X-Rite Introduces CAPSURE Solution that Gives Painters and Interior Decorators a Powerful, Versatile Way to Select Exact Colour from Any Patterned or Textured Surface

The company will introduce the CAPSURE™ in late March at the FARBE – Ausbau & Fassade (Paint -- Finishing & Facade) 2010 show in Munich, Germany, one of the world's leading trade shows held every three years for painters and finishers, stucco-workers, plasterers and drywallers, interior decorators and flooring layers.

The CAPSURE™ was developed to handle a wide range of material types, illustrations in magazines, textures and colours, even hard-to-measure surfaces such as textured walls and facades, carpets, fabrics with small patterns and open-weave textiles that can confound other instruments because of their textural complexity. For instance, the CAPSURE™ can extract up to four dominant colours from an intricate pattern so that the viewer can clearly identify the desired colour.

After a person has measured a colour, he or she can record the date and time of the measurement, image, text, and voice dictation. Like a huge fan deck, the CAPSURE™ suggests a specific paint to match the sample and can also suggest colours that harmonize with the sample. CAPSURE™ employs a proprietary, patent-pending technology that X-Rite developed specifically to satisfy the needs of professionals.

X-Rite anticipates that the CAPSURE™ will gain wide acceptance in the European and North American paint markets as a way for professionals to greatly reduce the time it takes to match or harmonise colours of inspiration objects for customers. Even professionals such as painters, interior designers and contractors can become overwhelmed by the number of choices today in colour schemes, explained Matthew Adby, Product/Market Manager for X-Rite. But customers know what colour they like when they see it on a wall, fence or even a room accessory or piece of clothing.

CAPSURE™ also allows consumers to objectively measure the colour on an object and get a reading that can be associated with the appropriate paint, giving them the confidence to commit to a specific colour and have a great experience completing the project,” Adby said.

Potential users include paint company’s sales staff, painters and finishers, paint wholesalers and retailers, stucco-workers and plasterers, flooring companies, interior decorators, architects and interior designers, property developers and construction companies, property management companies, and ultimately consumers.

It's a fair comparison to say that the CAPSURE™ acts as a GPS for colour matching and colour harmony, said Adby. And though it has a number of convenient and sophisticated features, we've made it simple to use.

CAPSURE™ is a revolutionary way of picking colours that complements the use of in- store countertop spectrophotometers and paint dispensing machines that someone would find in paint shops, Adby added.

With its handy size and powered by a rechargeable lithium battery for remote use, CAPSURE™ is convenient because it can communicate easily with other software packages that a professional user may already own for colour matching, colour palette creation, visualization software, volume calculation or ordering software application, he said. These capabilities will simplify the workflow of professionals so they can use their time more efficiently to serve customers, innovate, upgrade the credibility and differentiate themselves from their competition.

The instrument has set a new standard in accuracy and versatility for small handheld devices that measure colour for business and home use.

The new technology ensures WYSIWYG -- What You See Is What You Get, Adby said. With the CAPSURE™, users can have confidence that the device is recording their inspiration item or prescribed colour sample exactly as they see it and matching it to paint they can buy.

Four leading paint companies are presenting CAPSURE™ as one component of a wide range of color matching solutions that X-Rite offers to help companies in colour marketing, customer tie-in, and brand support.