An apparatus (100) for optically characterizing a textile sample (106) comprises a presentation subsystem (102) comprising a viewing window (108). A radiation subsystem (114) comprises a radiation source (120) for directing a first, ultraviolet radiation (122) and a second, visible radiation (123) toward the sample (106), and causing the sample (106) to produce a fluorescent radiation (124) and a reflected radiation (125). A sensing subsystem (126) comprises an imager (130) for capturing the fluorescent radiation (124) and the reflected radiation (125) in an array of pixels (408). A control subsystem (132) comprises a processor (136) for controlling the presentation subsystem (102), the radiation subsystem (114), and the sensing subsystem (126), and for creating a fluorescent and reflected radiation image (400) containing both spectral information and spatial information in regard to the fluorescent radiation (124) and the reflected radiation (125).