Densitometer

Densitometers are devices for quantitative measurement of color density ( solid density ) and optical density of printed materials and in particular a family of techniques for measuring the optical density in negatives, transparencies and paper images. Also in the quantitative evaluation of thin-layer chromatograms find densitometer as so-called TLC Scanner using. The measurements can also be used for fluorescence measurements in the visible, in the UV spectral range. Unlike a spectrophotometer can be measured with a densitometer only tones, tints. In a densitometer of the tone value of the Murray-Davies formula is defined. Densitometer is used in geotechnical engineering to determine the density of a soil.

Differentiation areas

A distinction

• By the light densitometer for measurement of banners, such as film materials (in this case the transmission is measured ) and
• Supervisory densitometer to measure the reflection from reflective originals like paper images (in this case, the reflectance is measured ).

Some varieties are to be made capable of review and oversight measurements by flipping a built-in switch. These are particularly useful in the preparation of analog photographs. Photo lab technicians hereby choose from a previously measured negative an appropriate photo paper without having to strive with test strips.