EasyTrax starts at £7,150 for a density-only version for a B3 press with a top price for B1 machines and spectrophotometry coming in at £10,000. Switching from density to spectrophotometry is a software upgrade. A software module for working to ISO 12647-2 costs an additional £500.

"As it is so easy to install we envisage it will be an aftermarket product people will fit to their existing presses," said X-Rite senior vice-president for sales and marketing Iris Mangleschots.

EasyTrax can be fitted on the console of a press, and provides the minder with an indication of how to adjust the keys to hit the correct colour, or it can be integrated with a press' control system.

The new tool uses the same software as X-Rite's higher end Intellitrax product, providing full control over process and special colours, although the EasyTrax only supports CMYK plus up to two specials compared up to 16 for the Intellitrax.

The firm is targeting smaller printers from B3 upwards who wish to extend the life of existing machines rather than investing in the latest kit to gain colour control. It also believes EasyTrax will prove popular in developing markets.

An ROI calculator for the EasyTrax is on X-Rite's website.

It also said that EasyTrax would be offered by a number of third parties as part of their own solutions including new presses.

For more information see the Product of the Week on the X-Rite EasyTrax.