Wrinkled Fabrics, Optical Illusions, and the FRL® Topometer 1

Abstract

The visual assessment of the degree of wrinkling in a fabric is influenced by the contour of the wrinkled surface, the color of the fabric, and the pattern or texture which may exist. Subjective evaluations often show inconsistencies between observers, which are related to the degree to which they allow the color, pattern, and texture effects to influence their judgment of wrinkle severity. An instrument has been developed which permits a numerical assessment of the effect of wrinkling on the uniformity of appearance of a fabric. This assessment is shown to correlate well with visual assessment, using the Munsell gray scale to create synthetic appearance unevenness.