Color matching experiment for highlighting interobserver variability

Human color vision differs from person to person, not only when color deficiencies occur but also within color‐normal populations. Investigating individual variability in normal color vision is beneficial both for clinical purposes and for quantifying observer metamerism. Researchers have used color matches such as Rayleigh matches, Moreland matches, the D&H color rule, and various combinations of different media for such investigations. However, none of them were originally aimed at investigating the interobserver variability in color‐normal populations, but rather were aimed at screening for color‐deficiencies. The objective of this study was, therefore, to design and carry out a color matching experiment where observer variability appeared as large as possible to detect the interobserver differences in the color‐normal population. Color matching was simulated under different combinations of reference spectrum and matching primaries using ColorChecker patches, different display/projector primaries, and the Stiles and Burch 49 observers. The simulation results showed: (1) The choice of spectra for the matching primaries had a significant effect on observer variability, (2) observer variability was large for near‐neutral reference colors, and (3) observer variability in the lightness direction was small relative to chromatic variability. The color matching experiment highlighting interobserver variability was designed based on these three findings and carried out for 61 color‐normal observers. Typical interobserver variability was 9.2 mean color difference from the mean (MCDM) using CIEDE2000 (spanning about 40 CIELAB units), which was much larger than any previous experiment. The obtained color matching data are useful for derivation, validation, and analysis of color matching functions. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 41, 530–539, 2016     

Interobserver variability and color representation systems

A systematic method of analyzing the colorimetric behavior of a set of observers is proposed. The differences between each observer and a standard one are analyzed with different procedures in two color‐representation systems. It is apparent that these differences strongly depend on the color‐representation system in which they are analyzed. Results obtained in this work indicate that comparison between two observers should be carried out by applying an optimized operator. This operator minimizes the differences between the color‐representation systems associated with the observers that are compared. The proposed method should be applied when color‐matching properties of a set of observers, or when color matching obtained with different colorimetric instruments, are compared. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 28, 15–24, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/col.     

Tracing a metameric match to individual variations of color vision

A metameric match made by an observer under established experimental conditions might not be the same as made by another, indicating that the color vision differs between the two observers. We have analyzed the variations of normal color vision using metameric surfaces. First, using a set of cone fundamentals, we modeled the matches of a theoretical observer with normal color vision on the Davidson & Hemmendinger (D&H) Color Rule. We also derived deviate cone fundamentals by changing the macular pigment density and the lens density, and by shifting the long-wave-sensitive photopigment along the wave-number axis. The results showed shifts in the matches for the deviate observer of no more than one sample on the D&H Color Rule, the largest shifts being due to lens density. Second, we modeled the matches made on the D&H Color Rule of 8 observers by computing their personalized cone fundamentals using their independently recorded measures of macular pigment density and lens density, and their Rayleigh matches. The results show that the use of personalized cone fundamentals provides a better prediction than the use of data from a theoretical observer. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Col Res Appl, 23: 379–389, 1998     

Spectral color reproduction minimizing spectral and perceptual color differences

In this article, we are combining minimization criteria in the colorant separation process for spectral color reproduction. The colorant separation is performed by inverting a spectral printer model: the spectral Yule‐Nielsen modified Neugebauer model. The inversion of the spectral printer model is an optimization operation in which a criterion is minimized at each iteration. The approach we proposed minimizes a criterion defined by the weighted sum of a spectral difference and a perceptual color difference. The weights can be tuned with a parameter α ∞ [0, 1]. Our goal is to decrease the spectral difference between the original data and its reproduction and also to consider perceptual color difference under different illuminant conditions. In order to find the best α value, we initially compare a pure colorimetric criterion and a pure spectral criterion for the reproduction, then we combine them. We perform four colorant separations: the first separation will minimize the 1976 CIELAB color difference where four illuminants are tested, the second separation will minimize an equally weighted summation of 1976 CIELAB color difference with the four illuminants tested independently, the third colorant separation will minimize a spectral difference, and the fourth colorant separation will combine a weighted sum of a spectral difference and one of the two first colorimetric differences previously introduced. This last colorant separation can be tuned with a parameter in order to emphasize on spectral or colorimetric difference. We use a six colorants printer with artificial inks for our experiments. The prints are simulated by the spectral Yule‐Nielsen modified Neugebauer model. Two groups of data are used for our experiments. The first group describes the data printed by our printing system, which is represented by a regular grid in colorant space of the printer and the second group describes the data which is not originally produced by our printing system but mapped to the spectral printer gamut. The Esser test chart and the Macbeth Color Checker test chart have been selected for the second group. Spectral gamut mapping of this data is carried out before performing colorant separation. Our results show improvement for the colorant separations combining a sum of 1976 CIELAB color difference for a set of illuminants and for the colorant separation combining a sum of 1976 CIELAB color difference and spectral difference, especially in the case of spectral data originally produced by the printer. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 33, 494–504, 2008     

