ASTM D1684-07(2020)

Standard Practice for Lighting Cotton Classing Rooms for Color Grading

SIGNIFICANCE AND USE
5.1 This practice is useful for establishing and maintaining standard lighting conditions in cotton classing rooms. This permits the classer to make a valid assessment of the color grade of cotton. The cotton classer attempts to classify cotton on the basis of the color the sample and the standard would have in daylight. It is essential that the lighting in a classing room is constant and that it makes the color of cotton appear as nearly as possible as it would in natural daylight.  
5.2 Uniform lighting conditions permit classers to go from one classing room to another without having to make adjustments for wide differences in the amount and quality of lighting.
SCOPE
1.1 This practice covers practices in general use in the United States for lighting cotton classing rooms, provides general background information regarding the development and establishment of these practices, and prescribes a test method for appraising the color quality of lamps procured for this purpose.  
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety, health, and environmental practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.  
1.3 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 30-Jun-2020
• ICS: 91.160.10 - Interior lighting
• Technical Committee: D13 - Textiles
• Drafting Committee: D13.11 - Cotton Fibers

Relations

• Replaces: ASTM D1684-07(2012) - Standard Practice for Lighting Cotton Classing Rooms for Color Grading
• Effective Date: 01-Jul-2020
• Refers: ASTM D123-17 - Standard Terminology Relating to Textiles
• Effective Date: 01-Mar-2017
• Refers: ASTM D123-15b - Standard Terminology Relating to Textiles
• Effective Date: 15-Sep-2015
• Refers: ASTM D123-15a - Standard Terminology Relating to Textiles
• Effective Date: 01-Sep-2015
• Refers: ASTM D123-15 - Standard Terminology Relating to Textiles
• Effective Date: 01-Apr-2015
• Refers: ASTM D7139-09(2013) - Standard Terminology for Cotton Fibers
• Effective Date: 01-Jul-2013
• Refers: ASTM D123-13a - Standard Terminology Relating to Textiles
• Effective Date: 15-Jun-2013
• Refers: ASTM D123-13ae1 - Standard Terminology Relating to Textiles
• Effective Date: 15-Jun-2013
• Refers: ASTM D123-13 - Standard Terminology Relating to Textiles
• Effective Date: 15-May-2013
• Refers: ASTM D123-12e1 - Standard Terminology Relating to Textiles
• Effective Date: 01-Feb-2012
• Refers: ASTM D123-12 - Standard Terminology Relating to Textiles
• Effective Date: 01-Feb-2012
• Refers: ASTM D7139-09(2013)e1 - Standard Terminology for Cotton Fibers
• Effective Date: 15-Jan-2009
• Refers: ASTM D123-09e2 - Standard Terminology Relating to Textiles
• Effective Date: 15-Jan-2009
• Refers: ASTM D7139-09 - Standard Terminology for Cotton Fibers
• Effective Date: 15-Jan-2009
• Refers: ASTM D123-09e1 - Standard Terminology Relating to Textiles
• Effective Date: 15-Jan-2009

Overview

ASTM D1684-07(2020): Standard Practice for Lighting Cotton Classing Rooms for Color Grading defines the essential requirements for establishing and maintaining proper lighting conditions in cotton classing rooms. Developed by ASTM International, this standard ensures that room lighting accurately simulates daylight, enabling consistent and reliable color grading of cotton samples. Correct color grading is vital for determining cotton’s quality, value, and suitability for various end uses. This standard is widely adopted across the United States and referenced internationally, supporting fair and efficient cotton classification practices.

Key Topics

• Standard Lighting Conditions: Specifies lighting characteristics to mimic daylight, with a focus on color temperature and spectral quality (typically daylight at about 7500 K), to ensure accurate color evaluation in cotton grading.
• Uniformity of Lighting: Emphasizes the importance of consistent illumination across classing rooms so that classers can move easily between different rooms without adjusting for lighting differences.
• Lighting Unit Design and Installation: Recommends using lighting units that supply uniform, diffused illumination, minimize glare, and are installed according to room and table layouts for optimal effectiveness.
• Color of Surroundings: Guides on neutral color schemes for walls, ceilings, floors, furniture, and table surfaces to avoid color bias during grading.
• Maintenance: Outlines procedures for regular inspection, cleaning, and maintenance of lighting equipment to uphold standardized conditions.
• Test Methods: Includes methods for appraising the color quality of lamps and maintenance routines using calibrated light meters.

