GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., July 11, 2017 –X-Rite Incorporated, a global leader in color science and technology, and its subsidiary Pantone LLC, announced the launch of Color-Eye®, a groundbreaking solution that brings accurate color measurement to smartphones and ecommerce applications. Color-Eye uses a smartphone and a color calibration card to help consumers shop for new items that match or complement the color of items they have at home. It delivers the highest level of color consistency available in a consumer retail shopping application. Cosmetics, home and fashion and retail paint companies can integrate Color-Eye into their existing mobile shopping applications, allowing consumers to search, match and purchase goods with a high degree of color confidence.
X-Rite research shows that consumers lack confidence in purchasing color-critical items online. This uncertainty is typically due to past experiences which did not meet expectations and a difficulty in communicating color from home to store. Consumers expect to be able to simply take a photo of the inspiration color and match it to a desired item. However, digital camera technology alone cannot accurately determine an object’s color, which is affected by lighting, glossiness, texture, angle of view, and sensitivity of the camera. Color calibration tools and color software are required to help overcome these challenges to provide a more color accurate image.
“Color is a deciding factor in a customer’s purchasing decision and can be a leading cause for customer returns,” said Chris Winczewski, Vice President, Strategy and Product Planning, X-Rite. “Color-Eye is the only solution on the market that incorporates both a color calibration card and software to ensure accurate color results in a mobile application. With Color-Eye, retailers will be able to help customers accurately match a paint color to a favorite pillow or accent piece, simply by capturing the color on a mobile device. This has the potential to reshape how consumers search, match and purchase goods such as apparel, home décor or cosmetics on mobile devices.”
How Color-Eye Works
Color-Eye is a slim color calibration card that is used in collaboration with a smartphone application to accurately measure the color of any inspirational item. Color readings are incorporated into a retailer’s mobile shopping application and deliver the consumer a set of matching or coordinating products.
Color-Eye utilizes X-Rite’s expertise to calibrate color values across all lighting conditions. The application, in use with the smartphone, incorporates dual-illumination technology by taking two images with the flash on and off resulting in improved color accuracy. The calibration card is manufactured with a unique process that creates both glossy bubbles and patches to help account for lighting glare. Together the calibration card and the X-Rite software help prevent bad color matches due to poor lighting; and guides users as they position the phone to avoid glare. The result is a more reliable color reading that can communicate with a brand or retailer’s ecommerce application and product database to deliver consumers matching or harmonizing products.
“Color-Eye builds on the success of the X-Rite CAPSUREme Cosmetic offering that uses custom printed cards and a smartphone to match skin tones with foundation colors,” continues Winczewski. “With Color-Eye, we have taken this technology a step further to account for lighting, texture and gloss in order to reliably match any item a consumer may have at home to find coordinating colors. Color-Eye gives retailers and paint manufacturers the opportunity to build consumer trust by enabling greater confidence in color-critical purchases, both online and in-store. This increases consumer loyalty, reduces returns, and drives purchases of paint and beyond.”
Color-Eye currently supports iPhone SE, 6S, 6S+, 7, 7+; Android Nexus 5; and Samsung Galaxy S6, S6 Edge, S7, S7 Edge, S7 Active. Additional devices will be supported in the future.
For more information about the Color-Eye solution, please visit us at http://www.xrite.com/categories/mobile-apps/coloreye.
About X-Rite
Founded in 1958, X-Rite Incorporated is a global leader in the science and technology of color and appearance. With its wholly owned subsidiary Pantone, X-Rite employs more than 800 people in 11 countries. The company’s corporate headquarters are located in Grand Rapids, Mich., with regional headquarters in Europe and Asia and service centers across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas. X-Rite Pantone offers a full range of solutions used by manufacturers, retailers, printers, photographers and graphic design houses to achieve precise management and communication of color and appearance throughout their processes. X-Rite Pantone products and services are recognized standards in the printing, packaging, photography, graphic design, video, automotive, paints, plastics, textiles and medical industries. For further information, please visit www.xrite.com. For the latest news, information and conversations, connect with X-Rite on LinkedIn, Vimeo, Twitter, and Facebook.
About Pantone
Pantone LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of X-Rite, Incorporated, has been the world’s color authority for nearly 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 paint and designer-inspired products and services for consumers. More information is available at www.pantone.com. For the latest news, trends, information and conversations, connect with Pantone on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.
