Imaging colorimetry: a new approach

A new technique is described for the in-process measuring of the color content of images with pixel resolution, using commercially available devices. Color measurement is extremely important in the printing industry for assessing the quality of printed graphic images. Commercially available instruments designed to measure color, in process, have outputs that represent the average color content over specific areas of the printed surface. The color content of an image feature on the printed surface that may be important to consumers is then difficult to assess from these general readings. Instead of an average reading, the technique that we describe provides a color measurement of each pixel within the area of interest on the printing surface so that the color content of specific features can be evaluated.