PNNL

Abstract

Illuminant-induced metameric mismatch is an important consideration in the specification of light sources for some architectural environments, yet there is currently no standardized performance measure. The goal of this work was to evaluate two recent research proposals: The Metameric Uncertainty Index (Rt) and the Metamer Mismatching Color Rendering Index (MMCRI). To compare the relative performance of these two measures, 100,000 spectral power distributions were generated with 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 Gaussian spectral components and spectral widths varying from 1 nm (monochromatic) to 100 nm. Both measures generally agree with the theory that broadband radiation should cause less metameric mismatch than narrowband radiation. The two measures have relatively better agreement for broadband SPDs and relatively worse agreement for narrower spectra. Despite some similarities, two-sample Kolmogorov–Smirnov tests suggest that Rt and MMCRI are significantly different quantifications of illuminant-induced metameric mismatch (p