Densitometry and Spectrophotometry

Introduction

Color measurement has always been readings are then combined to give three
important in the graphics arts industry as sets of readings equivalent to a red,
a tool for improving color consistence, green and blue channel.
fidelity and quality. For many years, the
densitometer has been the instrument
that is usually found in the pressroom.
Recently, another instrument, the
spectrophotometer, has also made an
appearance. Which one is better? What
do they measure and what do the
readings mean?

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The Instruments

Both the densitometer and the Spectrophotometer Response

spectrophotometer have similarities. The densitometer measures a sample and
Both use 0/45 or 45/0 geometry for the gives a density reading, for example the
optical system. In this the sample is density of a Magenta sample might be
1.19. The spectrophotometer reading the
same sample would give you a reading
of L* 51.35, a* 69.91, b* -1.72. What
do these numbers mean?

How we print

First let’s look at the sample that we are

going to measure. In the graphics arts
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industry, offset lithography is one of the

dominant printing methods and the
Densitometer Response densitometer has traditionally been used
illuminated vertically and viewed at an to control its process. To reproduce an
angle of 45 degrees (or the reverse). This image, the original is electronically
arrangement reduces specular, or glossy, scanned, using red, green and blue
reflections from the surface of the filters. The resulting images are then
sample. Both essentially take a three- processed to give the four separations,
filter reading using a red, green and blue cyan, magenta, yellow and black. The
channel. In the case of a densitometer, CMYK separated images are further
these are physically three separate filters. processed to create a halftone image for
In a spectrophotometer the instrument each. In printing you can either put ink
reads across the entire spectrum from on the paper or not, there is no in
deep red to violet. Certain parts of these between. So to represent the tonal range
of the original image, the printed image
is reproduced using halftone dots. Small
dots correspond to light image areas,
large dots to dark areas.
Nominally the solid ink density of the
dots, large or small, is the same. From
these halftone separations a printing
plate is made for each process color,
cyan, magenta, yellow and one for the
black. Except for the black, these inks
can be considered to be transparent. Halftone Dots

them. To overcome this a color bar, or

control strip, is usually printed along
with the image. A color bar will consist
of a regular sequence of control targets.
For example, there will be areas of solid
ink, for each color, areas of known dot
size, usually 40 or 50%, for each color,
plus other similar items. Measuring this
control strip with a densitometer will
give density values for the solid ink
areas. What is a density value? It is a
measure of the amount of light that is
reflected from the sample. Within certain
limits the density values are proportional
Subtractive Color to the thickness of the ink layer. A
density value is therefore a direct
Based upon subtractive color theory, measurement of the amount of ink,
printing a combination of these inks higher densities mean more ink, lower
allows a wide range of colors to be densities less ink.
reproduced. Now when we
print from these plates the resulting
image consists of a multitude of dots
from large to small, in the four colors, Color Bar
cyan, magenta, yellow and black. For proper color control the ink densities
Looking through a loupe at such an must be held at a constant value and the
image, one might say “what a mess”, yet densitometer provides the tool for the
surprisingly, when viewed at the correct job. Other functions of the densitometer
distance, a rich colorful image can result. measure the size of the dots in the
control strip, this allows the dot gain of
What do we measure the process to be monitored. Dot gain is
inevitable in the printing process, but it
Yes the image is a mess. It is impossible must be controlled and maintained at a
to separate the individual elements that constant value. Failure to do so will
create the image to be able to analyze result in poor color consistency.
What do these numbers mean difference between the two, this is called
Delta E.
So what does our spectrophotometer While the spectrophotometer has given
make of this? Using our example from us a very accurate definition of the color,
before, the densitometer reads a Magenta it has given us no information on how to
solid as 1.19, as we have seen, this is an control the color. The L*, a*, b*
indication of the ink film thickness. readings are derived from a complicated
Perhaps from our previous experience series of calculations based on the red,
we have found that printing process green and blue readings. These RGB
produces best results when we run the readings are based on human vision, not
magenta at 1.30. This then tells us that on process ink colors as with the
we need to feed a little more magenta densitometer. The L value for lightness
ink to meet our standard. is essentially a green channel reading.
This models the photopic, or cone,
response of the human eye. We are most
sensitive to green light and will perceive
it to be brighter than an equivalently
bright blue light.

So what instrument do we use?

The densitometer will give us accurate

information on items affecting the
printing process - solid ink densities and
dot gain. It provides an essential tool for
monitoring the process to produce
Lab Color Space consistent color reproduction.
The spectrophotometer gives us a
reading of:L* 51.35, a* 69.91, b* -1.72. The spectrophotometer precisely defines
What does this tell us? The L*, a*, b* the color of a sample, and is useful in
measurements describe the color of the meeting specifications, for example,
sample. This is done using what is called corporate colors or advertising
a “color space”. The “L” value indicates specifications for a product color. This
the lightness of the sample, the “a” value tells us that the color of the sample is
describes the horizontal axis showing correct but provides little information on
how red or green the sample is, the “b” controlling it. The consistency of color
value describes the vertical axis showing throughout a press run still requires the
how blue or yellow the sample is. “L” densitometer to maintain the stability of
values range from 0 to 100 and the “a” the printing process.
and “b” values are between about –100
to +100. Using the numbers from above
you can plot the position of the sample
in the color space. This provides a very
precise definition of the color. By
comparing two samples another value
may be obtained that describes the color