Textile Glossary

Object color

Definition

An object color is the color in which we perceive a particular object. For example, the object color of a yellow lemon is "yellow"; that of leaves is typically "green."

Use in the textile industry

In the textile industry, object color describes the perceived color of yarns, woven fabrics, or finished products under defined lighting conditions. It is critical for color control and quality assurance, as fiber material, dyestuffs, and surface structure together determine the resulting object color. It is particularly important when evaluating color fastness and when matching color between sample dyeing and production runs.

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Frequently asked question

Light color refers to the color emitted directly by a self-luminous source (e.g., a lamp or monitor), whereas object color describes the color that a non-self-luminous object displays through selective reflection of incident light. In a textile context, the type and conditions of illumination must therefore always be specified, since the same woven fabric can appear different under different light sources (metamerism).

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