ISO 10545-16-2010 PDF

Full title and description

ISO 10545-16:2010 — Ceramic tiles — Part 16: Determination of small colour differences. This International Standard specifies an instrumental method for quantifying small colour differences between plain-coloured ceramic tiles designed to be of uniform and consistent colour, and permits the specification of a maximum acceptable value for colour match.

Abstract

Describes the principle, test equipment, specimen preparation, measurement procedure and calculation/interpretation needed to quantify small colour differences between plain coloured ceramic tiles using colour‑measuring instruments; enables suppliers and purchasers to agree a maximum acceptable colour‑difference value that depends on closeness of match rather than on the nature of the colour difference.

General information

• Status: Published (International Standard; edition 2 confirmed and current).
• Publication date: 2010 (Edition 2 — March 2010).
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
• ICS / categories: 91.100.23 (Ceramic tiles).
• Edition / version: Edition 2 (2010). Supersedes ISO 10545-16:1999.
• Number of pages: 5 (ISO original publication; some national/adopted versions add national front matter and differ in page count).

Scope

Applies to plain‑coloured ceramic tiles and defines an instrumental procedure to measure and report small colour differences between a reference specimen and test specimens. The method is intended for tiles that are manufactured to be uniform in colour and is intended to support specification and acceptance decisions rather than subjective visual appraisal.

Key topics and requirements

• Definitions and colour attributes (lightness, chroma, CIE 1976 L* a* b* values) used for measurements.
• Requirements for test equipment (colour‑measuring instruments/spectrophotometers or colorimeters) and measurement geometry.
• Specimen selection and preparation: reference specimen, test specimens and handling to ensure consistent measurement.
• Measurement procedure: how to take instrumental readings and replicate measurements to obtain reliable CIELAB coordinates.
• Calculations and interpretation: computation of colour‑difference values (examples include CIELAB differences and CMC/Delta E[cmc] as used for small differences) and guidance on interpreting results against specified acceptance values.
• Reporting requirements: required information in the test report (instrument, conditions, specimen identification, measured values and calculated colour differences).

Typical use and users

Manufacturers of ceramic tiles, quality control laboratories, product conformity assessors, procurement/specification professionals, and testing bodies use this standard to quantify and agree acceptable colour matching tolerances for plain‑coloured tiles during production, inspection and acceptance processes.

Related standards

Part of the ISO 10545 series (tests for ceramic tiles). Related parts cover sampling, dimensional characteristics, water absorption, mechanical strength and other physical properties (for example ISO 10545‑1 to ISO 10545‑20). Regional/adopted equivalents include EN/ISO adoptions (e.g., EN ISO 10545-16 national publications).

Keywords

ceramic tiles; colour difference; colour measurement; CIELAB; Delta E; CMC; colour tolerance; colour matching; ISO 10545; tile testing.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 10545-16:2010 is an International Standard that specifies an instrumental method for determining small colour differences between plain‑coloured ceramic tiles.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers definitions, required test equipment, specimen preparation, measurement procedure, calculations (CIELAB and commonly used colour‑difference indices) and reporting to enable objective quantification and acceptance of small colour differences.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Tile manufacturers, QC/test laboratories, specifiers, purchasers and standards bodies use it for production control and acceptance testing where small colour variations must be measured and agreed.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: ISO 10545-16:2010 is the 2nd edition published in 2010; ISO lists this edition as published and it was reviewed/confirmed in 2022 (therefore it remains the current ISO edition). It replaces the 1999 edition and has been adopted regionally (e.g., as EN ISO 10545-16 in Europe).

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — it is Part 16 of the ISO 10545 series covering test methods for ceramic tiles; other parts of the series address sampling, dimensions, water absorption, mechanical and thermal properties, etc.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Key keywords include ceramic tiles, colour measurement, small colour differences, CIELAB, Delta E, CMC, colour tolerance and tile testing.