A spectrophotometric scanner suitable for producing spectral reflectance
images of surfaces of samples for a plurality of wavelength bands is
disclosed. The spectrophotometric scanner comprises a scanner head for
collecting spectral reflectance data, a positioning mechanism for
positioning the scanner head in relation to a surface, and a computing
device for controlling the mechanism and recording and analyzing the
spectral reflectance data. The computing device directs the positioning
mechanism to position the scanner head on a row of locations in a grid of
locations of the surface; directs the scanner head to measure spectral
reflectance data for each location in the row of locations; records and
analyzes the spectral reflectance data; and produces spectral reflectance
images from the spectral reflectance data. A light source in the scanner
head comprises a plurality of sequentially controllable LEDs, each
producing light in a different wavelength band.