Anyone active on Facebook and Twitter in 2015 likely remembers the argument over the color of a blue and black dress. Or was it white and gold? A person’s allegiance fell into one of two camps depending on how their brain perceived the colors, relative to the dress’s background lighting. The viral bout of optical difference even inspired white papers studying the scientific basis behind the dispute, before fading away from the internet’s short attention span.
Fortunately, quality control experts don’t need to rely on the subjectivity of the human eye, and have an array of spectrophotometers, colorimeters and associated software tools to objectively control for color. Whether a manufacturer produces plastics, paints, coatings, textiles, consumer electronics, cosmetics or automobiles, color measurement and management is a must in any color-critical environment.