Minimizing observer metamerism in display systems

Observer metamerism has long been known to be an issue of concern for color engineers. With the advent and mass proliferation of narrow‐band display devices, this article addresses the issue of observer metamerism and puts it in the context of first understanding the implication of interobserver variations in the color matching functions (CMFs) and additionally designing the ideal set of primary illuminant spectral power distributions (SPDs) such that observer metamerism is minimized. The article also suggests the use of the Full Width Half Maximum (FWHM) and the number of modes (peaks) in the primary SPDs as a means of assessing the susceptibility to observer‐to‐observer variations between various modern display technologies. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 34, 391–398, 2009     

Testing the behavior for metamerism of the new deviate observer (JF‐DO)

Recently,in our laboratories, a set of color‐matching functions (cmfs) has been formulated for small fields by using two groups of real observers: JAM, MM, CF and AY, JR, MR, JL, JA, FP. The measurements of these cmfs have been made using different experimental devices and methods and it has enabled us to propose a New Deviate Observer for small fields (JF‐DO). This new JF‐DO was derived from the average observer of our nine real observers, following the technique used by the CIE to establish the Standard Deviate Observer (CIE‐1989 SDO), which was established for fields of 10°, despite the CIE's assumption that it can be applied to smaller fields. In the present work, we report experimental results of the JF‐DO using metameric reflectances in comparison to the CIE‐1931 Standard Observer and to the CIE‐1989 SDO. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 30, 363–370, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/col.     

Comparison of unique hue stimuli determined by two different methods using Munsell color chips

Unique hue stimuli were determined by male and female observers using two different visual experimental procedures involving Munsell color chips of varying hue but identical chroma and value. The hypothesis was that unique hues can be more reliably established by explicit selection from a series of ordered stimuli than implicitly by hue scaling a series of stimuli in terms of neighboring UHs and this was statistically confirmed. The implicit selections based on long term memory of UHs appears to have been more challenging to observers since variability was increased by nearly 50% compared to when UHs were explicitly selected. The ranges of unique hues selected in the two methods were, however, comparable and no statistically significant difference was found between the results of females and males. The intra‐observer variability in picking a stimulus to represent a unique hue, for all observers and averaged for all hues, was approximately 12% of the mean spread of unique hues, confirming that the large inter‐observer variability is driven by differences in color vision and perhaps cognitive processes. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 2010     

Texture affects color emotion

Several studies have recorded color emotions in subjects viewing uniform color (UC) samples. We conduct an experiment to measure and model how these color emotions change when texture is added to the color samples. Using a computer monitor, our subjects arrange samples along four scales: warm–cool, masculine–feminine, hard–soft, and heavy–light. Three sample types of increasing visual complexity are used: UC, grayscale textures, and color textures (CTs). To assess the intraobserver variability, the experiment is repeated after 1 week. Our results show that texture fully determines the responses on the Hard‐Soft scale, and plays a role of decreasing weight for the masculine–feminine, heavy–light, and warm–cool scales. Using some 25,000 observer responses, we derive color emotion functions that predict the group‐averaged scale responses from the samples' color and texture parameters. For UC samples, the accuracy of our functions is significantly higher (average R² = 0.88) than that of previously reported functions applied to our data. The functions derived for CT samples have an accuracy of R² = 0.80. We conclude that when textured samples are used in color emotion studies, the psychological responses may be strongly affected by texture. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 2010     

Theoretical analysis of inter‐observer variability in the determination of luminance thresholds

We present an analytical method to analyze, from a theoretical point of view, the influence of color‐matching functions on the perception of luminance thresholds. We show that the thresholds depend on the spectral responsivities of each observer. We also analyze the influence of luminance level on the thresholds: a strong inter‐observer variability is found at low or moderate luminance levels (0.02 < Y < 1 ft?L) whereas at high intensities (1 < Y < 7 ft?L) the thresholds are observer‐independent. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 31, 468–474, 2006; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/col.20259     

