Many industries, notably the automotive, printing, plastics and cosmetics industries, would not be what they are today if it were not for special-effect pigments. At one time the first-generation classic effect pigments were all the rage, but now designers and stylists are crying out for the latest special-effect pigments. The new generation of effect pigments requires a totally different system of measurement and characterization. The capabilities of the various spectrophotometers available for this purpose are discussed in the context of these special-effect pigments.
The pigments can be roughly categorized as follows.