Colour contrast and metamerism

Colour perception is influenced by the spectrum of the light incident upon the retina, whereby this light not only originates from the object viewed, but most importantly from the surroundings. Two different materials with different characteristics can generate the same stimulation on the retina and are therefore seen as the same colour. For instance, a yellow we see on a monitor can be the same as a yellow we see in printed form, although it is sure to have a different spectral distribution.

Thanks to this phenomenon it is possible to reproduce a colour without using the same material. Metamerism can however lead to problems in conservative dentistry: two materials can appear to have the same colour or different colours depending on the type of illumination.

>> Interactive experiment

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