Method and system for determining colour from an image

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to the determination of the color of a color sample from an image of the color sample. In one embodiment a color sample capture card is provided having printed thereon color samples of known color (for example, XYZ tri-stimulus values). An image of the test color sample is then captured using domestically available equipment, such as a consumer digital camera or camera-equipped mobile telephone, the image also containing the color sample capture card. In one embodiment the image is then transmitted to a remote color determination service for color sample color determination. Regression analysis is then performed using the RGB color samples in the image and known XYZ colors thereof to characterize the color capture response of the image capture device. Having characterized the image capture device the XYZ color of the unknown color sample can be determined from the RGB color thereof in the image. Knowing the XYZ color, the color can then be matched to a palette of paint colors, to determine a paint color to match the unknown color.