Educational materials for our Color Classroom have been generously provided by BRIDG’s.
What is Color?
- How is Color Perceived?
- How is Color Reproduced?
Light is essential for vision. Light causes color. Without light, color would not exist. Light that appears white to us, such as light from the sun, is actually composed of many colors. Each color has its own measurable wavelength or combination of wavelengths.
What Things Influence Color?
Environmental changes in which color is observed influences perception of color. To be more specific the following conditions influence our perception of color:
- The quality of light under which colors are observed.
- The proximity of other colors to the color or colors we are observing. Or changes in the value (lightness/darkness) of the background against which colors are observed.
- The surface texture underlying the color we are observing.
How Do Printing Inks Work?
Inks may be either opaque or transparent. Although there are many uses for both, the bulk of printing and all reproduction of colored pictorial material, such as art work or photography by process printing, require transparent inks.
How Do We Measure Color?
Although individuals perceive color differently, there are three general characteristics of color perception that everyone uses. Color can be plotted according to these characteristics.
Instruments Used to Measure Color
There are basically three different instruments used to measure color: densitometers, colorimeters and spectrophotometers. These devices have different applications and provide different information.
The BRIDG’S Committee is an educational initiative that publishes the annual Print Characterization guidelines chart along with the popular BRIDG’S Handbooks, now up to 8 volumes and growing. To compliment the poster and handbooks, the Committee has created the BRIDG'S Quality Compliance Program which was developed to focus on the "process" of production and color reproduction through in-plant education.
This is an excellent discussion on color extracted (with permission) from BRIDG’s Color Handbook for the Graphic Arts, Second Edition. For the complete story, you may purchase any one in their popular Handbooks series.