A system and method for color characterization and transformation obtain color data representing output of a color imaging system, and convert the color data using a color space having a white reference vector that is adjusted during the conversion. The white reference vector can be adjusted according to intensities of the color data being converted. Adjustment of the white reference vector serves to avoid nonuniformities for color imaging systems having different imaging bases, and thereby eliminates, or at least reduces, the amount of empirical adjustment necessary to obtain an acceptable visual match between the color imaging systems.