X-Rite acquired GretagMacbeth in 2006, making most GretagMacbeth handheld and benchtop spectrophotometers 20+ years old. If you're still using one of these legacy spectrophotometers and color consistency is important to your business, we encourage you to consider upgrading to a new, ISO-certified X-Rite device for the best experience.
Here at X-Rite, we continue to research and improve our color measurement technology so our customers can meet tighter color control tolerances. Improved color measurement technology is also enabling us to create more accurate and reliable spectrophotometers.
Caption: Our recent Color Drift blog explains why it's important to maintain your spectrophotometer.
Search below to find the upgrade path for your legacy GretagMacbeth spectrophotometer, or get in touch with our Color Experts to discuss your needs.
Upgrade Paths for GretagMacbeth Spectrophotometers
If you have a Gretag Macbeth Color i7or a Color-Eye 7000, upgrade to either the X-Rite Ci7800 or Ci7860 sphere benchtop.
All Ci7000 benchtops have a xenon light source and work with X-Rite Color iQC quality assurance software to quickly identify whether a sample is within tolerance, and if not, provides direct feedback to get it on target. They also include embedded NetProfiler status lights verify device is optimized for measurement performance.
- Ci7860: The Ci7860 delivers repeatability of ≤0.01 dE* and industry-leading inter-instrument agreement of ≤0.06 dE*, 25% tighter specifications than any other industrial instrument, to create the most accurate digital color standards. Built-in temperature and relative humidity sensors ensure the environment is suitable.
- Ci7800: The Ci7800 can measure opaque, translucent, and transparent samples with switchable reflection and optional transmission apertures. However, with ≤0.08 dE* interinstrument agreement and avg. ≤0.01 dE*repeatability, it's ideal if you need to seamlessly communicate, share, and coordinate color-critical values and specifications.
If you have a Gretag Macbeth Color-Eye 3000, Color-Eye 3100, or Color i5 spectrophotometer, upgrade to the X-Rite Ci7500 or Ci7600 benchtop.
- Ci7500: The introductory model of the Ci7000 series, the Ci7500 offers the latest color measurement technology and database compatibility. It can capture color and appearance simultaneously with specular-included (SPIN/SCI) and specular excluded (SPEX/SCE) conditions on opaque samples. Video preview ensures the correct sample measurement area and when paired with Color iQC, archives an image of the measurement for a complete audit trail.
- Ci7520: If you measure only orange juice, this model along with Color iQC software is approved by the USDA for color grading orange juice.
- Ci7600: The Ci7600 offers the same inter-instrument agreement and repeatability as the Ci7500 plus the ability to measure transmission with optional transmission kit for total and direct transmission measurement, multiple areas of view, laser targeting for small sample measurements, and an infinite width for measurement of larger samples.
If you have a GretagMacbeth XTS, Color-Eye 2180, or Color-Eye 21280UV, upgrade to the X-Rite Ci4200 or Ci4200UV compact benchtop.
- Designed for small to medium-sized manufacturers across a variety of industries, the Ci4200 is a compact instrument to measure color and identify variances in color and gloss.
- The advanced Ci4200UV adds the capability of UV illumination calibration to accommodate evaluation of the effect of optical brightening and fluorescing agents that cause color to shift under different lighting conditions.
When combined with software for formulation and/or quality control, these compact benchtops become the basis of a pass/fail color program.
If you have a GretagMacbeth Color-Eye 580 or XTH, upgrade to the X-Rite Ci62 or Ci64 handheld.
- The Ci62 and Ci64 compact portable spectrophotometers offers a performance-driven solution to take a quick measurement and compare to tolerances at any stage of production. Both offer a 400 nm–700 nm spectral range and A, C, D50, D65, F2, F7,F11 & F12 illuminant types. With numerous configurations and price points, these instruments solve color measurement challenges in a variety of industries, especially textiles.
- X-Rite’s most precise handheld sphere spectrophotometer, the Ci64 is available in three models offering simultaneous SPIN/SPEX, correlated gloss, and a UV option as well as switchable measurement apertures provide greater flexibility for illumination spot size.
If you have a GretagMacbeth Color-Eye 2145, Color-Eye 2445, or Color-Eye 545 portable spectrophotometer, upgrade to the X-Rite 962 or 964.
- The 962 and 964 are convenient, portable, entry level handhelds to capture absolute and differential measurements in the lab, plant or field for a wide range of colorimetric systems. Both devices feature an easy-to-read graphical LCD display and a pass/fail mode that measures against up to 1,024 standards with tolerances that can be stored for easy pass/fail measurement.
Get Help
If you’re still not sure which X-Rite spectrophotometer is best get in touch with our Color Experts to discuss your needs. Also, be sure to check out our current promotions and trade-in deals!