Color reproduction in virtual lip makeup using a convolutional neural network

Recently, it has become possible to examine the suitability of cosmetic products by virtual makeup techniques so that shoppers can buy products online. The virtual makeup can also be utilized at offline stores to prevent possible sanitation problems associated with swatching. Faithful color reproduction is one of the most important factors in virtual makeup applications. Thus, the color difference between the virtual and real makeup results needs to be minimized. However, most previous studies on virtual makeup focus on the recommendation of makeup style rather than on the accuracy of color reproduction. This article proposes an accurate lipstick color reproduction method based on convolutional neural network. This study indicates that the proposed method using a convolutional neural network results in the minimum value of color difference compared with linear regression and multilayer perceptron algorithms.     

Abnormal Hue-Angle change of the gemstone tanzanite between CIE illuminants d65 and a in CIELAB color space

The blue-to-purple color appearance change observed in some rare specimens of the gemstone tanzanite between daylight and incandescent light is contrary to the hue-angle change calculated between CIE illuminants D65 and A in CIELAB color space. This abnormal calculated hue-angle change for tanzanite can be corrected by using the spectral sensitivity functions of the three kinds of cone photoreceptors to directly calculate color. This study suggests that the cone spectral sensitivity functions are more fundamental in color calculations than the CIE color-matching functions.     

Theoretical considerations on small color differences ascribed to the standard observer made on the basis of individual color‐matching functions

An analytical method to determine how color‐matching functions influence the perception of chromaticity differences is proposed. We show that, as a consequence of the observer metamerism, a metameric color‐match perceived by one observer may appear to be a significant mismatch to a different observer. It is also shown that, on average, the differences between the color‐matchings made by two different observers can be estimated to be in the order of 2 CIELAB units. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 34, 194–200, 2009     

Considering the surround in device-independent color imaging

When viewing images, the relative luminance of the surround has a profound impact on the apparent contrast of the image. For this reason, photographic transparencies intended for projection in a darkened room are produced with an objective contrast substantially higher than that necessary for optimum reproduction as prints viewed in an illuminated surround. the dark surround causes the image elements to appear lighter and this effect is stronger for darker colors resulting in a loss in perceived contrast. This effect is also of great importance in deviceindependent color imaging since resultant images might be observed in a wide variety of media and viewing conditions. Research on psychophysical scaling of brightness and lightness and the effects of background and surround relative luminance on lightness and chroma is reviewed. the importance of this research for device-independent color imaging systems is described along with the prediction of these effects using the RLAB color-appearance model. Finally, experiments testing the use of RLAB and other color-appearance models in cross-media color reproduction applications are described.     

Investigation of metallic color perception using real‐world materials

Metallic colors have a unique appearance of glossiness with features such as highlights, contrast, and reflections on their surface, and therefore, metallic objects are very attractive to humans. Especially, gold, silver, and copper colors are familiar metals used as decorative materials, coins, and other furnishings. However, the mechanism and condition of metallic perception have not been fully investigated. There are a few studies for investigating metallic perception using rendered patches or images, but there is no study using real‐world objects. In our previous study, we developed a simple representation technique that made real objects appear to be made of gold by projecting a solid color onto a target nonmetallic object. By using the representation technique, in this study, we have further investigated the perception of metallic appearance such as gold, silver, and copper using real‐world materials, and analyzed the difference between these metallic perceptions. Our results indicate that the perception of the metallic object is different for gold, silver, and copper. Our new findings are as follows: the glitter required for the perception of gold and silver becomes an obstacle to the perception of copper; the metallic perception reveals that learning experience might be strongly affecting; and luminance adjustment is sensitive to the perception of metallic objects.     

