The International Commission on Illumination (CIE) has established a number of illuminant standards under which color should be evaluated. Standard illuminants include daylight (D50 for graphic arts, D65 for industrial uses), Standard Illuminant A (incandescent), and a variety of standards for fluorescent lighting. But the CIE has yet to present standards or definitions for LED lighting. As anyone involved with color evaluation in color-critical environments understands, evaluating color under controlled lighting conditions is a vital part of the quality control process. In the world of textiles and apparel, experts would recommend that color be evaluated under the most common lighting conditions the final product is likely to be subjected to “in the wild.” Historically, this has been D65 daylight, incandescent for home use, and fluorescent lighting in the retail environment. These standards have been in place for many years, and that has allowed manufacturers and purchasers of controlled lighting systems to feel confident that issues with color differences, metamerism, and other color quality attributes can be uncovered and addressed early in the manufacturing process to avoid customer dissatisfaction with the color of the items they acquire.

There is nothing worse than a consumer selecting a garment or home décor item based on the color they perceived in the retail environment under fluorescent lighting, but then seeing an entirely different color once they bring the item home or view it outdoors. It happens. And these returns are costly for retailers.

Now, though, the situation is even more complicated. Both retailers and consumers are turning to LED lighting to reduce both costs and energy usage. That makes it easier, right, if everyone is looking at color under LED lights? Not really. That’s because the CIE has not yet issued any standards associated with the effect of LED lighting on color perception. This is partly due to the fact that developing standards is a painfully slow process. But the other issue is the rapidity with which the lights themselves are evolving; manufacturers are rapidly changing the LED products they bring to market, and there is a vast number of manufacturers bringing LED products to market. If you purchased an LED light from a specific manufacturer last year, and you return to the store to buy the same brand and SKU, the likelihood is that the lights will not be the same.