Background
By general consent in all countries the specification of basic standards for use in colorimetry is the province of the CIE. The CIE made the first major recommendations regarding colorimetric standards in 1931 by approving the Standard Colorimetric Observer. These recommendations formed the basis of modern colorimetry.
The original recommendations of 1931 were reviewed from time to time by the CIE Colorimetry Committee and later by CIE Division 1, Vision and Colour. When necessary, changes were made. New recommendations were added to supplement the existing ones or to broaden the scope of colorimetry in accordance with developments in practice and science. The most recent summary of these recommendations can be found in the 3rd edition of CIE Publication 15, Colorimetry, published in 2004.
Currently, Division 1, through TC 1-57, is preparing standards on key aspects of the CIE recommendations on colorimetry. Recent years have also seen tremendous strides in the development of colour appearance models. These go beyond the specification of colour in a three dimensional colour space to take account of the influence of factors such as ambient illumination and surround on perception of colour. The advent of a wide range of imaging technology and light sources has also given rise to many new issues.