Variability in estimation of suprathreshold small color differences

Intraobserver and interobserver variability in perceptual small color difference evaluation are known but are rarely analyzed phenomena. They raise the question if humans are equipped to make reliable and uniform estimates of this kind. Data from two recent well‐controlled studies show that intraobserver and, particularly, interobserver variability are surprisingly large. The use of a gray reference scale in place of a single gray reference pair has a small normative effect on the estimate. A large interobserver variability in the estimated magnitude of chromatic differences compared with achromatic reference pairs remains, with an average ratio between largest and smallest estimate of over 3:1 and ratios for individual observers and sample pairs ranging up to 28:1. No correlation was found between the reliability of judgment and the judged magnitude of difference: highly reliable observer groups are not more consistent. Relative reliability of estimate was found inversely related to magnitude of perceived difference. Consequences of these results for the development of improved color difference formulas are discussed. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 34, 367–374, 2009     

Spectral color management using interim connection spaces based on spectral decomposition

A feasible approach to spectral color management was previously defined to include lookups performed within an interim connection space (ICS). ICS is relatively low in dimensions and is situated between a high‐dimensional spectral profile connection space and output units. The definition of ICS axes and the minimum number of ICS dimensions are explored here by considering the LabPQR, an ICS described in earlier research. LabPQR has three colorimetric dimensions (CIE L*a*b*) and additional dimensions to describe a metameric black (PQR). Several versions of LabPQR are explored. One type defines PQR axes based on metameric blacks generated from Cohen and Kappauf's spectral decomposition. The second type is constructed in an unconstrained way where metameric blacks are statistically derived based on the spectral characteristics of the target output device. For a six‐dimensional LabPQR, one that uses three colorimetric and three metameric black dimensions, it was found that Cohen and Kappauf‐based LabPQR was inferior for estimating the spectra when compared with the unconstrained method. However, when the limited spectral gamut of an output device was introduced through printer simulation and necessary spectral gamut mapping, the disadvantage of the six‐dimensional Cohen and Kappauf‐based LabPQR dissipated. On the other hand, reducing LabPQR to only five‐dimensions (two metameric black dimensions) reintroduced the advantage of the unconstrained approach even after simulated printing including spectral gamut mapping. Importantly, it was found that the five‐dimensional unconstrained approach achieved equivalent levels of performance to a full 31‐dimensional approach within simulated printer spectral gamut limitations. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 33, 282–299, 2008.     

Design and performance of a color chart based in digitally processed images for sensory evaluation of piquillo peppers (Capsicum annuum)

A chart of color standards for visual color evaluation of the piquillo pepper (Capsicum annuum) has been designed. The chart comprises six rectangular regions of digitally processed images of piquillo peppers covering the observed visual range of variability in this product. Colorimetric characterization of piquillo peppers and the color chart has been made using instrumental color measurements. Both trained and untrained sensory panels tested the reliability of the designed color chart. The Pearson correlation coefficient between color chart scores and subjective color quality scores is 0.831 (P < 0.01). Correlation between all instrumental color coordinates, with the exception of CIELAB a*, and visual color chart scores are significant at P< 0.001 and Pearson correlation coefficients range from ?0.747 with CIELAB chroma C* to ?0.926 with CIELAB hue angle h. Repeatability of visual color chart scores is completely satisfactory, having found no statistically significant differences between color chart scores in samples evaluated twice by panelists. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 29, 305–311, 2004; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/col.20026     

An online color naming experiment in Russian using Munsell color samples

Russian color naming was explored in a web‐based experiment. The purpose was 3‐fold: to examine (1) CIELAB coordinates of centroids for 12 Russian basic color terms (BCTs), including 2 Russian terms for “blue”, sinij “dark blue”, and goluboj “light blue”, and compare these with coordinates for the 11 English BCTs obtained in earlier studies; (2) frequent nonBCTs; and (3) gender differences in color naming. Native Russian speakers participated in the experiment using an unconstrained color‐naming method. Each participant named 20 colors, selected from 600 colors densely sampling the Munsell Color Solid. Color names and response times of typing onset were registered. Several deviations between centroids of the Russian and English BCTs were found. The 2 “Russian blues”, as expected, divided the BLUE area along the lightness dimension; their centroids deviated from a centroid of English blue. Further minor departures were found between centroids of Russian and English counterparts of “brown” and “red”. The Russian color inventory confirmed the linguistic refinement of the PURPLE area, with high frequencies of nonBCTs. In addition, Russian speakers revealed elaborated naming strategies and use of a rich inventory of nonBCTs. Elicitation frequencies of the 12 BCTs were comparable for both genders; however, linguistic segmentation of color space, employing a synthetic observer, revealed gender differences in naming colors, with more refined naming of the “warm” colors from females. We conclude that, along with universal perceptual factors, that govern categorical partition of color space, Russian speakers’ color naming reflects language‐specific factors, supporting the weak relativity hypothesis.