The usability of the CIE colour-matching functions in the case of CRT monitors

During the past years, several papers have been published that question the use of the CIE colour-matching functions in the case of metameric samples. Visually matching samples produced on CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) monitors are metameric to most colour stimuli created by illuminating reflecting materia ls. As CRT monitors are often used in colour design applications, it seemed important to check how well CIE colorimetry will predict such colour match es. To investigate this problem, we set up an experiment in which painted s amples were matched with samples produced on a CRT monitor. The colour of incandescent lamp irradiated Munsell samples were visually ma tched to the mixture of the RGB primaries of a CRT monitor. Both the reflec ted colour stimuli of the Munsell samples and the emitted stimuli of the mo nitor were measured spectroradiometrically. Our results imply that there is an observer-dependent variability among the matches, but we could not find a major difference between the tristimulus data of the hard copy and soft copy presentations that would indicate error s in the CIE colour-matching functions. The measurement accuracy, quantizat ion errors of the monitor, and the achieved accuracy of the colour matches are treated in this study. (C) 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.