The appearance of a manufactured product, given that it will fulfill its intended purpose, is its most important attribute. Appearance often determines the acceptability of a product to its seller, and ultimately to the consumer or end-user. The quality of the appearance of a product is psychologically related to its expected performance and useful life. It therefore determines its reception by potential purchasers. This paper describes the interaction of light with objects; reflection, absorption, transmission, or a combination of these phenomena, which result in the perception of the objects, and how measurements that correspond to the way the eye sees color may be made.