colorimetry

Definition: Measurement of color quality of visual sensations, in particular hue (color name or dominant wavelength), saturation (purity or depth of colour) and brightness (luminance). * Subjective methods require observer to match given sample in colour order system or colour atlas e.g. Munsell colour space or ICI colour atlas in terms of hue, chroma and value. * Objective methods involve measuring spectral composition of colour; or determining proportions of primary colours which will reproduce visual match with sample colour using colorimeter. * Structure of colour atlas discovered in 1611 by Sigrid Aron Forsius, a Swedish monk.

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