STANDARD NAMES FOR COLOURS

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 102, 27 October 1934, Page 25

STANDARD NAMES FOR COLOURS

When the British Colour Council cams into being the declared aims ami objects included the placing <.if colour determination for the British Empire in- British hands and the provision of standard names for colonies for cloar^ ness sake, says "The Times." Memberk were promised that among the services offered would bo the free issue of sneh a: standard range of colours, to bo distinct .from the seasonal fashion ranges and to be comprised of' those col-ours-which'are in constant demand.

The promise has been fulfilled liy the production. o£ the British Colour LVmn cii Dictionary of Colour Standards, consisting of two volumes, ono showing 220 colours presented on pun; silk ribbon and named) numbered, and coded, and the. other giving the history of each colour, the various names by which each lias previously been known, and the authority for standardisation. The dictionary is primarily intended for industrial and commercial reference, but it would delight the artist or the lover of appropriate words by its spread of fascinating c.ojoiir_tones and tho imagery (.hat has been brought to "their" naming. Cyclamen .pink, nettle,..grey; : , battleship grey, bee-eater blue, CliaVtreuse_ : ,groen, buttercup, and banana,^j£^pe^ given as a random selection from the, jjisti,

The colours, other than those; decided on as.specfrum colours,;fall'into three classes-—those- which can he matched to definitely -existing standards, such as Wedgwood blue or Post ; .Officq;Ted; those which •ca.n, be matched, to ;th;e average of a-inuinber of tiamplesy-whe'tlicr animal, vegetable," or 'mineral,- siicn'-Mis-- squirrel carrot, and sapphire; and those of whien the colour sensation attributed to i definite' colour name' slWm'STi Very wide divergence of opinion, such as sky blue, saxe blue, and old rose. It is stated that the third of these classes was the most' difficult to deal withf.as in some

cases names still regarded us standard wore, first used hundreds of years ago and tho number of hues attributed to tho same colour name increased, for various reasons, until tho origin.il significance was lost. The variety of specimens received for each colour was astounding; there were, for instance, 80 different sky blues, 60 different whites, and 40 different blacks.

Tlic councils state that a great deal of misunderstanding on certain points can vow bo cleared up. There is no separate and distinct sot of colours for each industry, and it is possible to match any product from silk ribbon. The 220 colours contained in tho dictionary havts been adopted by tho British Standards Institution and, through the director of that instituto, have been put forward for acceptance to the standardising bodies in tho British Colonies and Dominions. X

A number of important points arc associated with the dictionary. Tho range was drawn up on a system which makes it praeticablo us a definite colour language for all stages of colour education and in all'colour-using irirlustri.es. The range is so created thai- it can, if necessary, be enlarged to a .regular graduated range. The colours have been measured scientifically so that the original standard can be permanently preserved.

Representatives of industry were consulted in order that the range should be sufficiently-comprehensive for each col-our-using industry, to select ranges of colours technically possible to reproduce. When and where possible, and if necessary, colours already standardised were incorporated , after their history had been investigated.:. ■; . ■ . It is stated to be practically certain that the range will be accepted by the Empire standardising authorities as agreed at tho Ottawa Conference.