Forecasting color trends isn’t for the faint of heart. You can’t simply see a color at retail or a trade show, get a sample and use that color to create your own product. Precisely forecasting any given trend-right color is a 360 degree process that includes:
- Analyzing macro, demographic and industry trends
- Putting those trends in a context of the trend curve (the bell curve that is a metaphor for the overall trend cycle: what’s coming in; what’s peak; what’s down-trending)
- Understanding the sorts of end-products that will be delivered to the consumer (i.e., and what sort of material is used to create the end-product like metal, ceramic, fabric, etc.)
- The reflectivity of that material, the sort of lighting that is likely to be in the environment where the end-product is used, and so on.
Unlike Michelle Lamb, whose years of experience have given her a remarkable “color memory” and understanding of how any given color fits within a spectrum of a trend-right color palette, most of us need the sort of guidance offered with a complete color forecast (like the ones we deliver here at The Trend Curve) pulled from specific colors available throughout the entire visible spectrum. The Trend Curve’s color forecasts of trend-right colors are not offered anywhere else or in any other system, but are specified, created and published only by us. (Our newest forecast, The Trend Curve Colors™ 2012, will be released today. It comes on the heels of our update to the metallic realm, Cultured Pearls™ 2012, which debuted last month.
But there are still times when you just need to match a color. In those cases, it is useful to have a portable, inexpensive and accurate spectrophotometer to grab a single hue offer palette-option matches from Pantone. Even though the color spectrum delivered in RGB on a PC/Mac computer, iPad, smartphone or other digital devices is almost always wildly different than what you intend—and the CMYK printed color spectrum is even more restricted than what can be shown even on those digital devices—Web and graphic designers are often called upon to match color palettes with “close enough” color of the finished goods you deliver so they can be showcased on websites, brochures and more.
Interior designers are also sometimes called upon to match a color in a home in order to specify a paint color, or to deliver a specific color to an artist who might be using digital programs to create designs for a client’s home. Product managers are frequently asked to deliver colors that are close to another product’s color or taken from another industry.
Even though such colors specified don’t take in to consideration all the factors necessary to guarantee you are trend-right, the situations above are perfect examples of when using a spectrophotometer fills the bill, and we recommend doing so.
Pantone has introduced Capsure, a $649 portable hand-held color measurement toll. It is a compact device that lets design professionals, contractors, paint retailers and do-it-yourselfers confidently measure and match color inspiration instantly – from small, patterned, multicolored textures and textiles to walls and carpeting.
If you’d like to know more, read the press release…
Pantone Introduces CAPSURE; Lets Design Professionals and Contractors Capture Color Inspiration Anywhere
Accurately Capture and Match the Color of any Surface, Including Hard-to-measure Patterns, Textures and Open-weave Textiles
CARLSTADT, N.J., Oct 18, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) —
Pantone LLC, an X-Rite company (NASDAQ: XRIT) and the global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries, today announces CAPSURETM, a compact, handheld device that lets design professionals, contractors, paint retailers and do-it-yourselfers confidently measure and match color inspiration instantly – from small, patterned, multi-colored textures and textiles to walls and carpeting.
Created for professionals in fashion, home furnishings, interior, industrial and graphic design, as well as contractors, paint retailers and do-it-yourselfers, CAPSURE allows users to accurately identify color inspiration from any surface, material or fabric and match it to a PANTONE(R) Color for easy communication. With unsurpassed accuracy, CAPSURE significantly reduces the time it takes to measure or choose a color from a sample or any other form of color inspiration.
“CAPSURE’s advanced image capture technology sets a new standard for accuracy and versatility in a portable device,” said Giovanni Marra, director of corporate marketing at Pantone. “The real power of CAPSURE is its ability to measure the color of any surface, including small, patterned and multi-colored textures and textiles, which can confound other instruments because of their textural complexity, and quickly match them to more than 8,000 PANTONE Colors.”
The device uses powerful tri-directional image capture technology that eliminates the shadows and interference inherent to patterned and textured materials and surfaces. By illuminating the surface being measured from three different directions while simultaneously recording 27 color-accurate images in 1.6 seconds, CAPSURE can extract up to four dominant colors from an intricate pattern so the viewer can clearly identify the desired color.
