Color Sensors | McMaster-Carr

Filter by

Color Space

DFARS Specialty Metals

Exempt

Export Control Classification Number (ECCN)

REACH

RoHS

Field of View

Height

Width

Certification

Environment

Signal Output

4 Products

Colorimeters

Digital Touch Screen Display

Ensure consistent coloring on products such as labels and packaging. The sensor on these colorimeters translates the light an object reflects to an exact color reading. Use them for quality control to prevent slight variation that you might miss with your eyes alone. Calibrate your colorimeter using the included white calibration block. The machine measures all other colors according to their variance from true white.

Color calibration plates (sold separately) test and calibrate your colorimeter. They include five colors across the color spectrum to give the device a reference point for exact color readings. Precisely manufactured to ISO/IEC 17025, these plates meet standards for testing and calibration equipment.

Colorimeters
					Illumination									Color Calibration Plates
Repeatability	Field of View	Ht.	Wd.	Dp.	Distribution	Angle	Color Space	Color Distance Formula	Batteries Included	Features	Includes		Each		Each
LED with Visible Light Spectrum
USB-C Connection
ΔE*ab ≤ 0.03	10°	6 1/2"	2 1/2"	3 1/2"	Diffuse	8°	CIE Lab, CIE LCh, CIE Luv, CMYK, Hex, RGB, Yxy	ΔEab, ΔEuv, ΔE94, ΔEcmc (2:1), ΔEcmc (1:1), ΔE00	Yes	Storage for up to 1,000 Colors, Storage for up to 1,000 Comparisons	3 ft. Long USB Cord, AC Adapter, Microfiber Cloth, White Calibration Block	0000000	0000000	0000000	000000000

Color Calibration Plates for Colorimeters

Calibrate your colorimeter so it can identify colors with precision. The white block calibrates your colorimeter because the machine measures all other colors according to their variance from true white. The four colored blocks are particularly helpful in quality control applications, where you want to make sure a specific color is consistent unit-to-unit. Made of ceramic, these plates won’t degrade, warp, or discolor over time, ensuring reliable measurements. Their surfaces are smooth and easy to clean, so they resist scratches that could affect readings. These plates are precisely manufactured to ISO/IEC 17025 standards for testing and calibration equipment.

For technical drawings and 3-D models, click on a part number.

		Plate
For Field of View	Number of Plates	Wd., mm	Dp., mm	Color Space	Includes	Specifications Met		Each
2°, 10°	5	50	50	CIE Lab, RGB, Yxy	Five Plates (Blue, Green, Red, White, Yellow) One Pair Gloves (Size L)	ISO/IEC 17025	0000000	000000000

Photoelectric Color-Measuring Transmitters

Monitor the color of products as they pass by on your line. These transmitters don’t just detect if color is in mint condition—they also turn equipment on or off, all with a single device. They’re often used for quality control in printing and packaging lines. For instance, if ink runs low and causes a color’s hue to fade, they can send a signal to pause production. The photoelectric sensor uses a highly accurate LED beam that combines red, green, and blue (RGB), which detects the slightest shifts in color at high speeds. It can even sense gradual color changes on glossy and mirrored surfaces. Rated IP67, these transmitters are protected against dust and temporary submersion.

Transmitters with IO Link translate and send readings to control systems, such as computers, programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and human-machine interfaces (HMIs). This also lets you send commands from your control system to these transmitters. Since they have a PNP/NPN signal output, they automatically produce the type of signal output needed based on the device they’re connected to.

Cables with a socket (sold separately) connect transmitters to your control system or directly to compatible machinery.

For technical drawings and 3-D models, click on a part number.

Transmitters											Cables with Socket
Sensing Distance, mm	Input Voltage	Current Output	Signal Output Type	Communication Protocol	Lg.	Wd.	Ht.	Housing Material		Each		Each
With 4-Pole Micro M12 Plug
Direct Sensing Transmitter with Visible LED Light Beam
10	10-30V DC	100mA	PNP, NPN	IO Link	3 13/16"	1 3/16"	2 1/8"	Zinc	0000000	0000000	0000000	000000