> Does each set of values (in whatever colour system you’re talking about) correspond to a list of quantities of specific physical dyes? Yes. Pantone colors (a

> Does each set of values (in whatever colour system you’re talking about) correspond to a list of quantities of specific physical dyes? Yes. Pantone colors (an industry standard) are defined as a ratio of Pantone colorants. Those colorants then have specific formulations depending on the type of paint they go in. No matter what though, they're formulated such that the colors reproduce exactly every time (insofar as chemistry and physics allows). This is the same general process that most (all) standards use AFAIK. But at the crux of it, we can measure color very precisely. A specific color correlates to a specific distribution of light wavelengths. Spectrometers are not particularly expensive these days. Believe me, there has been a ton of effort put into this question. Color accuracy is a whole industry that most people have never heard of.