Color Tolerances as Affected by Changes in Composition and Intensity of Illumination and Reflectance of Background

Abstract

The hue, lightness, and saturation of any object depend upon a complex of conditions, chief of which are spectral reflectance of sample and background, spectral energy distribution of illuminant, and state of the visual mechanism as determined by its properties as a receptor and mode of functioning. Since color tolerance concerns the extent to which colors match, or if they do not match, in what respects they differ, any factors which affect the color of standard and variables have importance for the problem of tolerance. HOW illuminant, background, contrast, adaptation, and so-called constancy operate in literally 'coloring' objects seems to be nearing solution after recent work with strongly chromatic illuminants and backgrounds of high, medium, and low reflectance.1 The principles governing color changes which objects undergo in strongly chromatic illuminations throw light also