Reflectance vs Transmittance: What Is the Right Fit for Your Application?
When selecting a spectrophotometer, one of the most important decisions is whether your application requires reflectance measurement or transmittance measurement. While both methods evaluate how light interacts with a sample, they serve very different purposes depending on the material being tested.
What is Reflectance Measurement?
Reflectance measures the light that bounces off the surface of a sample.
It is typically used for:
- Opaque materials
- Solid products
- Surface color evaluation
- Appearance control
Common applications include:
- Paints and coatings
- Plastics and polymers
- Textiles
- Paper
- Food powders
- Building materials
Reflectance instruments often use integrating sphere technology to capture diffuse and specular reflection, ensuring reliable and repeatable surface color measurement.
If your product does not allow light to pass through, reflectance measurement is required.
HunterLab reflectance spectrophotometers such as ColorFlex L2 and Agera are designed for fast, reliable surface color evaluation in production and laboratory environments.
What is Transmittance Measurement?
Transmittance measures the light that passes through a sample.
It is used for:
- Transparent or translucent materials
- Liquids
- Glass
- Films
- Clear plastics
Typical applications include:
- Beverage color control
- Pharmaceutical solutions
- Optical materials
- Packaging films
- Transparent resins
Transmittance instruments evaluate clarity, haze, and internal color characteristics that cannot be measured from surface reflection alone.
HunterLab solutions such as the UltraScan VIS offer both reflectance and transmittance capabilities, making it ideal for manufacturers handling diverse materials.
Key Considerations for Choosing Transmissive vs. Reflective Measurement
Transmission measurements work for transparent to translucent materials that allow 30% or more of the light to pass through — even if the surface is textured, like etched glass.
Opaque samples, which don’t let enough light through, are better measured using reflectance.
Why One Instrument Cannot Always Perform Both Tests
Although both methods measure light interaction, reflectance and transmittance require fundamentally different optical paths and detector configurations. Reflectance instruments are engineered to collect light returning from a surface, while transmittance systems must position the detector on the opposite side of the sample to measure light passing through it. Because of these structural differences in geometry and internal design, a reflectance-only instrument cannot accurately perform transmittance testing, and vice versa.
Supporting Manufacturers Across Industries
Dash Asia, in partnership with HunterLab, provides spectrophotometer solutions for:
- Coatings & construction
- Plastics & packaging
- Food & beverage
- Pharmaceuticals
- Chemical manufacturing
Beyond supplying instruments, we assist with:
- Application consultation
- Method selection
- Installation & training
- After-sales technical support
Our goal is to ensure you implement the right solution — not just any solution.
Unsure which configuration fits your material?
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