a method of verifying the color and tinting strength of a manufactured batch of a semi - transparent wood stain . in accordance with the method , a standard batch of the wood stain is formed and then mixed with a specified amount of a white colorant to form a standard measurement batch . a test sample of the manufactured batch is obtained and is also mixed with a specified amount of the white colorant to form a test measurement sample . layers of the standard measurement batch and the test measurement sample are formed on the substrates and complete hide obtained . reflectance measurements of the layers are made using a spectrophotometer . the reflectance measurements are used to determine if the color and the tinting strength of the manufactured batch is within an acceptable deviation range of the color and tinting strength of the standard batch . this allows for objective color difference and tint strength difference calculations , and adjustments can be made therefrom , therefore eliminating the past visual trial and error methods .