X-Rite and Pantone Expand PantoneLIVE Offering for Plastic, Coatings and Textile Industries

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., May 7, 2018 – X-Rite Incorporated, a global leader in color science and technology, and Pantone LLC, announced today that their cloud-based digital color standard ecosystem, PantoneLIVE™, will include the official spectral data from the popular Pantone Fashion, Home + Interiors System for cotton and nylon and the Pantone Matching System (PMS) for plastics and coatings. For the first time, color specifiers and manufacturers will have instant access to up-to-date spectral values for Pantone Colors for plastics, coatings and textiles, including the Pantone Color of the Year 2018: PANTONE 18-3838, Ultra Violet. The new offering, PantoneLIVE Production – Plastic, Coatings and Textile, integrates with X-Rite color management tools to ensure seamless color communication from design to production, improving consistency between design intent and finished products.

“While physical color references continue to play a critical role in specifying and managing color for textile and product applications, we are seeing many companies transition to digital processes across their design and manufacturing teams,” said Adrián Fernández, General Manager, Pantone. “The PantoneLIVE Production – Plastic, Coatings and Textile license gives users instant access to the official Pantone spectral color values as their single point of truth. Suppliers can easily integrate these values into digital workflows and begin production faster and with confidence. By using both physical and digital standards, customers can more easily and effectively communicate and verify color intent while improving manufacturing efficiency, reducing errors and rejects due to color issues in production. The ability to start formulation with digital references can save significant time that otherwise would be consumed waiting for physical samples to arrive.”

Fashion, homeware and product designers routinely use physical Pantone Color Standards for inspiration, specification, communication and verification of color intent. The PantoneLIVE Production – Plastic, Coatings and Textile license can be used to improve color communication with production suppliers giving them access to the precise spectral data for the colored material they need to produce. This allows coatings, plastics and textiles suppliers to seamlessly match any Pantone Color Standard and begin formulation immediately. Spectral matching also helps suppliers determine the most cost-effective amount of pigment to achieve accurate color at any opacity level. This saves valuable time in the formulation and production process while reducing costs.

Integrated Color Management Ecosystem for Manufacturing
Manufacturers and suppliers can access Pantone spectral data in PantoneLIVE Production – Plastic, Coatings and Textile standards through X-Rite Color iMatch and Color iQC software while measuring with an X-Rite benchtop spectrophotometer or a Ci64 handheld spectrophotometer. This provides an integrated color management workflow designed to ensure accurate color formulation for Pantone Colors.

The spectral data references available through a PantoneLIVE Production – Plastic, Coatings and Textile license are the official Pantone standards measured using X-Rite benchtop and handheld spectrophotometers under the appropriate measurement conditions.

For more information on how customers can obtain a subscription to PantoneLIVE Production – Plastic, Coatings and Textile, or one of our other PantoneLIVE licenses visit http://www.xrite.com/pantone-digital-color-references.

About PantoneLIVE
PantoneLIVE is a cloud-based solution that enables the Pantone Color language to be communicated and targeted for accurate color production across the entire supply chain – from design concept to final color production. The PantoneLIVE family includes PantoneLIVE Design, PantoneLIVE Production - Print & Packaging; and PantoneLIVE Production – Plastic, Coatings, and Textile. The different offerings are tailored to meet the specific needs of designers, color material suppliers, and manufacturers working with paper, film, plastics, coatings and textiles. The PantoneLIVE family is supported by licensed hardware and software that enables each area of the packaging, plastic, coatings, and textile supply chains to access spectral data for matching Pantone Colors, in addition to specific brand palettes. This results in consistent and repeatable color across product families, regardless of material, media or print technology, providing a cohesive brand approach. For more information, please see www.pantone.com/live.

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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©2018 X-Rite, Inc. All rights reserved. X-Rite is a registered trademark of X-Rite, Inc. PANTONE®, PantoneLIVE and other Pantone trademarks are the property of Pantone LLC. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Pantone is a wholly owned subsidiary of X-Rite, Incorporated. Licensed under Sun Chemical Corporation. Sun Chemical’s patented technology enables the communication of a consistent, digital description of the desired appearance of a product. – U.S. Patent Nos. 7,034,960; 7,202,976; 7,268,918; 7,417,764; 7,738,149 and their foreign equivalents. © Pantone LLC, 2018. All rights reserved.