Definition
ASTM E1499-16 is a standard by ASTM International that describes how organisations select, evaluate and train visual colour assessors (observers). The standard sets objective criteria for qualifying persons who perform professional colour assessment.
Background
The standard was developed by ASTM Committee E12 on Color and Appearance and is widely applied in industries where visual colour assessment is quality-determining: paint, textiles, plastics, printing, cosmetics and food.
ASTM E1499-16 references the FM100 as a qualification instrument. The FM100 literature itself distinguishes three levels (Farnsworth, 1957; Kinnear & Sahraie, 2002):
- Level 1 — Superior: FM100 TES ≤ 16
- Level 2 — Normal: FM100 TES ≤ 100 (age-corrected)
- Level 3 — Not qualified: FM100 TES > 100
These cut-offs originate from the FM100 manual and the Kinnear & Sahraie norm dataset, not from ASTM E1499-16 itself. ASTM E1499-16 references the FM100 framework but does not prescribe specific numerical cut-offs for qualification levels.
ASTM E1499-16 also recommends periodic requalification, taking into account factors such as ageing, medication use and fatigue.
Additional tests in the standard
§6.3.2 — Triangle Test (Japanese Color Aptitude Test)
In addition to the FM100, ASTM E1499-16 describes the Japanese Color Aptitude Test as a complementary qualification instrument. The Triangle Test consists of 20 sets of three colour chips from which the colour assessor must identify the deviating chip. This test specifically measures the discrimination of small colour differences (ΔE 1–3).
§6.4 — Magnitude Scaling
The standard also describes magnitude scaling (§6.4.2) as a higher qualification test: the ability to not only detect a colour difference, but also correctly estimate its magnitude.
§5.3 — Warning about digital replicas
ASTM E1499-16 §5.3 warns: “The user is cautioned to avoid the substitution of validated vision tests with replicas of any kind, either printed, photographed or digitally displayed.”
This warning was formulated in 1997 and relates to uncalibrated reproductions of physical tests — scans, photographs, or digital copies without colour validation. ColorAptitude™ is not a replica: it uses its own stimuli in the OKLCH colour space, a seven-step screen calibration procedure, and its own norm data. See the scientific positioning for a full rationale.
Relevance to ColorAptitude™
ColorAptitude™ is designed as a digital implementation of the ASTM E1499-16 qualification framework. The Hue Ordering Diagnostic corresponds directly to the FM100 qualification. Because ColorAptitude™ also measures attribution (which property changed) and communication (correctly naming colour differences), the platform offers a broader profile than the minimum requirements of the standard.
Organisations that follow ASTM E1499-16 can use ColorAptitude™ for initial qualification, periodic requalification and targeted training of assessors — fully digital and remote.