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Metamerism is the phenomenon where two colors appear identical under one light source, but visibly differ from each other under another light source. The classic example: you think you're wearing two black socks, but at work one sock turns out to be dark blue. Under daylight they were identical; under artificial light suddenly not anymore.
Metamerism occurs frequently in color production, quality control and product development — especially when multiple components together must form one uniform end product.
Whether two colors appear identical depends on three factors:
Two colors can have different spectral reflections and still look the same under one light source. As soon as the light source changes, a visible difference emerges.
A characteristic of a metameric color combination is that the spectral curves typically cross three times.
Two colors appear identical under light source A (for example daylight), but differ strongly under light source B (for example fluorescent light or incandescent light).
Two people can assess the same colors differently due to variations in their visual system (for example due to age, color deficiency or lens opacity).
The same coating or textile can wet give a different color impression than dry, because the surface reflects light differently. Different pigment or binder types in components also cause this type of metamerism.
Metamerism occurs more often in:
The more saturated the color, the smaller the chance of a metameric match.
By assessing colors under multiple lighting conditions, it can be determined early whether metamerism poses a risk.
In the trainings of the Dutch Color School you will learn:
👉 Want to learn more? View the trainings at: https://kleurenschool.nl
Questions about metamerism, light sources or color assessment? Contact the specialists at Stichting Nederlands Kleurinstituut: https://snki.nl/en/contact
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