Because builders continue using materials with a broader range of colours, patterns and textures, maintaining colour consistency throughout construction is more critical now than ever. In the commercial world, many companies use certain colour tones or shades to trademark their brands. These businesses pay top dollar for precise colour matching, requiring builders to take the most effective measures to maintain colour consistency from early project stages through completion.
Colour consistency is the average variation amount of chromaticity between two samples. Chromaticity refers to a colour's quality, determined by its dominant wavelength regardless of brightness. Because not all inconsistencies are identifiable by the human eye in specific light settings, builders use precise tools to measure colour and achieve the consistency their customers require.
Builders often relate colour consistency to colour tolerance, specifically when comparing materials with various textures or degrees of roughness. Colour tolerance is the amount of permitted variation between a material's colour and an existing colour standard. Many colour tolerances go beyond what's detectable by the human eye in an average setting.
Maintaining colour consistency is vital because it saves significant money in potential material replacement and labor should the customer discover a variation when the project is complete. Colour consistency is crucial because it can make or break a building company's or contractor's reputation.
Besides construction companies needing to measure colour consistency in all construction stages, it's equally essential for building material manufacturers to monitor colour throughout fabrication. Some materials are much more challenging to measure than others. For example, architectural glass is either reflective, transparent or a combination of both, requiring precise measuring methods.
Similarly, bricks often change colour when fired and can vary in consistency from batch to batch if exposed to different temperatures. Roofing shingles have coarse textures that make colour monitoring even more challenging.
Spectrophotometers are the perfect devices for monitoring colour consistency in building materials, particularly products with unique properties like glass, bricks, cement, tiles and shingles. These devices evaluate colour by reflecting controlled light bursts off an object's surface and analyzing the reflected light's wavelengths. Some spectrophotometers evaluate a product's texture and roughness during measurement, both vital factors for most building materials.
With many decades of experience in developing superior solutions for the building materials industry, HunterLab offers various instruments for monitoring colour consistency. Contact our team online today to learn more about our products or request a quote. You can also explore our blog for more insightful posts about spectrophotometers and colour measurement.
HunterLab goes beyond color, delivering precise, science-backed solutions that help industries achieve superior quality and appearance control. As a global leader in spectrophotometry, we empower businesses to reduce waste, improve efficiency, and enhance product consistency—directly impacting the bottom line. By combining innovation, real-world expertise, and sustainable measurement solutions, we help manufacturers optimize production, minimize material loss, and meet the highest industry standards. Follow us on LinkedIn