Re: Pantone
Re: Pantone
- Subject: Re: Pantone
- From: "Bruce J. Lindbloom" <email@hidden>
- Date: Mon, 09 Dec 2002 12:09:54 -0600
Graeme Gill wrote:
>
Xrite sell a comparable product called Colorshop. Both have spectral
>
libraries for each Pantone color, so in principle the CIE values can be
>
computed for any light source or observer you like.
Roberto Michelena replied:
>
I'd like to know whether those spectral values are Pantone-sanctioned or
>
X-rite's own measures of a retail swatchbook...
Before X-Rite bought Light Source (the original creator of the Colortron and
ColorShop), Pantone had a financial interest (I think even a controlling
interest) in Light Source. That suggests that maybe the ColorShop spectral
curves came from Pantone (a guess of course).
Pantone must continue to defend and protect the viability of their closed
color system in a world of digital color that encourages open systems and
architectures. I think this requires great business finesse on Pantone's
part, especially regarding licensing and quality control. (Anyone with a
spectro could do QC against a standard, if Pantone published a standard.)
An interesting sidebar is a project I worked on with Tiffen a few years ago
to digitally emulated a set of 100+ glass cinematographer filters for use
with the Kodak Cineon system (scan motion picture negative film, apply
digital filters/effects and then output back onto motion picture negative
film). This project required spectral transmission curves of the Tiffen
cinematographer's filters. Much to my surprise, I discovered that there are
no "golden" spectral curves. Tiffen has been making these glass filters for
decades by having a particular individual mix them up in the back room using
secret recipes and techniques. So spectral measurements had to be made for
the project, and (surprise!) they showed all sorts of QC problems and
inconsistencies.
Another interesting sidebar is that Munsell (or GretagMacbeth if you insist)
also does not have any "golden" spectral reflectance curves for the
ColorChecker. I have this on good authority via private communication. My
source has also confirmed that Munsell changed the formulation of some of
the ColorChecker patches about ten years ago to eliminate the use of heavy
metal pigments. The chromaticity coordinates are unchanged (WRT illuminant
C!), but the spectral reflectance curves have changed, which reduces the
value of the "modern" charts since some of the spectral matching properties
of physical objects is lost in the reformulation.
--
Bruce J. Lindbloom
email@hidden
http://www.brucelindbloom.com
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