An experimental method for the assessment of color simulation tools

Area of Science:

• Color vision science
• Human-computer interaction
• Visual perception

Background:

• Assessing color simulation accuracy for individuals with color vision deficiencies is crucial.
• Existing tools often lack rigorous validation against real-world perceptual data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and validate the Simulcheck method for evaluating color simulation tools.
• To assess the accuracy of three specific color simulation tools: Variantor, Coblis, and Vischeck.

Main Methods:

• Developed the Simulcheck method with two psychophysical tasks: Pseudoachromatic Stimuli Identification and Minimum Achromatic Contrast.
• Recruited 10 dichromats (protanopes and deuteranopes) and 10 trichromats for the study.
• Evaluated three color simulation tools using the established Simulcheck protocol.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in colorimetric accuracy were found among Variantor, Coblis, and Vischeck.
• Vischeck accurately implemented the Brettel, Viénot, and Mollon (1997) algorithm.
• Only Vischeck demonstrated high accuracy, showing similarity in chromatic (huv) and achromatic (LR) values between real and simulated dichromats.

Conclusions:

• The Simulcheck method is a consistent and valid tool for evaluating color simulation accuracy.
• Vischeck is recommended for reliable color simulations for dichromats.
• Important discrepancies exist in the performance of current color simulation software.