In the world of colour measurement, colourimeters and spectrophotometers play a crucial role. A colourimeter is a colour measuring device for measuring and comparing colours. It is often used to calibrate monitors or in biology/chemistry for analysis. More sophisticated devices, such as spectrophotometers, can measure colours spectrally and are also used for proofing, verifying or calibrating printers. Colourimeters, on the other hand, are less expensive and are only used for simpler measurements.
What is a colourimeter?
A colourimeter is an instrument for measuring and analysing colours. It is often used in quality control, printing, the textile industry and many other areas where colour consistency is important. A colourimeter measures colour values based on human colour vision by measuring the intensity of light across the red, green and blue (RGB) colour ranges.
How a colourimeter works
A colourimeter works with three main components:
- Light source: A constant light source illuminates the object to be measured.
- Filter system: A filter system divides the light into the primary colours red, green and blue.
- Detector: A detector measures the intensity of the light in each of these colour channels.
These measurements are then used to calculate the colour values in a specific colour space (e.g. RGB, CIE XYZ, CIE LAB). The results can be displayed as numerical values or in graphical form to describe the colour of the object. Colourimeters are used in a variety of applications, including
- Quality control: checking colour consistency in the manufacture of products such as paints, textiles and plastics.
- Printing: Ensuring colour consistency in printed materials, calibration of monitors
- Medical diagnostics: analysis of skin colour or the shade of liquids.
- Food industry: Determination of the colour of food for quality control.
Inexpensive colourimeters have also been available for some years, but some of them only measure very inaccurately. With the German xade nano and xade nano+, an advanced colourimeter is available for the iPhone, which has delivered surprisingly good results in comparative tests with significantly more expensive spectral measuring devices such as the ‘classic’ i1Pro2.