Abstract:Methods of quantitative characterization of wood color were briefly reviewed. 22 Chinese common wood species including both softwoods and hardwoods were selected for wood color measurements according to CIE (1931) and CIE (1976) (L*a*b*) systems. Results revealed that color parameters of different woods or samples were not very much comparable unless the method of measurement employed and the measuring conditions were exactly the same. The difference of wood chromaticity co-ordinates among species were greater than within species. Although wood color differences among species exhibited both in luminosity and chromati city to a certain extent but within species significant variation mainly exhibited in luminosity.The shapes and tendencies of those curves for reflectance of wood surfaces against wave-lengthes were found very similar both among and within species. In general, the wood color of those species tested exhibited some significant variations but they had certain regularities. So it seemed possible to simplify the color spaces by means of the principal component analysis, a method in mathmatical statistics. Comprehensive parameters were obtained and two empirical formulas were thus established. Preliminary tests for these formulas proved quite reliable. For the convenience of directly perceiving the wood color, Munsell color notations were also given in addition to the CIE parameters.