Message
Re: [colorvision_group] other uses for print fix pro?
2006-03-07 by CDTobie@aol.com
In a message dated 3/7/06 11:24:58 AM, rlphoto@... writes:
I was wondering if the colorimeter may have other uses other than
reading profiles. Can it read paint swatches?
This is a Datacolor device. Datacolor is in (among other things) the paint formulation and measurement business. It was one of the things they developed this device for... any paint swatch reading function that can work from L*a*b* values should work fine with the DC 1005.
I just pulled out a Pantone Swatchbook, and picked a patch at random: 199c. I measured it with the DC 1005 in the Spot Measure tool, and then opened the Photoshop CS2 color picker, chose the Pantone Coated pallette, and typed in 199. The Photoshop L*a*b* values for that Pantone color were 47, 72, 32 (no fractions, unfortunately, in the Photoshop pallette). My measured values (rounded to the nearest full number) were: 47, 72, 32... I would add a note of caution here: Pantone swatches, to fit a lot of sheets in them, are on fairly thin paper. If I measured that same patch on my light gray work surface, it came out a number or two lower, if measured on a whitened paper background it came out a bit higher. On a non-whitened paper backing, it came out exactly the same as the Library value. Its important to get the swatch page on the table level (usually at the edge) and on the right backing, so that the spectro is exactly level, not cocked at an angle, and the backing is correct.
C. David Tobie
Product Technology Manager
ColorVision Business Unit
Datacolor Inc.
CDTobie@...
www.colorvision.com