Tips for Preparing Samples for Color Matching

Color measurement is a tricky task and only utilizing good measuring instruments would not do the job. You require following good practices of making right observations. Very instruments, be it color matching box or spectrophotometer, come with a huge instruction set. Following right practice and technique helps in generating accurate test results. The general instructions that are required to be followed are;

Observation Conditions – Make sure that all the artificial lights are blocked in the observation room.

Sample Preparation – A sample is considered as the representation of the whole product, be it raw material, in-house material or end product. Therefore, it has to be made sure that sample that is taken from a homogeneous in nature. It has to be made sure that the environmental conditions are consistent in term of temperature and humidity. Consistency, imperfection and cleanliness should be considered before preparing the samples.

How to Prepare Sample of Different Materials?

Plastic – It can be opaque, transparent or translucent. Opaque samples are not difficult to measure. Interference usually occurs with transparent and translucent samples. Due to interference from the background colours, the instrument captures inaccurate test results.

Paints – Any light interfering with the sample will result in inaccurate observations. This is why operator has to make sure that background colours and lights are not interfering with the observation. Based on whether light is being reflected or being absorbed, the testing instruments are chosen.

Textiles – Such samples are most difficult to measure due to their non-uniformity, the difference in surface texture, the difference in material, type of weaving, the difference in thickness and so on. Apart from that, it is necessary to make sure that during the observation, the sample is not stretched. Also, the lights of surroundings directly impact the colour of the sample. A confined cabinet like the color matching box is used in such cases.

Edible Items – The color of edible items vary a lot due to the difference in production and processing. This why utmost care is taken when samples are measured. Usage of clear containers and Petri dishes helps in avoiding interference of alien colors.

Liquids – Choosing the right container for measuring the color is important. Again, the light interference from the background and surroundings should not interfere with the incident light of the machine.

Testronix is the leading manufacturer and supplier of color measurement instruments. Contact our experts today to explore the complete range of products used in different industries.