What is metamerism?

In one form, metamerism is when colors match under one light source but not under another.

In daily living we are constantly going between light sources. Did you ever get dressed in the morning and everything matched great in the mirror, only to step outside and glance at your reflection noticing a huge clash? This is because colors can change when the light source changes.

Another kind of metamerism is called "observer metamerism". Different observers, including people and instruments, can perceive color differently. This can be due to a person's color vision or an instrument's geometry, which can cause a difference in color measurement.

A third kind is called "geometric metamerism". This can occur when other aspects of appearance, other than color, cause materials to match under one set of viewing conditions, but not under others. It can be caused by differences in gloss, texture, transparency, and other appearance factors.

Metamerism Cards Shed Light

Here at Visual Color Systems we've become friends with the phenomenon of metamerism. We have developed a metamerism card for GTI light booths and the RHEM Light Indicator, to show the extreme change between light sources. These are helpful, and fun, tools to help you know if you're looking at a sample in the right light.

Don't lose the fight with metamerism. See the change today by calling us for a free metamerism card sample.