Mt. Baker Research L.L.C.
2921 Sylvan Street/P.O. Box 28370
Bellingham, Washington 98228-0370

Defining Color Standards

Phone: (360) 650-0771 E-mail: <jackroot@mtbakerresearch.com>

Mt. Baker Research L.L.C. Information

Diagnostic Tile Sets

Profiling Tile Set, Tiles T1 - T16. (The Diagnostic Set is very similar to the Profiling Set. The Diagnostic Set uses different sequencing and includes 4 new color standards. The actual contents of Diagnostic Sets A and B are listed below.)

Profiling Tile Set, Tiles T17 - T32.

Individual Colors in the Profiling Tile Set, Tiles T1 - T16.
(Tile T1, Lower Left. Tile T16, Upper Right.)

Individual Colors in the Profiling Tile Set, Tiles T17 - T32.
(Tile T17, Lower Left. Tile T32, Upper Right.)

Although Ceram introduced the BCRA Series I tiles 40 years ago, no standardized procedure has emerged for validating instrument performance.

Manufacturers of spectrophotometers base instrument certification on CIELAB colorimetric data. In the typical scenario a test instrument is used to measure a master set of BCRA series II tiles. The resulting CIELAB parameters are then used to calculate the average DeltaE*ab difference from the known calibration data for these master tiles. Because this test does not produce diagnostic information, it does not constitute validation.

The Diagnostic Tile Sets and the Profiling Tile Sets address the need for a standardized validation procedure by introducing ultra-white and reduced-translucency color standards and documented procedures for testing, validating and color managing instruments.

Diagnostic Tile Sets A and B each contain 16 2x2-inch color standards. Each complete Diagnostic Tile Set includes 11 achromatic color standards and 21 chromatic color standards. Set A, which contains one ultra-white color standard, comprises our recommended extended color gamut, reduced-translucency upgrade to the BCRA Series II tiles.

The color standards in Diagnostic Tile Set A and the test procedures described in the instruction manual support instrument diagnostics and validation, the assessment of inter-instrument agreement, and performance tracking. Diagnostic Tile Set B enables licensed users of Set A and CyberChrome's OnColor Profiler® software to upgrade to color management.

Diagnostic Tile Set P/N MBDC-32-02-U (uncalibrated) or MBDC-32-02-C (calibrated). S/N MBDC-32-SER04A-00NN. Set A P/N MBDA-16-02-U or MBDA-16-02-C. Set B P/N MBDB-16-02-U or MBDB-16-02-C. Individual color standard P/N MBDC-DN-02-U or MBDC-DN-02-C. Individual ceramic plate P/N MBDC-DN-06-U or MBDC-DN-06-C.

Mt. Baker Research offers color standards uncalibrated or calibrated in the following optical geometries: (1) Total hemispherical specular-included ("SPIN"). Diffuse-only specular-excluded ("SPEX"). (3) (45°/0°) bi-directional. Our calibration services are based on procedures approved by C.I.E. and A.S.T.M. and traceable to NRC, NIST, and JAIST.

During July 2010 we will upgrade the available calibration services to include the near-infrared. Our new HunterLab UltraScan PRO spectrophotometer measures spectral reflectance factors in the (d/8°) SPIN and SPEX geometries with a wavelength range of 360 - 1,050 nm and a pitch of 5 nm. Contact us for more information.

Diagnostic Tile Set A Contents

D1. Ultra-White
D2. Black
D3. Deep Grey 10%
D6. Grey 33%
D9. Light Grey 60%
D11. Grey 85%
D13. Deep Blue
D14. Dark Blue
D17. Greenish-Blue
D20. Deep Green
D21. Mid-Green
D24. Yellow
D24A. Light Yellow (optional reduced translucency replacement for D27)
D27. Deep Orange
D28. Deep Orange-Red
D29. Deep Red
D30. Rose Pink

Diagnostic Tile Set B Contents

D4. Grey 20%
D5. Mid-Grey 27%
D7. Grey 40%
D8. Grey 50%
D10. Grey 80%
D12. Deep Violet
D15. Mid-Blue
D16. Light Blue
D18. Light Cyan
D19. Light Blue-Green
D22. Light Green
D23. Yellow-Green
D25. Yellow-Orange
D26. Light Orange
D31. Mid-Brown
D32. Purple

Linked Resources

The instruction manual for the Diagnostic Tile Sets contains referenced background information about translucency. It also presents typical spectral reflectance factors in 3 optical geometries together with procedures for testing, validating and color managing spectrophotometers.
This sample certificate of translucency includes information about measuring translucency together with typical fractional reflectance loss results for the 16 color standards included in Diagnostic Tile Set A.