Light Sources for Evaluating Papers, Including Those Containing Fluorescent Whitening Agents

This standard practice covers the significance and application of both instrumental and visual light sources for evaluating papers and related materials including those containing fluorescent whitening agents. The information presented is based on accepted proposals of the Inter Society Color Council (ISCC), Commission Internationale d’Eclairage (CIE), International Standards Organization (ISO), American National Standards Institute (ANSI), TAPPI, and TAPPI Optical Properties Committee experience. Also presented is a method for the visual evaluation of a color match under standard conditions of illumination.

The field of lighting is rapidly evolving with many advances in fluorescent and LED lighting. Primarily, the changes in LED lighting are causing change in industrial, retail and residential lighting environments. The CIE (International Committee on Illumination) is researching and developing reports on the efficacy of LED’s as light sources for evaluating materials including those containing fluorescent whitening agents. However, they have not issued any standards at this time. Also, the narrow bandwidth characteristic of existing LED’s does not make them good representations of the traditional UV conditions used in the industry; as an example, illuminant A, C, D50, D65 and D75. Therefore, LED light sources are not covered in this standard.