Color Measurement

 The “Color Measurement” course unit is an introductory course unit on colorimetry. It provides an understanding of how we perceive colors and how they are classified in the various colorimetric systems currently in use. The course begins with a brief historical introduction outlining the most significant milestones in the development of colorimetry, followed by a chapter covering basic concepts of the “neurophysiology” of vision, describing how the eye and retina function. This is followed by a chapter on photometry introducing the essential quantities for colorimetry, particularly spectral luminance, and then a study of colorimetric systems such as RGB, XYZ, and L*a*b*. These initial chapters focus on additive color synthesis, which enables the reproduction of colors on screens (computers, TVs, phones, etc.). The course continues with an introduction to spectrocolorimetry, which helps students understand the properties of color mixtures (subtractive synthesis) through its simplest models (Beer-Lambert, Kubelka-Munk, etc.). The course is illustrated by numerous exercises completed in tutorial sessions, which help students become familiar with the various colorimetric systems, their advantages, and their disadvantages. It is also supported by lab sessions that enable students to master color measurement instruments (colorimeters, spectrocolorimeters) as well as the associated software. A significant portion of the lab sessions is dedicated to comparing observations with color measurements.

Understand the key concepts of colorimetry and the most common colorimetric systems, including their advantages and disadvantages. Know how to identify a color and communicate it. Be familiar with color measurement devices and know how to use them with dedicated software.

Historical introduction, natural classification of colors and the Munsell atlas, how the eye and retina work, photometry, fundamentals of colorimetry, visual trivariance, RGB system, CIE XYZ and xyY systems, L*a*b* physiological system, introduction to spectrocolorimetry, light-matter interaction, Beer-Lambert and Kubelka-Munk models and their application in formulation.