Accurate tristimulus values from spectral data

Abstract

Abstract Inter‐instrument color measurement errors of up to 2 CIELAB units are typically introduced in the process of numerically integrating spectrophotometric data to obtain tristimulus values. These errors arise partly from inadequacies in the definition of the tristimulus values themselves, but mainly from failing to take into account the effect the instrument function has on the spectrophotometric data. Through using precise definition of the tristimulus values and through using source‐observer weighting tables tailored to each specific instrument, it is practical to reduce this component of colorimetric error to less than 0.1 CIELAB unit for spectrophotometers with bandwidths up to 20 nm.