COLOR TOLERANCE FEASIBILITY STUDY COMPARING CRT-GENERATED STIMULI WITH AN ACRYLIC-LACQUER COATING

Visual color tolerances were calculated from observations made on difference pairs around a single green color center. The comparison was made between observations done for actual acrylic-lacquer samples and a simulation of the sample pairs on a computer-controlled CRT display. A light booth with simulated daylight was used to illuminate the surface colors and to provide surround illumination for the CRT. The luminances of the CRT and light booth were equalized at 150 cd/m2. Fifteen observers judged color differences relative to a near-gray anchor pair under three different conditions: CRT stimuli viewed with a dark surround, CRT stimuli viewed with a light surround generated by the light booth, and the surface colors. Probit analyses were used to transform population responses to estimates of equivalent color tolerances to the anchor pair, fiducial (confidence) limits about the tolerances, and population standard deviations. Observations were less precise (higher standard deviations) for CRT stimuli. This statistically significant difference was presumed due to differences in spatial and cognitive attributes. Despite these differences, observers' color tolerance determinations were not statistically different from one another or from previous experiments of the same color center but judged under a luminance three times higher than the current experiment. Results indicated that the experimental design was a reasonable approach to using CRT-generated stimuli for measuring visual color tolerances in a manner that correlates to surface-color judgments.