Choosing the Right Color Measurement Device

Although it may see overwhelming to choose the best color measurement device for your workflow, it really comes down to two factors.

What’s Your Industry?

Each color application demands a unique focus. Select your industry to read how color measurement can benefit your business.

• Industrial Applications
  Color mistakes can happen anywhere in the manufacturing process – during specification, formulation, production, assembly or – worst case – all of the above. Learn how color measurement can help you avoid these mistakes and achieve the best color. 
  
  
• Graphics Workflows
  With today’s complex cross-media campaigns, accurate profiling is even more important for managing customer expectations across the color supply chain. Learn how our i1Pro 3 solutions help photographers, videographers, prepress, and digital printers.

• Prepress and Pressroom
  Our popular X-Rite eXact^TM 2, a portable spectrophotometer designed for pressroom use, can be field upgraded from a simple densitometer to a highly advanced spectral measurement instrument for fast, accurate, and consistent color. 

What Are You Measuring?

To choose the best spectrophotometer for your needs, you also need to consider what you will use it to measure. Spectrophotometers come in three different geometries: 0º/45º, spherical, and multi-angle. Learn more about each and what it’s used to measure in our blog article, Using Spectros for Print, Packaging, and Manufacturing.

We’ve also compiled some of the most common color scenarios to show how color measurement devices can be integrated into just about any color workflow, saving you time, money, and rework.

• Capturing Inspiration Colors
  Whether you’re choosing colors for a brand, creating palettes for a new product line, or designing seasonal packaging, capturing inspiration is a key step in color selection.
  
  
• Creating Digital Standards
  To create digital standards, you need an accurate, repeatable master spectrophotometer. 
  
  
• Measuring Optical Brightening Agents
  Certain spectrophotometers can help you measure, evaluate and control OBAs.
  
  
• Measuring Irregularly Shaped Products
  Rigs and jigs enable handheld and benchtop spectrophotometers to measure irregularly shaped products like liquids, plastics, cans and powders.
  
  
• Measuring Reflective Surfaces
  To accurately measure metallic substrates and inks, you need a sphere spectrophotometer.
  
  
• Benchtop vs. Portable
  Spectrophotometers come in many shapes and sizes, from small portable devices to large benchtops. Here are a few similarities and differences.
  
  
• Measuring Color Throughout Production
  Designed for fast-paced environments, inline systems monitor products as they are produced and alert operators if color begins to move out-of-spec.
  
  
• Measuring Unusual Surfaces
  Think you’re measuring something crazy? Check out some of the interesting ways people have used our equipment to measure and control color.