ISCC–NBS system

The ISCC–NBS system names colors with standardized combinations of ordinary color terms and links those names to numerical color specifications.

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Munsell color system: A color notation system that organizes colors by hue, value, and chroma. Its color dimensions underpin the ISCC–NBS system’s numerical specifications.
Inter-Society Color Council: A U.S. organization formed to coordinate color standards and communication across technical societies. The council initiated the effort to make color names systematic.
United States Pharmacopeia: A compendium of standards for medicines, ingredients, and related health products in the United States. Its color terms have been used to specify the appearance of pharmaceutical materials.
Pantone Matching System: A proprietary system of numbered color references used chiefly in printing and product design. Pantone identifies specific reproduction targets, while ISCC–NBS maps colors to descriptive names.
CIE XYZ color space: A color space defined by the CIE using three tristimulus values derived from human color matching. The system’s numerical color definitions are grounded in standardized colorimetry.
National Bureau of Standards: The former U.S. federal agency responsible for measurement standards, now called NIST. The Bureau developed and published the system with the council.
National Institute of Standards and Technology: A U.S. federal agency that develops measurement science, standards, and technology. NIST preserves and provides access to the system’s reference resources.
RAL colour standard: A standardized collection of color references used widely in European industry and design. RAL codes identify fixed references rather than naming broad regions of color.
Color difference: A quantitative measure of the perceptual or numerical separation between two colors. Color boundaries and tolerances depend on how far samples differ.
Kenneth L. Kelly: An American physicist who worked on color standards at the National Bureau of Standards. Kelly helped develop the system’s standardized color nomenclature.