Applications

The main application of ASTM D1684-07(2020) is in cotton grading and classing facilities, helping stakeholders achieve:

• Reliable Color Grading: Ensures that cotton samples are evaluated under lighting conditions as close as possible to natural daylight, minimizing errors and maximizing consistency.
• Inter-room Consistency: Facilitates uniform cotton grading results across multiple locations, supporting fair trade, accurate value assessments, and compliance with official standards.
• Process Standardization: Provides clear guidelines for lighting installation and maintenance, allowing cotton classing rooms to meet industry and regulatory requirements efficiently.
• Quality Assurance: Supports the integrity of the cotton supply chain by reducing variability due to environmental factors and human perception.

Typical entities benefiting from this standard include:

• Cotton classing and grading facilities
• Textile laboratories
• Cotton purchasing and trading organizations
• Research and development centers in textiles

Related Standards

• ASTM D123: Terminology Relating to Textiles - defines key terminology used in textile testing and standards.
• ASTM D7139: Terminology for Cotton Fibers - provides additional definitions relevant to cotton fibers.
• CIE Standards: International Commission on Illumination guidelines for color rendering and daylight simulation are referenced as benchmarks for lighting quality and color temperature.
• IES Lighting Handbook: Guidance from the Illuminating Engineering Society is considered for optimal lighting design and maintenance in industrial settings.

Practical Value

By following ASTM D1684-07(2020), organizations can optimize cotton classing room environments for accurate, reproducible color grading, support industry-wide consistency, and ensure regulatory compliance. This results in better product quality, more reliable market transactions, and enhanced trust among buyers and sellers within the cotton and textile industries.

Keywords: cotton classing room, color grading, lighting standard, ASTM D1684, daylight simulation, textile testing, cotton quality, illumination specification, color temperature, neutral surroundings, cotton fiber grading.

Standards Content (Sample)

