Color Communication in the Digital Age
Digital Color Starts With Measurement
●  17.06.2014
●  Brian Ashe & Martin Cusack
●  Solution Architect
Identify This Color
2
Identify This Color
3
Which Color Is It?
w
f
q
d
s
e
4
n
l
u
c
g
i
o
r
x
m
z
y
p
j
b
a
t
h
v
k
Which Color Is It?
w
f
q
d
s
e
5
n
l
u
c
g
i
o
r
x
m
z
y
p
j
b
a
t
h
v
k
●  Add density
●  Increase detail
●  Increase
saturation
●  Increase
sharpness
•  Tone it down
•  Match attached
copy
•  Too muddy
•  Needs warmth
•  Reduce blue 2%
●  Needs more
depth
•  Needs redder
reds
●  Add contrast
•  Colors are too
strong
●  Add density
●  Balance the
neutrals
●  Make it “Pop”
●  Chalky
●  Grainy
6
•  Make colors
cleaner
•  It feels blownout
•  Does not have
shine of
transparency
•  Just a ‘smidge /
tad less’…
•  Too dull / too flat
•  Whiter whites but
hold detail
•  Fleshier flesh tones
•  Give me more
shape
•  Needs to be
commercially
acceptable color
•  Hold highlight
Light is Color
7
The Visible Spectrum
8
Some Standard Illuminants
A
Incandescent
D50
Daylight ( Horizon Sky Daylight )
D65
Daylight ( Average North Sky Daylight )
D75
Daylight ( North Sky Daylight – Sky Only )
F2
Cool White Fluorescent
F7
Broad Band White Fluorescent
F11
TL84
F12
Ultralume 3000
Common Light Sources
Daylight D75
Illuminant A
Cool White Fluorescent
9
Horizon
Color Tolerancing
- To Compare…
Agreement with human pass/fail
response
L*a*b* CIE 1976
70%
L*C*H*CIE 1976
80%
CMC2:1CMC, 1988
85%
dE2000
90%
Human to Human agreement is around 60-70%
10
Your Brain on Colour
Now tell
me which
one
was…
Look
at this
color for
a it
few
seconds…
If you chose this swatch,
you are right!
11
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Instrument Geometries - 0º/45º
Single angle (45°/0°)
receiver
lamp
12
lamp
Single angle (45°/0°)
receiver
filters
lamp
lamp
optics
aperture
13
Sphere (D8°)
Instrument Geometries - Spherical
Sample
viewing
port
Specular
port
8
°
8
°
lamp
baffle
14
Multi-angle (15°/25°/45°/75°/110°)
Specular
angle
15°
25°
lamp
45°
75°
110
°
15
Color Control - Spectrophotometry
Provides the “fingerprint” of the
color and more…
– Required for formulation
– Identifies metamerism
– Best QA tool
16
Spectrophotometer – The Spectrum
17
Phthalocyanine Blue
Note:
•  Horizontal consistency
of peaks and valleys
•  ONLY PthaloBlue will
have these
characteristics!
•  Shoulder @ 420nm
•  Peak @ 465nm
•  Valley @ 610nm
•  2nd peak @ 660nm
18
•  Etc.
Curve Fundamentals
A Metameric Pair
19
A Metameric Pair
A Metameric Pair
20
Ambient Light Profile
D50 Spectral Curve
5000K Spectral Curve
21
M (measurement) Series
Measurement Illumination Condition M0 - Standard Illuminant A
The vast majority of the world’s population of spectrophotometers and
densitometers in graphic arts have incandescent Lamps Illuminant A
Measurement Illumination Condition M1 – D50
The light source used to measure the specimen should match CIE
Illuminant D50
Measurement Illumination Condition M2 – UV Excluded
ISO standard defines UV exclusion (variously known as UV-cut, No UV,
or UV-filtered)
Measurement Illumination Condition M3 - Polarization
M3 defines the effect of polarization
22
X-Rite Graphic Arts Standards [XRGA]
• Incorporates best in class methods for calibration
• Maintains traceability to the American National Institute of
Standards and Technology (NIST)
• Is compatible with respect to existing standard ISO 13655
• Improves inter-model agreement for existing instruments
• Preserves agreement among former X-Rite instruments and
former GretagMacbeth instruments
• Provides a single standard for all future graphic arts
instruments to be delivered by X-Rite
23
THE ERROR STACK
24
Brand
Connecting to PantoneLIVE
Suppliers access the same Standards
from PantoneLIVE utilizing the most
common software
PantoneLIVE
Brand Portal /
ColorCert
Scorecard Server
PantoneLIVE
CLOUD
PantoneLIVE color
Book and Viewer
Design
ONLINE color
DATABASE
Esko color Engine
Esko FlexProof E
GMG ColorProof
X-Rite Ink
Formulation
Software
Ink Manufacturer
Premedia
25
ColorCert or other
supported QA solutions /
XRGA Devices
Printers & Converters
Future vision: closed loop color
26
This is
2014
27