Optical Characterization of Paper as Basis for Printing and as Aesthetic Media

Claudio Puebla

Axiphos GmbH

D-79540 Loerrach, Germany

Summary:

Fluorescent Whitening Agents (FWAs) compensate for the aesthetically undesirable

yellowish cast found in nearly white substrates, such as materials comprised of cellulose

fibres. Applied through specific industrial processes they enhance the brightness of the

material to give a dazzling white that is clearly preferred by paper consumers. The

mechanism of action is based on the generated fluorescence by the FWA; the perceived

final colour of the substrate comes from a combination of subtractive colour mixing of

the substrate and additive colour mixing with fluorescence, this mechanism is normally

not considered by usual colour calculation schemes and models. Furthermore the amount

of produced fluorescence depends heavily on the amount of UV in the observation

environment that can fluctuate within large ranges under non-standardized visual

assessment conditions. These effects combined introduce a new dimension of

metamerism while assessing paper specimens produced under different manufacturing

conditions. Generated fluorescence interacts with the perceived colours in two different

was: first it mixes with the colour of the printed patch changing intrinsically the reflected

light by the spot and secondly, it provides a bright underground and surrounding of the

printed patch (depending on quality luminosity may exceed the of 100 points mark)

shifting the colour as perceived by the human eye. These effects are aggravated by the

fact that most papers on the market are produced using a total “whiteness index” as

control parameter ignoring the fact of different colour mixing mechanism that originate

perceived whiteness. In the present paper basic concepts on whiteness, whiteness

perception and whiteness control are outlined and different control procedures presented

for quality classification of papers as well as for FWA application and colour control

during paper production.

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