ColorMunki Photo
ColorMunki Photo is aimed primarily at wedding and event photographers who need precise control over color all the way from screen to print. It is an integrated hardware/software kit that consists of a spectrophotometer, the ColorMunki profiling software, plus color creation and communication tools. Among the latter is DigitalPouch, a tool for ensuring that the client sees exactly the same colors, regardless of the device that reproduces them.
ColorMunki's Swiss-engineered spectrophotometer calibrates not only monitors but also projectors and printers. It measures and compensates for ambient light, while also offering spot color measurements when you need to build palettes or color schemes. Accompanying software takes the user step-by-step through each process, prompting with simple selection choices such as "match my printer to my display." There are also advanced modes which allow experienced users greater control.
ColorMunki's printer profiling technology lets you work in either RGB or CMYK and it also has the ability to optimize specific colors, black & white shades, and flesh tones. The kit handles printer profiling with ease, rapidly scanning test charts in less than a minute, saving the user the chore of reading individual color patches. It comes with the necessary power cord, start guide and protective bag that doubles as an integrated monitor holder.
Comment
The key item in this kit is the all-in-one spectrophotometer which represents a significant advance over earlier instruments. Everything about it says "precision." To make a spot color measurement of a real-world object, you can release a guide which flips down to ensure correct positioning. Using the included Photo Color Picker you can then create custom palettes that will exactly match the set-up you are shooting. The software alerts you if colors are outside gamut and unlikely to print correctly.
Another included application is Digital Pouch which acts as a "digital wrapper" when you send images to a client. This is a self-executable application that checks for appropriate viewing conditions at the receiver side, enabling the receiver to view the images without the full ColorMunki software. The whole product is definitely a step beyond huey, which X-Rite has now consigned to its Pantone subsidiary.
Tech info
- OS: Windows XP onward; Mac OS X 10.4 and later
- Price level: Approx. $500
X-Rite, Inc.
X-Rite justly claims to be the global leader in color science and technology. It has acquired several other leading companies in this field. It serves the printing, packaging, photography, graphic design, video, automotive, paints, plastics, textiles, dental and medical industries.
Note: Amazon sells ColorMunki Photo at a substantial reduction to the quoted list price (see right-hand panel, above).
From the same vendor:
- i1 Color Management Solutions
- Monitor Calibrators
- ProfileMaker 5
- ...and many others
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