An Approach for Predicting the Apparent Color of Carpets under Different Illuminants

The color appearance of residential carpets under different illuminants can influence the purchase decisions of consumers, visual merchandisers, and interior designers. This study was designed to investigate and characterize the color appearance of residential carpets under average Noon Daylight (D65), Incandescent (A), and Cool White Fluorescent (F02) illuminants commonly used in retail and household settings. The objective of this study was to identify the key features significantly affecting the apparent color of the carpets under those three illuminants. Four different carpets were dyed with light, medium, and dark shades of red and green colors to identify the difference in color perception when illuminated by different lighting arrangements. A spectrophotometer was used to measure the lightness, chroma, and hue of the carpets via the CIELAB scale developed by Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage (CIE). Statistically significant differences among the L*, a*, and b* values of the carpets were evaluated using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Regression analyses were carried out to identify key parameters affecting the L*, a* and b* values. Multiple linear regression (MLR) was applied to generate equations to predict L*, a* and b* values under different illuminant for different carpet features. A decreasing trend in the L*, a*, and b* values have been observed from lighter to darker shades under the illuminants for all the carpets. The deposition of dye molecules over the carpet surface had significant effects on the CIELAB values, and the distribution of dye molecules over the carpet surface was influenced by the constructional parameters of the carpets. The study provides an overview of the effects of carpet structures on color perception under different illuminants, which could help the researcher to determine the apparent color of different carpets under various illuminants.