X-Rite updates measurement standard to improve colour communication

20 September 2010

Companies & suppliers

X-Rite has introduced a new colour measurement standard to reduce the discrepancies between old X-Rite and GretagMacbeth spectrophotometers and provide a single standard for all future instruments.

XRGA (X-Rite Graphic Arts) was developed following research into the differences between X-Rite and GretagMacbeth machines.

"Our goal with XRGA is to eliminate systematic discrepancies between instruments so that all measurements taken for the same colour sample should be the same regardless of the system used," said X-Rite chief technology officer Francis Lamy.

Improving this inter-model agreement between instruments is intended to improve the consistency of colour communication throughout the supply chain, and therefore the consistency of the colour reproduction.

The firm’s most recent products, ColorMunki and the EasyTrax, have been based on XRGA since launch. Production of current legacy instruments, including the i1, will begin to be supplied conforming to XRGA over the next 12-18 months. Customers will be able to update existing machines via the downloading of free software and firmware updates. SpectroEye machines will need to be sent for service to be updated.

XRGA is applicable to all 0/45 and 45/0 instruments and retains traceability to international standards via American National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).