item of linen is colored linen or white linen and what structure the respective item of linen has from which conclusions may be drawn as to the material in particular the fabric of the respective item of linen it is conceivable to provide only one common digital camera for the color measuring device 53 and the structure measuring device 54 then the color measuring device 53 and the structure measuring device 54 for all intents and purposes spatially collide the jointly detected image is evaluated or processed further merely separately in accordance with the color and the structure of the respective item of linen provided both in the region of the color measuring device 53 and in the region of the structure measuring device 54 is a housing like cover or a tent like curtain by which the respective item of linen is surrounded at least laterally and if appropriate from above this produces a measuring space which is formed inside the housing or the tent like curtain and partitions off the at least one camera of the color measuring device 53 and the structure measuring device 54 from ambient light or other external influences it is thus possible to record even without disruptive extraneous influences in particular daylight meaningful images of the respective item of linen once in.