9 Things You Didn’t Know About Portable Colorimeters

The handheld colorimeters have gained a lot of importance in industries where the match of color is critical. From laboratories to printing companies, all these devices ensure companies with strict products.

People notice that they are usually involved in color measurement, but they do not always see the many interesting things about portable colorimeters.

In the following blog, we take a look at nine facts about these helpful devices, of which you were likely unaware.

1. They Don’t Just Measure Colors You Can See

It is believed that colorimeters can measure only visible colors, but this is not exactly the case. You can find portable colorimeters to be more complex and capable of measuring wavelengths, including ultraviolet and infrared. And it is beyond the human vision range.

In simplest words, they can quantify very minute changes on a piece of material that the naked eye cannot detect. So, that means they will be consistent in the textiles industry, coatings, and plastics, where even slight color variation can disturb the quality.

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2. They Are Critical in Food Safety and Quality Control

Portable colorimeters have broad applications in food manufacturing to monitor the quality of the product. The food color usually implies freshness, maturation, or contamination. As an example, colorimeters aid in the monitoring of meat to ascertain that it is safe to consume.

They also make processed foods look attractive on a batch-to-batch basis. Companies in the food industry depend on colorimeters to enhance bonding with customers by visibly depicting color as a means of conveying taste and freshness.

Selection of Food Colorimeters

Colorimeters can measure the color of foods in almost all states. Based on differences in food optical properties, foods are categorized into three types: opaque foods, translucent foods, and transparent foods. Different types of foods require different colorimeters. 

1. Opaque Foods

   Typical examples include fruits, corn and other grains, cheese, flour, tomato paste, meat, etc. What we perceive from these foods is mainly surface-reflected light. For irregular opaque foods like potato chips and biscuits, directional instruments (45°/0° or 0°/45°) are preferred. These instruments feature annular illumination and large measuring apertures (up to over 90mm), which help eliminate errors caused by the directional characteristics of samples.

2. Translucent Foods

   This category mostly includes liquids or semi-solids such as fruit juice, salad, jam, cream, etc. Their perceived color comes from both partial reflected light and partial transmitted light. Special handling is required for color measurement, as thickness variations can lead to different results. 3nh has developed a dedicated accessory for measuring the color of translucent foods.

3. Transparent Foods

   Examples include clear fruit juice, beer, vegetable oil, and other beverages. Their color is mainly perceived through transmitted light. Measuring these foods requires calculating colorimetric data based on transmittance, so integrating sphere-type instruments are necessary. Generally, samples are filled into cuvettes of a specific thickness (e.g., 10mm or 20mm) and placed in the transmission compartment of the integrating sphere instrument for measurement. Additionally, integrating sphere-type instruments can be used to measure the turbidity of transparent samples.

   
   

3. They Use Standardized Lighting Conditions for Accuracy

Human eyes can be sensitive to the surrounding ambient light, and judgment of similar colors may be misleading. This is overcome using standardized lighting conditions to measure using portable colorimeters.

They reproduce standard illuminants like D65, which is similar to sunlight, and produce the same consistent results each time. This standardized data collection method removes individual opinion regarding data and increases the reliability of the data.

The consistency is important to manufacturers in printing, textiles, and automotive industries to meet strict industry standards.

4. They Are Used in Environmental Monitoring

Colorimeters have a lot to contribute beyond industries to environmental sciences. Portable versions can show water quality identifying variances in color due to a contaminant.

As an example, they can reveal the pollution of the rivers, lakes, or drinking water. These devices give quick on-site responses and hence allow authorities to take timely measures to save the ecosystems.

Without portable water colorimeters, water analysis traditionally has meant lengthy laboratory testing, slower decision-making.

5. They Don’t Require Extensive Training to Use

The first interesting moment about the mobile colorimeters is that they are convenient to use. Although most of them are complex scientific instruments, their interfaces are friendly to users. The device is set on any surface, and operators push a button.

They process this information, and within a few seconds, they get the correct information on a digital screen. Most of them are even linked to smartphones or computers to store and analyze data. This ease of use allows easy penetration for both professionals and novices.

6. They Help Reduce Waste in Manufacturing

Variation in colors during production tends to result in wastage of materials. Portable colorimeters help remedy this by detecting errors early on in the process. As an example, slight shade variations can lead to total batches being scrapped in the textile industry.

Colorimeters will help in the identification of mismatches by providing precise measurements to enable the stoppage of the production process at an early phase. This reduces wastage, saves on resources, and enhances the sustainability of industries. They eventually lead to making the manufacturing procedure more environmentally friendly.

7. They Are More Portable Than You Might Think

The word portable may be ambiguous, but these devices are really small. Larger versions of modern colorimeters can be held in a pocket or on a tool bag. The portability enables the professionals to take them to their working places, be it building sites, fields, or laboratories.

These lightweight designs make them convenient, and they still maintain accuracy famillepite lozier In comparison to the old cumbersome models, modern-day portable models are constructed to be efficient and field-friendly.

8. They Can Compare Thousands of Stored Colors

Memory-storing Portable colorimeters are more useful in comparing different readings. On some models, thousands of reference colors are stored in a database in the model. This aspect is especially helpful in any enterprise where the accuracy of fitting, like in auto painting or fashion design, is a necessity.

Users no longer have to compare samples manually, and, in a flash, they find out whether a color matches or is out of an acceptable tolerance range. This ability accelerates the workflows with assurance of quality uniformity

9. They Are Constantly Evolving With Smart Technology

Portable colorimeters are free of a basic measurement function. Numerous new devices have Wi-Fi or Bluetooth interfaces to make immediate data exchange possible. Others can be used with special apps to accommodate immediate reporting and cloud storage.

Advanced ones even incorporate some form of artificial intelligence to provide tips on corrective measures in case of a mismatch. This development underlines the way technology is making colorimeters more intelligent and useful in the context of various industries.

Conclusion

Portable colorimeters may look straightforward, but their effect is huge. They are crucial in every industry, including food security, mitigating waste during production, etc.

They can measure things human eyes cannot see, too simple, and flexible to fit with current intelligent technology, which makes them unavoidable.

Regardless of whether you are in the printing, environmental sciences, or product design field, these instruments guarantee that the color is accurate and of quality. Our color experts team will be happy to help you select a suitable color measure instruments for your application.

Knowing these not-so-proverbial facts, professionals will be able to better appreciate the value portable colorimeters add to their businesses.

FAQs

1. What industries commonly use portable colorimeters?

Portable colorimeters are employed in the printing industry, textile industry, automotives, food, environmental, and plastics to ensure their color is consistent and within desirable standards. Threenh is a leading developer and manufacturer of instruments in the field of color measurement and color management solutions.

2. How accurate are portable colorimeters compared to lab equipment?

Although less sophisticated than spectrophotometers machine, portable colorimeters give extremely accurate readings. Which are capable of being used in field measurements or Quality control.

3. Do portable colorimeters work on all surfaces?

They are most effective with smooth, opaque, and featureless surfaces, although sophisticated ones are able to cope with textured or curved surfaces.

4. Can portable colorimeters connect to smartphones?

A lot of newer models are Bluetooth/Wi-Fi connected to smartphones, which allows the storage of data, analysis, and immediate reporting.

5. Are portable colorimeters expensive to maintain?

They are inexpensive to maintain. Typically requiring calibration and battery replacement only. Moreover, they are low-cost to use compared with higher-end laboratory spectrophotometer devices.