X-Rite Announces i1Pro 3 Plus Color Profiling Device for Imaging Print and Textiles

New i1Pro 3 Plus delivers production calibration and color profiling capabilities for the widest range of industrial print applications, including wide- and grand-format, digital textiles, ceramics, and backlit film printing. 

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., June 18, 2019 – X-Rite Incorporated and Pantone LLC, global leaders in color science and technology, announce the new i1Pro 3 Plus, a spectral color measurement solution specifically designed for imaging, print, and textile professionals who need advanced calibration and color profiling capabilities to support today’s wide-format and industrial printing applications. The i1Pro 3 Plus has been optimized for digital printing on a range of materials and surfaces, including ceramics, textiles, glass, metal, wood, vinyl, plastics, thin films, cardboard, paper, and more. Commercial, wide-format, grand-format, packaging, and industrial printers can now create ICC profiles for almost any substrate and calibrate print production devices for the highest level of color accuracy.  

As more industries turn to digital printing, customers are putting greater emphasis on achieving accurate and repeatable color. To do this, production print equipment needs to be linearized and profiled for each substrate in order to monitor color output. Current profiling solutions are limited in their ability to measure textured, rough, or uneven surfaces and cannot accommodate various material thicknesses. Many devices do not have the resolution required to ensure the highest color quality when printing detailed patterns, metallic effects, or photography images. This leads to costly color errors and rework which impacts a printer’s bottom line. 

“The i1Pro 3 Plus builds on the success of the i1 Family and removes the variability to create accurate ICC profiles on the widest range of materials,” said Ray Cheydleur, Printing and Imaging Product Portfolio Manager, X-Rite. “Wide- and grand-format users and industrial material printers will see immediate value by incorporating the affordable i1Pro 3 Plus into their prepress and production workflows, resulting in more accurate and repeatable color, a reduction of waste, and an increased return on investment.”

A long-term X-Rite partner, EFI (Electronics For Imaging), also sees the great potential of this latest i1 Family member. “We are delighted to support X-Rite’s newly announced i1Pro 3 Plus measurement device within our latest Fiery technologies at ITMA 2019. Due to the nature of digital textile production, this large-aperture device is an excellent fit with our latest single pass EFI BOLT high-speed textile printer. For both color management and quality control, this device will allow our customers to produce accurate color much more easily,” said John Henze, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, EFI Fiery.

New in the i1Pro 3 Plus:

• Larger aperture of 8mm to support new materials and substrates used in digital printing applications.
• New polarization (measurement condition M3) filter that reduces specular highlights and shadows on fabrics and ceramics. It provides “better blacks” and richer colors on rough surfaces and glossy medias, like canvas prints and fine art photo papers.
• Simultaneously measure M0, M1 and M2 in a single pass to account for optical brighteners so prepress and print operators can quickly predict how colors printed on optically brightened substrates will look under different lighting conditions. 
• Longer ruler for measuring the wider charts used in grand-format printing. The ruler includes an ISO-compliant white backer and removable magnetic strips on the top and sides for holding samples in place while measuring.  
• New LED illuminant that improves device reliability. The i1Pro 3 Plus allows for four measurement conditions (ISO 13655 M0; M1: D50; M2: UV Excluded, M3 Polarized). 
• Now supports transmission scanning for backlit film and materials used in signage.
• Measures high brightness, up to 5K NITs for ultra-bright displays.

“We are used to seeing bumpy shadow measurements from unpolarized devices on glossy textured medias like canvas. With the new polarization feature in the i1Pro 3 Plus, our M3 measurements are dramatically smoother in the shadows – perfect in fact,” commented Scott Martin, Founder, Onsight, a leading workflow consultant for print, prepress, design and photography.   

New X-Rite iO Table

In addition, X-Rite announces a new i1iO Automated Scanning Table that supports the i1Pro 3 Plus. This hands-free test chart reader offers automated color profiling on a variety of substrates with reduced risk of color measurement errors. It is ideal for photographers, designers, and printers who want to speed up and automate the measurement process and eliminate manual strip reading. 

The new i1iO table can be used with a variety of industrial materials including textiles, ceramics, corrugated, etc. and supports materials up to 33mm thick, with the optional z-axis spacer. It also supports transparencies and backlit materials.

See the i1Pro 3 Plus at ITMA and EskoWorld 

At ITMA, June 20 – 26 in Barcelona, Spain, X-Rite and Pantone will demonstrate the i1Pro 3 Plus in Hall UL, Stand C109. X-Rite will also be showcasing the i1Pro 3 Plus at EskoWorld, June 24 – 26 in Nashville, TN.

The i1Pro 3 Plus and the i1iO table will be available in late July, 2019. 

About X-Rite

Founded in 1958, X-Rite Incorporated is a global leader in the science and technology of color and appearance. With Pantone, X-Rite employs more than 800 people in 11 countries. The company’s corporate headquarters are located in Grand Rapids, Mich., with regional headquarters in Europe and Asia and service centers across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas. X-Rite offers a full range of solutions used by manufacturers, retailers, printers, photographers and graphic design houses to achieve precise management and communication of color and appearance throughout their processes. X-Rite products and services are recognized standards in the printing, packaging, photography, graphic design, video, automotive, paints, plastics, textiles and medical industries. For further information, please visit www.xrite.com. For the latest news, information, connect with X-Rite on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. 

About Pantone

Pantone provides the universal language of color that enables color-critical decisions through every stage of the workflow for brands and manufacturers. More than 10 million designers and producers around the world rely on Pantone products and services to help define, communicate and control color from inspiration to realization – leveraging advanced X-Rite technology to achieve color consistency across various materials and finishes for graphics, fashion and product design. Pantone Standards feature digital and physical color specification and workflow tools. The Pantone Color Institute™ provides customized color standards, brand identity and product color consulting as well as trend forecasting inclusive of Pantone Color of the Year, Fashion Runway Color Trend Reports, color psychology and more. Pantone B2B Licensing incorporates the Pantone Color System into different products and services, enabling licensees to communicate and reproduce certified Pantone values and improve efficiencies for their users. Pantone Lifestyle brings color and design together across apparel, home, and accessories. Learn more at www.pantone.com and connect with Pantone on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and LinkedIn.

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