[ 彩材拆拆 x UNWRAP CMF ]
Ch.31 Unwrapping CMF Design on Colorimeter, Yes or No?
Ch.31 拆招CMF設計談色差儀要不要?
CMF is a specialized area within industrial design that focuses on the development of products‘ color, material, and finish. Unwrap CMF shares bite-sized stories with digestible contents for anyone and everyone, inspiring curious minds about CMF Design. Enjoy learning? Use the mentioned terminologies to kick-start your research journey. Messages are always welcome! LinkedIn | Instagram | Email ✉️
Before we start, the answer is both. Depending on your samples to evaluate, sometimes it is useful to have a colorimeter, and sometimes human eyes may perform better accuracy. (中文請見下方)
As a CMF Designer, one of the responsibilities is to ensure color consistency across all mass-production units. To do so, during trial production cycles, designers are required to check color samples for their color accuracy comparing to the standard color chip and to set up an acceptable limit range. Here is where the discussion begins.
Though colorimeters seem to be useful with its scientific measurement, however, on many consumer products, a reflective coating or color-changing additives may be implemented to the surface. There are also many products with complicated curvature or texture on the surface. In these frequent scenarios, the accuracy of a colorimeter is questioned. When light is transmitted and reflected through various coating effects and on top of diverse finishing texture, colorimeters may not capture colors as correctly as they should.
To further expand on this hypothesis, with the learning from Professor Donald Green’s research methodology course at Columbia University, I performed a small experiment with Nix Mini 2 color sensor. The task is to measure 30 painted color chips that have been randomly assigned into treatment and control groups, where the treatment is the additional iridescent pearls, giving it a diverse reflected chroma around corners.
Disclaimer: Color was measured at the rounded angle for the purpose of this experiment. In any other given situation, please always measure colors on a flat surface as advised by Nix Mini 2’s user manual.
With this small-quantity experiment, it was proven that when the colorimeter is used to measure color samples with iridescent pearls, the color difference (Delta E that is generated by CIE L*a*b coordinates) is higher than the color samples without iridescent pearls. Translated into designer’s words, when measured at the rounded corner of an iridescent red color chip, the colorimeter will read it with a pinkish hue which is the result of the iridescent pearls.
The finding from this experiment, however, does not suggest that colorimeters are not suitable for all occasions. For example, when the same Nix Mini 2 color sensor is used to measure the flat surface of an air conditioner, the accuracy of color sensor can reach as precise as Delta E <1.5.
To sum up, colorimeters and gloss meters are great with measuring colors on top of flat surfaces that are without decorative coating. However, on products with a complicated finish, curvature, or texture, designers may need to check color accuracy manually through human eyes.
All that being said, this is just a preliminary exercise with one kind of colorimeter and color samples. I welcome any comment and experience-sharing to inspire more thoughts and possibilities! ?
CMF全稱為Color Material and Finishing,屬於工業設計旗下專注於產品色彩、材質、及表面處理工藝的關鍵一環。UNWRAP CMF 彩材拆拆圍繞著這個主題,以淺而易懂的小故事拆解CMF設計的日常。CMF學無止盡,善用CMF關鍵字繼續網上鑽研。討論交流請來信至 LinkedIn | Instagram | Email ✉️
在開始之前,標題的答案是兩者兼而有之。對不同的產品而言,有時候適合使用色差儀,有時候反而用人眼辨色更準確。
身為CMF設計師,其中一項職責是確保所有量產配件的顏色保持一致性。因此 試產週期 中,設計師需要檢閱顏色樣本並與 標準色樣 對比顏色的準確性,再以此設定可接受的 限度範圍 —— 然而這就是意見可能分歧之處。
儘管色差儀在科學測量這塊而言似乎很具可信度,但多數消費產品在表面上都有添加反光或異色的裝飾性效果,或者具復雜的曲面或紋理。在這些常見的情況下,色差儀的準確性不得不受到質疑。當光線經過各種表面效果並產生折射後,色差儀可能無法如預期的準確採集顏色。
為了進一步驗證這個假設,我運用從 Donald Green 教授於哥倫比亞大學授課的研究方法,用 Nix Mini 2 測色儀進行了一個小小的實驗。30片紅色的噴塗色板被隨機分配到實驗組及對照組,其中給予實驗組的特殊處理是額外的幻彩變色珠光,使其在邊緣處反射出不同的色澤。
聲明:出於本實驗的目的,特例於轉角處採集色彩。在其他任何情況下,請都務必按照Nix Mini 2用戶手冊所建議的,於平面測色。
通過這次小批量的實驗,證明了用測色儀測量幻彩色板的時候,其色差(利用CIE L*a*b值所推算的Delta E值)比不帶幻彩珠光的色板要為嚴重。翻譯成設計師的語言,也就是說,當測色儀在測量幻彩紅色色板的圓角處時,它所讀到的顏色會偏粉紅色調,也就是受幻彩珠光反射的結果。
然而,這次小小實驗的結果並不代表測色儀不適用於所有場合。比如說,當同款 Nix Mini 2 測色儀被用於測量在無特殊效果的冷氣機平整表面上,測色儀的準確度可精確至Delta E小於1.5的數值。
總而言之,無論是色差儀或光澤儀,都適合測量沒有過多裝飾塗層的平整表面。但是,對於具有複雜效果、曲面或紋理的產品,設計師可能還是需要靠人眼檢查顏色,反而更為準確。
說到最後,這個建議也僅僅是基於本次測色儀小小演練的初步推論。歡迎大家分享各自的經驗唷!?


For the small exercise: Nix Mini 2 color sensor, phone, and paint chips that have been randomly assigned with or without pearls.
註:色板由松井塗料贊助提供 / Color chips sponsored and prepared by Sokan New Materials

Color was measured at the rounded angle only for this exercise. Please measure colors on a flat surface in any given situation.
註:色板由松井塗料贊助提供 / Color chips sponsored and prepared by Sokan New Materials

Each measurement is recorded with various types of color conversions, such as the common HEX, RGB, CMYK, and CIELAB.

On flat surfaces without decorative effects, the accuracy of color sensor can reach as precise as Delta E <1.5.

Many consumer products have a decorative surface which blocks colorimeters from measuring colors accurately.