ASTM D1535-97

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Designation: D 1535 – 97
Standard Practice for
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Specifying Color by the Munsell System
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D 1535; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope nates x and y, in the CIE system for standard illuminant C,by
the use of scales defined by the Optical Society of America
1.1 This practice provides a means of specifying the colors
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Subcommittee on the Spacing of the Munsell Colors (1).
of objects in terms of the Munsell color order system, a system
3.2.1.1 Discussion—The Munsell notation is written as a
based on the color-perception attributes hue, lightness, and
combination of letters and numbers by which the color of an
chroma. The practice is limited to opaque objects, such as
opaque object may be specified with respect to Munsell hue H,
painted surfaces viewed in daylight by an observer having
Munsell value V, and Munsell chroma C, written in the form H
normal color vision. This practice provides a simple visual
V/C.
method as an alternative to the more precise and more complex
3.2.2 hue, n—the attribute of color perception by means of
method based on spectrophotometry and the CIE system (see
which a color is judged to be red, orange, yellow, green, blue,
Practices E 308 and E 1164). Provision is made for conversion
purple, or intermediate between adjacent pairs of these, con-
of CIE data to Munsell notation.
sidered in a closed ring (red and purple being an adjacent pair).
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the
3.2.3 Munsell hue, n—an attribute of color used in the
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
Munsell color system to indicate the hue of a specimen viewed
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
in daylight.
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
3.2.3.1 Discussion—Two systems of designating Munsell
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.
hue are shown in Fig. 1, a letter-number system and an
2. Referenced Documents all-number system. The two systems are equivalent, but the
letter-number system is preferred, because it requires no prior
2.1 ASTM Standards:
knowledge or memory of the correspondence of numbers to
D 1729 Practice for Visual Evaluation of Color Differences
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hues. The hue circle is graduated in steps judged visually to be
of Opaque Materials
approximately equal.
D 3134 Practice for Establishing Color and Gloss Toler-
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3.2.4 lightness, n—the attribute of color perception by
ances
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which a non-self-luminous body is judged to reflect more or
E 284 Terminology of Appearance
less light.
E 308 Practice for Computing the Colors of Objects by
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3.2.5 Munsell value, n—an attribute of color used in the
Using the CIE System
Munsell color system to indicate the lightness of a specimen
E 1164 Practice for Obtaining Spectrophotometric Data for
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viewed in daylight, on a scale extending from 0 for ideal black
Object-Color Evaluation
to 10 for ideal white, in steps that are visually approximately
3. Terminology
equal in magnitude.
3.2.5.1 Discussion—Achromatic or neutral colors are des-
3.1 Terms and definitions in Terminology E 284 are appli-
ignated N followed by the value notation, thus: N 5.61/.
cable to this practice.
3.2.6 chroma, n—the attribute of color used to indicate the
3.2 Definitions:
degree of departure of the color from a neutral color of the
3.2.1 Munsell notation, n—( 1) the Munsell hue, value, and
same lightness.
chroma assigned to the color of a specimen by visually
3.2.7 Munsell chroma, n—an attribute of color used in the
comparing the specimen to the chips in the Munsell Book of
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Munsell color system to indicate the degree of departure of a
Color; (2) a notation in the Munsell color system, derived
color from a gray of the same Munsell value, in steps that are
from luminous reflectance factor Y and chromaticity coordi-
visually approximately equal in magnitude.
3.3 Definitions of Terms Specific to This Standard:
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This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E12 on Appearance
3.3.1 Munsell surface-color perception solid, n—a spatial
and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee E12.07 on Color Order Systems
USTAGTC 187. representation of colors in the form of a cylindrical coordinate
Current edition approved Dec. 10, 1997. Published November 1998. Originally
published as D 1535 – 58 T. Last previous edition D 1535 – 96.
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Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 06.01.
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Available from GretagMacbeth, 617 Little Britain Road, New Windsor, NY The boldface numbers in parentheses refer to a list of references at th
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