Tristimulus value colorimeter and spectrophotometer are both used to measure color difference, but their working principles and measurement methods are different.

Three stimulus value colorimeter by measuring the reflection or transmission of red, green, blue three basic colors of light, calculate the sample of three stimulus values (L, a, b value), so as to obtain the color difference between the sample and the standard color value. Tristimulus value colorimeter can measure the color brightness, chromaticity and hue of the sample. It is a commonly used portable colorimeter, which is suitable for some simple colorimetry.

What is the difference between tristimulus value colorimeter and spectrophotometer?

Spectrophotometer uses spectrophotometry, by decomposing the light into different wavelengths of the spectrum, and then measuring the intensity of each wavelength of the light, calculate the spectral reflectance or transmittance of the sample, and then get the chromaticity coordinates and color difference value of the sample. Spectrophotometer can measure the spectral information of the sample, the measurement of color details is more accurate and fine, suitable for precision color measurement and color matching and other fields.

What is the difference between tristimulus value colorimeter and spectrophotometer?

Therefore, the tristimulus value colorimeter is suitable for some simple color measurements, while the spectrophotometer is suitable for more complex and precise color measurements. The price of tristimulus colorimeter and spectrophotometer also varies, with tristimulus colorimeter usually having a lower price and spectrophotometer having a higher price. In terms of application, tristimulus colorimeter is usually used for some simple color comparison and measurement, such as comparing whether the color of different batches is consistent, judging whether the product meets the color requirements, etc. The spectrophotometer is suitable for the field of fine color measurement and matching, such as printing, coating, textile and other industries with high color accuracy requirements.

In short, tristimulus value colorimeter and spectrophotometer are different in color measurement, and the selection of the appropriate instrument needs to be determined according to the specific measurement requirements and application scenarios.