ISO 3664:2009 is an ISO standard that specifies lighting conditions for the visual assessment of colours and printed matter in prepress and other areas. To ensure that colour perception takes place under standardised conditions, the standard defines many aspects of lighting and describes the following aspects:
- Lighting conditions: The standard defines specific requirements for lighting. These include colour temperature, spectral distribution and stability to ensure consistent and accurate colour perception.
- Colour temperature: The standard recommends a colour temperature of 5000 Kelvin (D50 standard light), which corresponds approximately to a neutral daylight simulation. In Europe, D50 standard light is widely used in print shops and for colour assessment.
- Spectral distribution: To ensure that the lighting provides good colour rendering across the entire visible spectrum, the spectral distribution of the light is defined.
- Stability and uniformity: The standard specifies requirements for the stability and uniformity of lighting to ensure that colours are reliably perceived and colour differences can be correctly assessed.
- Colour rendering index (CRI): The standard recommends a high colour rendering index (CRI) for the standard illuminant to ensure correct colour perception.
- Viewing environment: Recommendations for the design of the viewing environment, including the background colour and minimising distracting reflections, are also included in ISO 3664:2009.
Overall, ISO 3664:2009 defines the standards for lighting in prepress to enable accurate and consistent visual assessment of colours and print materials. Companies such as Just or GTI Normlicht and Lacunasolutions offer standardised lighting solutions for print shops and prepress companies for print proofing, but also for soft proofing.
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