Course detail
Color Science and Technology
FCH-BC_CHBAcad. year: 2025/2026
The course is meant to deliver the attendees theoretical knowledge in the subject of color science and technology. These two complex and complementary subject fields include the theory of light and radiation, human response to light, interaction of radiation and matter, influence of chemical compostion of matter on its color and apperance, applied chemistry of colorants, basic principles of color reproduction, mathematical description and modelling of color etc. The course should explain the connection between the physico-chemical principles of material color and its technological application. A great deal of attention is paid to the desription and modelling of human visual system and objective color measuring.
Language of instruction
Number of ECTS credits
Mode of study
Guarantor
Entry knowledge
Knowledge of selected chapters of special subjects (organic and physical chemistry).
Rules for evaluation and completion of the course
The attendance at the lectures is voluntary, by highly recommended.
Students can take the opportunity to write voluntary independent written homework. This homework set can be presented at the oral exam and it an be rewarded by an extra bonus grade improving the total grade.
Aims
The improvement of theoretical knowledge, understanding and competences will be manifested in the following ways:
1) Course attendees will acquire complex knowledge of human visual system anatomical structures and biochemical principles. Further, they will also undestand the psychologic and psychophysical aspects of visual reception.
2) Course attendees will learn about historical and present approaches to color catalogization and organization.
3) Students will understand how the way a compound interacts with radiation determines its technological application (i.e., colorant, brightener, sensitizer, absorber, scattering/screening agents).
4) Students will become familiar with the essential color matching experiment and will adopt the related theory of color matching functions, tristimulus values and derived chrimnatic coordinates. Students will undestand the concept of colour difference, its various forms and significance for technology.
5) Attendeeds will learn the good laboratory praxis of spectroscopis and colorimetric measurements. They will understand the significance of measuring conditions (geometry, reflection, polarization, base support etc.)
6) Attendees will learn about the basic technology principles of colour reproduction and characterization of light sources.
Study aids
Prerequisites and corequisites
Basic literature
Marie Kaplanová a kol: Moderní polygrafie, ISBN 978-80-254-4230-2 (CS)
Recommended reading
Color Science: Concepts and Methods, Quantitative Data and Formulae, Günther Wyszecki, W. S. Stiles, ISBN-10: 0471399183
Classification of course in study plans
- Programme BPCP_CHTN Bachelor's 3 year of study, winter semester, compulsory-optional
- Programme BPCP_CHCHTE Bachelor's 3 year of study, winter semester, compulsory-optional
- Programme BKCP_CHCHTE Bachelor's 3 year of study, winter semester, compulsory-optional
Type of course unit
Lecture
Teacher / Lecturer
Syllabus
2. Human visual system II (color vision theory, spatial resolution, color vision impairment, optical impairment, nerve signal processing)
3. Color perception (definition of color, visual adaptation, visual phenomena)
4. Light properties, photometry and radiometry (UV, VIS and NIR radiation, energy of light, units and measurement)
5. Colored objects - chemical reasons of colors (interactions of radiation and matter, terminology and technology of colorants, optical brighteners, UV absorbers, sensibilization)
6. Color systems and classification (historical approaches, present systems, industrial swatchbooks)
7. Moder colorimetry (principles and definitions, elemental components, colori vision and metamerism, color matching experiments, CIE colorimetry)
9. Light sources (black body radiation, Planckian and non-Planckian sources, technology of real light sources, ideal colorimetric light sources, white point)
10. Standard observing conditions and measurement
11. Theory and technology of color reproduction (spectral reproduction, additive systems, subtractive systems, dot area modelling, layer thickness modelling)
12. Summary, conclusion, possible substitute of cancelled lectures