coloured specimen may be more important than the measurement of absolute colour (Luo, 1986). The colour of a product may be judged generally to be 'acceptable' or 'unsatisfactory' compared to a target or standard colour. Such judgement can be made visually or instrumentally. Visual judgements are largely subjective. Instrumental pass/fail decisions using colour-difference formulae such as CIELAB, CMC, CIE94 and CIEDE2000 have eliminated human factors, but still have much to be done for complete satisfaction.