Laden...
Laden...
When multiple color meters or spectrophotometers are used in a chain, it is essential that these instruments provide mutually comparable measurement results. This is referred to as inter-instrument agreement. It describes the extent to which different instruments — of the same or different types — produce the same color values when measuring the same sample.
In sectors such as paint and coatings, textiles, plastics, cosmetics, food, and graphic industry, color consistency is a critical quality parameter. When two instruments generate noticeably different values, problems arise such as:
High inter-instrument agreement minimizes these risks.
Many companies produce in different countries. Color measurements must produce the same outcome everywhere, regardless of:
Only then do brand colors remain globally uniform and controllable.
Measurements are only as good as the instrument that performs them. Monitoring inter-instrument agreement makes it possible to:
This directly contributes to reliable color measurement processes.
The most commonly used method is the use of standardized reference materials designed to be stable, reproducible, and suitable for instrument comparison. A commonly used set is:
The CCSII consists of ceramic color standards with:
By measuring the same CCSII tiles on different instruments and comparing the results, it becomes visible:
Note: correct storage, cleaning, and calibration of the standards is essential for performing reliable comparisons.
An instrument meets requirements when:
This ensures that all instruments in the chain "speak the same language."
In the courses of the Dutch Color School, you will learn:
👉 View the Applied Color Technology course at: https://kleurenschool.nl
Questions about inter-instrument agreement, CCSII, or calibration? Contact the specialists at the Netherlands Color Institute: https://snki.nl/en/contact
A spectrophotometer approves the color, but your eye sees a difference. Why that happens — metamerism, spot measurement, Delta E — and which decision rule to use.
You agree on color with a supplier not with words but with L*a*b* and ΔE. This is how you record color, tolerance and measurement conditions unambiguously — and avoid surprises at delivery.
Eye and meter both assess color, but not in the same way. When to deploy a color meter, when the trained eye leads, and how to calibrate them against each other.