Blogs
What Is ASTM Compliance?
Posted on by Ken Phillips
Many industries follow regulations to introduce safety and consistency into their practices. The American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) offers some of these standards for various sectors to verify their processes. Many companies choose to follow these standards to ensure the quality of their product, and with HunterLab spectrophotometers, meeting ASTM standards is within […]
What Is the Difference Between Radiometers, Spectrometers, Spectroradiometers and Spectrophotometers?
Posted on by Ken Phillips
If you work in the biopharmaceutical industry, you’re likely familiar with the concept of light and color measurement and the equipment used in these processes — radiometers, spectrometers, spectroradiometers and spectrophotometers. While all four instruments are used to detect light and energy, they vary widely in their capabilities, applications and intended purposes. It’s important to know and […]
Additive vs. Subtractive Color Models
Posted on by Ken Phillips
Additive and subtractive color models describe how color is created. They are not competing theories — rather, these models are the two most common and practical ways to create the perception of color. The basis behind these color models lies in breaking the visible light spectrum into its most dominant regions — red, green and blue. […]
Biofluorescence vs. Bioluminescence: What’s the Difference?
Posted on by Ken Phillips
Humans have always been fascinated by light-producing organisms. Biofluorescence and bioluminescence are two naturally occurring phenomena that people can observe in certain creatures that have evolved to produce or emit light. While these capabilities may seem very similar, biofluorescence and bioluminescence have unique characteristics that make them quite distinct from one another. In this post, we will discuss […]
Luminance vs. Illuminance: What’s the Difference?
Posted on by Ken Phillips
When it comes to the appearance of color, you cannot underestimate the importance of lighting. Yet, lighting can be confusing, as much of the terminology sounds similar but has vastly different meanings. For example, two of the most widely used terms — luminance and illuminance — can be easily misunderstood and mixed up. Since lighting is an essential component […]
What Is a Colorimeter, and How Does It Work?
Posted on by Ken Phillips
Colorimeters are straightforward color comparison tools that are often confused with spectrophotometers. However, colorimeters have a more limited range of capabilities than spectrophotometers. What exactly is a colorimeter, and how does it work? What Is a Colorimeter? A colorimeter is a light-sensing device that is used to measure the absorbance and transmittance of light as […]
Color Perception With Different Light Sources (Metamerism)
Posted on by Ken Phillips
Color is a dominant presence in our daily lives. From the clothes we wear to the food we eat, we are constantly viewing and evaluating color. But how does light affect the colors we see? If you’ve ever noticed that your color perception changes with different light sources, then you’ve experienced a vexing phenomenon known […]
The History of Color Measurement Devices
Posted on by Ken Phillips
People have been working to understand color for centuries. Because color plays such a large role in many aspects of life — from art to commerce — people need reliable ways to communicate about color. Color measurement instruments make it possible to consistently quantify, compare and reproduce colors, essentially eliminating miscommunication between designers, manufacturers and organizations […]
What Is CIELAB Color Space?
Posted on by Ken Phillips
The human eye can see millions of colors. However, it won’t always distinguish colors from one another accurately. You may perceive two slightly different colors as the same or see differences in objects of identical color depending on your viewing angle and lighting. This creates challenges when communicating about color. To reproduce an exact desired […]
Color Meanings and Communication
Posted on by Ken Phillips
Every day you are surrounded by colors — they may inspire, motivate or remind you of something else you experienced. Because color plays such an important role in how most people experience the world, it also looms large in the human psyche. Different colors affect mood in significant ways. As a result, you can use […]
Everything You Need to Know About Dye Allergies
Posted on by Ken Phillips
Everything You Need to Know About Dye Allergies If you’re like most people in the world, you consume or come into contact with dye on a daily basis. Food, drugs, personal care products and textiles all make use of dye to change product appearance and help with identification. In the manufacturing world, dye is a critical […]