“I am constantly inspired and, believe it or not, have actually started carrying CAPSURE in my bag to capture color inspiration wherever I am – it’s as easy to use as an iPhoneTM,” said Peter Som, American women’s wear designer. “Pantone has managed to marry the design process with cutting-edge technology in this one tool – my design team and I are obsessed!”
“In the business of color matching tricky fabrics, patterns and plastics on-site, it’s tough to trust my own eyes and harder still to be weighed down with multiple fan decks,” said Jeff Miller, owner of Jeff Miller Design. “Pantone’s portable CAPSURE device takes me right to the PANTONE Color number with one click, then provides dozens of additional PANTONE Color options and complementary colors which are all stored for easy use and reference in CAPSURE.”
CAPSURE’s image capture technology lets professionals preview what they are measuring on its 1.75-inch color screen, in real time, to affirm image accuracy. Those images are then stored on the device for later reference. CAPSURE has the ability to record the last 100 colors measured for later reference. Users can also annotate colors with a voice recording as well as a time and date stamp. Additionally, the device provides harmonious shades and identifies related colors that are lighter, darker or similar in tone to the identified color.
CAPSURE comes pre-loaded with all PANTONE Color Libraries allowing users to match more than 8,000 colors with a single device. Users can also toggle across multiple PANTONE Libraries and cross-match any material or surface. CAPSURE includes:
The PANTONE FASHION + HOME Color System Library (paper and cotton) for fashion and home;
The PANTONE PAINT + INTERIORS Library (paper and cotton) for architecture and interiors;
The PANTONE PLUS SERIES Formula Guide (coated and uncoated), the PANTONE PLUS SERIES CMYK (coated and uncoated) and the PANTONE GoeTM System (coated and uncoated) for graphic design, printing and publishing; providing sRGB, Adobe RGB, HTML, Lab and XYZ values for multimedia design.
Users can also upload fan decks from popular paint manufacturers, at an additional cost, to match the color of an inspirational item in paint.
For convenient remote use, the device is powered by a rechargeable lithium battery that lasts for thousands of measurements on a single charge.
CAPSURE Palette Application Software
The CAPSURE Palette Application Software provides convenient access to saved color measurements, details and tags, and allows users to view measured color samples with selectable lighting conditions on their computer screen. Users can also create palettes with their favorite shades or custom palettes for a specific project. All palettes can be synchronized with popular design applications including Adobe(R) Creative Suite(R), QuarkXPress(R) and CorelDRAW(R).
CAPSURE Sync
CAPSURE Sync ensures that CAPSURE is always updated with the most current color selections, new color ranges and specialty collections.
Pricing and Availability
CAPSURE is available immediately for U.S. $649 at www.pantone.com. Paint libraries can be purchased for an additional cost at www.xrite.com or through the CAPSURE Sync function. CAPSURE Sync is available for both PC and Mac users and is included, free-of-charge, with each CAPSURE device. The Palette Application Software is available for download, free-of-charge, upon product registration. The Palette Application Software is PC-compatible; Macintosh support is expected in January 2011.
About Pantone
Pantone LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of X-Rite, Incorporated, has been the world’s color authority for almost 50 years, providing design professionals with products and services for the colorful exploration and expression of creativity. Always a source for color inspiration, Pantone also offers designer-inspired products and services for consumers. More information is available at www.pantone.com.
About X-Rite
X-Rite, Incorporated, is the global leader in color science and technology. The company, which now includes color industry leader Pantone, develops, manufactures, markets and supports innovative color solutions through measurement systems, software, color standards and services. X-Rite’s expertise in inspiring, selecting, measuring, formulating, communicating and matching color helps users get color right the first time and every time, which translates to better quality and reduced costs. X-Rite serves a range of industries, including printing, packaging, photography, graphic design, video, automotive, paints, plastics, textiles, dental and medical. For further information, please visit www.xrite.com.
PANTONE(R)…The color of ideasSM.
PANTONE(R) and other Pantone trademarks are the property of Pantone LLC. © Pantone LLC, 2010. All rights reserved. Adobe, Creative Suite is a trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated. iPhone is a trademark of Apple. QuarkXPress is a trademark of Quark, Inc. and its affiliates in the U.S. and/or other countries. CorelDRAW is a trademark of Corel Corporation.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6470606〈=en
SOURCE: Pantone LLC