Spot the difference: accurate measurement of percentages of spot colours increases brand accuracy
X-Rite has added support for Spot Colour Tone Value (SCTV) measurement to its eXact range of hand-held spectrophotometers, helping printers to more easily verify both spot and process colours against brand specifications.
Available as a firmware update to the eXact family of colour measuring devices, the new capability is aligned to the ISO 20654 standard for assessing intermediate (i.e. non-solid) tonal values in spot colour inks. Configurations are available for tone value, tone value increase (TVI, formerly known as dot gain), TVI table and print characteristics. This should help printers measure both spot colours and the process colours used in extended gamut colour printing, as supported on various digital presses via additional primary colours or wide-gamut CMYK.
‘X-Rite now provides SCTV support across our eXact family, IntelliTrax2 and ColorCert Suite 3.0 process control software, providing customers with the colour management and workflow tools required to meet evolving industry standards, better formulate inks and take into account the effect of substrates on colour,’ said Ray Cheydleur, printing and imaging product portfolio Manager at X-Rite. ‘With X-Rite solutions, customers can feel confident they have the most accurate and consistent colour measurement instruments on the market.’
