Proceedings Article | 29 January 2007
KEYWORDS: Spectrophotometry, Light sources, Printing, Ultraviolet radiation, Reflectivity, Graphic arts, Dysprosium, Inkjet technology, Optical filters, Calibration
Papers with a slightly blue shade are, at least among a majority of observers being perceived as whiter than papers
having a more neutral color1. Therefore, practically all commercially available printing papers contain bluish dyes and
fluorescent whitening agents (FWA) to give the paper a whiter appearance. Furthermore, in the paper industry, the most
frequently used measure for paper whiteness is the CIE-whiteness. The CIE Whiteness formula, does in turn, also favor
slightly bluish papers. Excessive examples of high CIE-whiteness values can be observed in the office-paper segment
where a high CIE-whiteness value is an important sales argument. As an effect of the FWA, spectrophotometer
measurements of optical properties such as paper whiteness are sensitive to the ultraviolet (UV) content of the light
source used in the instrument. To address this, the standard spectrophotometers used in the paper industry are equipped
with an adjustable filter for calibrating the UV-content of the illumination. In the paper industry, spectrophotometers
with d/0 measurement geometry and a light source of type C are used. The graphical arts industry on the other hand,
typically measures with spectrophotometers having 45/0 geometry and a light source of type A. Moreover, these
instruments have only limited possibilities to adjust the UV-content by the use of different weighting filters. The
standard for color measurements in the paper industry governs that measurements should be carried out using D65
standard illumination and the 10o standard observer. The corresponding standard for the graphic arts industry specify
D50 standard illumination and the 2o standard observer. In both cases, the standard illuminants are simulated from the
original light source by spectral weighting functions. However, the activation of FWA, which will impact the measured
spectral reflectance, depends on the actual UV-content of the illumination used. Therefore, comparisons between
measurements on substrates containing FWA from two instruments having light sources with different UV-content are
complicated. In this study, the effect of FWA content in paper on color reproduction has been quantified for an officetype
paper. Furthermore, examples are given on how color measurement instruments give different readings when FWA
is present. For the purpose of this study and in order to ensure that only the effect of FWA was observed, a set of papers
with varying additions of FWA otherwise identical, were produced on a small-scale experimental paper machine. The
pilot papers were printed in three different printers. Two spectrophotometers representative to the instruments used in the
Graphical Art Industry and the Paper Industry respectively where used to measure the printed papers. The results
demonstrate how the use of spectral weighting functions for simulating standard illuminants works properly on nonfluorescent
material. However, when FWA is present, disparities in UV content between the light source and the
simulated illuminant will result in color differences. Finally, in many printing processes, some of the used inks are UVblocking,
this further complicates the effect of FWA in printed material. An example is shown on how different color
differences are obtained for different process ink combinations when the amount of FWA added to the paper is varied.
