COMMISSION INTERNATIONALE DE L'ECLAIRAGE
INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION ON ILLUMINATION
INTERNATIONALE BELEUCHTUNGSKOMMISSION

Division 2: Physical Measurement of Light and Radiation
C. S. McCamy
Consultant in Color Science
 
44 All Angels Hill Road
Wappingers Falls NY 12590
Phone and Fax 914 297-7986
c.mccamy@worldnet.att.net
 
March 17, 2000
 
Yoshi Ohno
National Institute of Standards & Technology
100 Bureau Drive, Mailstop 8442
Gaithersburg MD 20899-8442
 
Dear Yoshi:
 
Accompanying this letter is the report to CIE Division 2 from the Reporter R2-06 on Standardization of Measuring Geometry for the Colorimetry of Metallic Coatings. I regret that I will not be at the meeting in the United Kingdom to present it. I find that however fast I run or fly, I can be in, at most, two places at once.
 
At the end of the report, I recommended considering formation of a technical committee. If I may, I suggest that the Division consider asking Dr. Allan B.J. Rodrigues of DuPont in the United States to chair the committee. He is a leader in the metallic paint industry, he is the chairman of the ASTM committee on this subject, he has years of experience in standardization, he is a good organizer and leader, he gets things done, and his company has a substantial interest in this activity and is capable of supporting it.
 
In any case, I need to divest myself of some administrative and reportorial responsibilities so I can devote more time to pressing theoretical work, which is where I think I can make the most useful contributions. If the division decides not to form a technical committee, I suggest considering Dr. Rodrigues to become the reporter on this subject. If there is a need, I might be able to suggest some other possibilities.
 
Very best regards.
 
Very truly yours,
 
 
C. S. McCamy
 Report to CIE Division 2
from
Reporter R2-06 on Standardization of Measuring Geometry
for the Colorimetry of Metallic Coatings
 
C. S. McCamy
March 17, 2000
 
 
 
As reported on June 10, 1999, both the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) and the German standards organization (DIN) have continued to pursue standardization of a method of measuring the colors of metallic materials. The German work is nearing completion and the standard will probably be issued at about the time of the CIE meetings in the United Kingdom this April. The American standard is near completion and the committee responsible for it is turning to the somewhat more complex task of standardizing measurement of the colors of materials containing interference pigments. There has been divergence of opinion on the choice of angles for measuring metallic materials. A clearly cooperative attitude abounds, but there are honest differences of opinion. The largest aspecular angle in the proposed German standard is 75º, while that in the American proposal is 110º. The German proposal includes some mandatory tolerances. American standards do not usually contain tolerances except where matters of safety are involved. Whether or not these international differences in standards will present a substantial problem to the paint and plastic industries is not known at this time. The international character of the automotive industry, where metallic finishes are very prevalent, suggests that possibility. No such technical polarization has developed as yet in the initial stages of the effort to standardize the measurement of materials containing interference pigments.
 
Some consideration should be given to the formation of a CIE technical committee on the measurement of metallic and interference colors. An international effort could foster uniformity of practice in this field. The chairmen of the corresponding standards committees in America and Germany could offer valuable guidance in deciding whether or not formation of a committee would be desirable.
 
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