Section 6 | Page 6

In this case, each light source caused the same object, the tie, to reflect a different combination of wavelengths back to the viewer. Consider what might happen when attempting to match the shirt with something else, say a sweater. There is a good possibility that the shirt and sweater may match at the store under fluorescent light, but not at home under incandescent light, or vice versa. Also, the shirt and sweater may look different yet when viewed in daylightùanother light source. This happens because different blends of dyes and pigments were used to color the materials in the shirt and sweater. If the shirt and sweater were made using identical dyes or pigments, no metamerism would exist.

Metamerism is an important variable to consider when making color judgments. This phenomenon is especially significant to those in the graphic arts industry, for example, when comparing a press sheet

to a color proof. Using standard viewing conditions reduces the problems associated with metamerism.

See Figure