This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization established in the Decision on Principles for the
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
Designation: D1684 − 07 (Reapproved 2020)
Standard Practice for
Lighting Cotton Classing Rooms for Color Grading
This standard is issued under the fixed designation D1684; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
INTRODUCTION
Until 1940, practically all cotton classing was done in daylight, much of it in specially skylighted
rooms designed to provide sufficient and uniform lighting on the classing tables. Cotton classification
or classing is the art and science of describing the quality of cotton according to the official standards
of the United States. Grade is divided into two categories – color grade and leaf grade. Because color
grade is an important quality factor in establishing the price and use of cotton, the color quality of
lighting is important. The cotton classer attempts to class cotton on the basis of the color the sample
and the standard would have in daylight. In classing rapidly he refers to physical standards only
occasionally each day; therefore it is most important that the lighting in a classing room shall not only
provide a constant color but that it shall make the color of cotton appear as nearly as possible as it
would in daylight so that he can take full advantage of training and memory.
In the USA, daylight at about 7500 K is what the cotton classer (1-3), (as well as color matchers
in other industries (4-6)) has found in practice to be the minimum color temperature of preferred
daylight.
1. Scope 2. Referenced Documents
1.1 This practice covers practices in general use in the 2.1 ASTM Standards:
United States for lighting cotton classing rooms, provides D123 Terminology Relating to Textiles
general background information regarding the development D7139 Terminology for Cotton Fibers
and establishment of these practices, and prescribes a test
3. Terminology
method for appraising the color quality of lamps procured for
3.1 For all terminology relating to D13.11, Cotton and
this purpose.
Fibers, refer to Terminology D7139.
1.2 This standard does not purport to address all of the
3.1.1 The following terms are relevant to this standard:
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
color grading, illumination, kelvin.
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
priate safety, health, and environmental practices and deter- 3.2 For all other terminology relating to textiles, refer to
mine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use. Terminology D123.
1.3 This international standard was developed in accor-
4. Summary of Practice
dance with internationally recognized principles on standard-
ization established in the Decision on Principles for the 4.1 Artificial lighting is used in cotton classing rooms to
Development of International Standards, Guides and Recom- simulate ideal daylight conditions in north latitudes with a
mendations issued by the World Trade Organization Technical moderately overcast sky. The quality and quantity of
Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee. illumination, the geometry of illumination, the type of lighting
unit and pattern for installation, the color of surroundings, and
maintenance of lighting equipment are specified in this prac-
ThispracticeisunderthejurisdictionofASTMCommitteeD13onTextilesand
tice.
is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee D13.11 on Cotton Fibers.
Current edition approved July 1, 2020. Published August 2020. Originally
approved in 1959 T. Last previous edition approved in 2012 as D1684 – 07(2012). For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or
DOI: 10.1520/D1684-07R20. contact ASTM Customer Service at [e-mail]. For Annual Book of ASTM
The boldface numbers in parentheses refer to references listed at the end of this
Standards volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on
practice.
the ASTM website.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
D1684 − 07 (2020)
5. Significance and Use 6. Quality of Illumination
5.1 This practice is useful for establishing and maintaining 6.1 The standard for color quality of illumination is the
standard lighting conditions in cotton classing rooms. This color and spectral quality of daylight of a moderately overcast
permits the classer to make a valid assessment of the color northern sky, as represented by the curve and data in Fig. 1 for
grade of cotton. The cotton classer attempts to classify cotton typical daylight at 7500 K (7, 8).
on the basis of the color the sample and the standard would
6.2 Tolerances for meeting this standard for color quality
have in daylight. It is essential that the lighting in a classing
are 6200 K correlated color temperature of color, and for
room is constant and that it makes the color of cotton appear as
spectral quality the spectral distribution shall be as close as
nearly as possible as it would in natural daylight.
possible to that shown in Fig. 1; in no case shall the color
5.2 Uniform lighting conditions permit classers to go from renderingindexbelowerthan92,asdeterminedbytheGeneral
one classing room to another without having to make adjust- Color Rendering Index recommended in 1965 by the Interna-
ments for wide differences in the amount and quality of tional Commission on Illumination (CIE) described in Refs (9)
lighting. and (10).
Wave- CIE Standard
A
length, nm for Daylight at
B
7500 K (Rela-
tive Energy)
400 101.9
10 111.9
20 112.8
30 103.1
40 121.2
450 133.0
60 132.4
70 127.3
80 126.8
90 117.8
500 116.6
10 113.7
20 108.7
30 110.4
40 106.3
550 104.9
60 100.0
70 95.6
80 94.2
90 87.0
600 87.2
10 86.1
20 83.6
30 78.7
40 78.4
650 74.8
60 74.3
70 75.4
80 71.6
90 63.9
700 65.1
A −9
nm is the abbreviation for nanometre, which is a metre × 10 = mµ = millimicron.
B
The data for 400 to 700 nm are based on Table III of August, 1965, recommendations of the CIE colorimetry committee (E-1.3.1) for an international standard to represent
typical daylight (300 to 830 nm) of correlated color temperature 7500 K (7, 8).
FIG. 1 Standard for Color Quality of Illumination for Color Grading Problems in Which the Equivalent of Light from a “Covered Sky” is
Required or Preferred. In North Latitudes this is a sky that is moderately overcast from the north.
D1684 − 07 (2020)
7. Quantity of Illumination diffusing glass designed not only to diffuse the light but to
provide a very low brightness contrast. Based on the pattern of
7.1 Atthepresenttime,theoptimumamountofillumination
light provided by these units, installations in which they are
for cotton classing is not known. For light sources that include
used usually are arranged as follows:
the use of fluorescent lamps, the U.S. Department of Agricul-
9.2.1 Diffusing glass at the bottom of the units is set 10 ft (3
ture requires at the time of installation a minimum of 100
m) from the floor and parallel to it, in rows centered 6 ft (2.1
footcandles (1076 lx) on the working surface (from center to
m) apart.
limits of classing areas). Studies (4, 5, 11) show that illumina-
9.2.2 A minimum of four rows are recommended for an
tion above 400 fc (4300 1x) may be considered “very poor.”
averagesizedroom.Increasethenumberofrowsasrequiredto
Optimum conditions lie somewhere between. Most recent
allowefficientuseofallspacewithintheroom.Classingtables,
installationsarewellabovetheminimumrequirements,usually
depending somewhat on their length, may be placed either
reaching a range of 150 to 200 fc (1614 to 2152 lx) on
parallel to the direction of lighting or at right angles. For full
installation (Notes 1 and 2).
use of the room, lighting units should be extended to within 3
NOTE 1—The minimum range for lighting cotton classing rooms is
to 4 ft (1 to 1.2 m) of the side walls and as close to end walls
based on data in Tables X1.1 and X1.2 in Appendix X1. Many cotton
as is convenient and possible.
classingroomswerestudied;theywerelightedbydaylightfromthenorth,
9.2.3 For a single table, no less than three units, installed
usually through skylights. Results demonstrate that the absolute level of
end-to-end, should be used; for a small classing room the
lighting is not critical; the highest footcandles for each sky condition do
not always rate “very good.” Later studies corroborated the option, based
minimum is two rows of four units each.
on a study of Tables X1.1 and X1.2, that after a minimum is reached, the
quality of the illumination is more important than quantity in choice of
10. Color of Surroundings
illumination for classing. The data obtained seem to be the result of
averaging whatever quantities of illumination happened to be associated
10.1 The color on walls, ceiling, floors, furniture, and even
with the best liked quali
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