A colorimeter is device used to measure the absorbance of a specific solution. It allows the absorbance of a solution at a particular wavelenght of light to be determined. The most common application of a colorimeter is to determine the concentration of a known solute. Different chemical substances absorb different wavelenghts of light. The concentration of a solute is proportional to the absorbance.
The optics filter in the colorimeter is used to select the wavelenght of light which the solute absorbs the most, in order to maximise accuracy.
Colorimeters usually measure results in percent transmission, percent absorption, or both.
In graphic design, colorimeters are used to generate colour profiles for equipment in the workflow. Accurate colour profiles are important to ensure that screen displays match the final printed products. This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... The International Color Consortium was formed in 1993 by eight industry vendors in order to create a universal color management system that would function transparently across all operating systems and software packages. ...