Color Standards

Color specifications have been set by organizations such as ACS, USP, ASTM, and EP for many pharmaceuticals, chemicals, and other products. Color is also an important measurement for water and wastewater.

There are a variety of color standards available:

APHA (Hazen or Platinum-Cobalt) Color Standards

Used by almost every organization concerned with color measurement

Most useful in cases where a yellow or yellow-brown color indicates impurity or decomposition

Levels from 0 color units to 1500 color units available

USP / EP Primary Color Standards

Cobaltous Chloride CS (Red Primary Solution)

Cupric Sulfate CS (Blue Primary Solution)

Ferric Chloride CS (Yellow Primary Solution)

USP Matching Fluids

A series of 20 standards of various colors prepared from the USP Primary Color Standards according to the latest United States Pharmacopeia specifications 

EP Reference Solutions

Five series of standards of the same hue, with varying color intensities in each series

Prepared from the EP Primary Color Standards according to the latest European Pharmacopoeia specifications

Gardner Color Standards

A series of 18 liquid color standards prepared to ASTM D 1544-58 T specifications for accurate color measurement of liquids (as an alternative to glass filters)