Core material containing Westphalian vitrinite-rich coal from the north of Belgium (Campine Basin) has been investigated by colour image analysis and computerized tomography, The relative 3D density distribution of the investigated core material was determined by non-destructive X-ray computerized tomography. Colour image analyses of polished sections of the same piece of core material provided data concerning the corresponding maceral composition and mineral content of the coal. The application of both methods to the same piece of rock allowed for a first-order cross-correlation of different rock properties by multivariate statistical analysis. Density estimates of macerals were made. The combination of both techniques is very useful in a study of fracture systems in core material and density calibration of computerized tomographic scans of rock constituents.