Prepress

New X-Rite-eXact spectrophotometer gives brand owners, pre-media, ink suppliers, printers and converters the fastest means to capture and understand color

Tuesday 06. November 2012 - New eXact family of instruments uses touch-and-swipe technology and intuitive software to make precise measurement of colors a snap

X-Rite, Incorporated is introducing the X-Rite-eXact series of spectrophotometers in the Americas to make color measurement quick and easy for brand managers, pre-media, ink suppliers, printers and converters, while solving the widespread problem of measuring and matching colors on various substrates and surfaces.
With split-second measurement times and improved accuracy to simplify workflow, the eXact instrument is the first spectrophotometer in the industry to offer customers a way to measure true daylight conditions by supporting all the M Standards inclusive of the complete M1.
“For today’s needs of matching proof to press across many substrates, the X-Rite eXact brings to the supply chain a simple-to-use device that is fully compliant with ISO 13655:2009 measurement standards,” said Steve Smiley, owner of SmileyColor & Associates LLC, a Red Oak, Texas-based consulting firm that helps companies manage color across a network of digital, analog and packaging supply chain partners globally. “I believe the X-Rite eXact will bring all users together as a common tool for more accurate color communications that can be used across all supply chain partners, from design through converters. For ease of use, the instrument has smart phone, multi-touch screen and Bluetooth capabilities for wireless connections.”
“This is the simplest device to guarantee color integrity for brands across all of our print and output platforms,” said Warren Werbitt, CEO of Pazazz in Montreal, who asked to be one of the first users when he saw a demonstration of the instrument’s capabilities.
“The new technology complements our current G7 Master Printer process by managing our customers brand and corporate identity through precise colour measurements,” said Dean Baxendale, President and CEO of J. F. Moore Communications in Toronto that also intends to be an early adopter of the technology. “By focusing on brand management, colour management and process automation, we are able to enhance our output while reducing costs.”
In addition to using advanced measurement technology, the new platform is easy to learn, thanks to the intuitive software and touch screen controls. Exact can be set up to position key elements in the order most likely to be needed by personnel such as press operators and operations managers, giving users instant access to the tools they need, often in a single click. The platform uses X-Rite Graphic Arts Standard (XRGA) and CxF to communicate color for easy data exchange.
With flexibility to match a company’s requirements and budget, the eXact series of spectrophotometers works seamlessly with other powerful X-Rite solutions for the printing industry, including Color iQC Print, InkFormulation, NetProfiler 3.0 and PantoneLIVE cloud-based color service that gives brand owners a means to connect their whole supply chains.
Color iQC Print and PantoneLIVE shave days off projects by making sure that all the links in the supply chain – from brand owners and designers to product production – have reliable and accurate color information when and where they need it.
PantoneLIVE improves color matches of labels and packaging across an array of printing technologies and substrates, which builds tighter and high-value relationships between print companies and brand managers. Color iQC Print allows any company in the workflow to designate jobs or measure color data in the format it is accustomed to using and send data to next link in the supply chain with confidence that the information will be preserved exactly the way it was sent.
NetProfiler 3.0 is a cloud-based blend of software and color standards that allows companies to verify, optimize and certify the performance of their color measurement devices. Operations are challenged with a complex printing or packaging supply chain that encompasses multiple departments and geographies. NetProfiler reduces variances between measurement devices caused by age, wear or environment.