Carlstadt, NJ, September 9, 2005--Pantone, Inc., has introduced Pantone Color Cue(TM)2, the next generation of its handheld colorimeter.
The new Color Cue(TM)2 lets designers capture colors in everything from flower petals and seashells to fabric and plastic for later use in designs of all kinds.
Color Cue(TM)2 saves designers time and money when capturing color inspiration by drastically reducing the time for color identification compared to other measuring devices, which can cost thousands of dollars.
"Color Cue(TM) expedites the entire design process by greatly reducing the amount of time it takes to find the right color," said Prabal Gurung, a designer at Bill Blass. "This frees me to focus my time and energy on my ultimate goal: making beautiful clothes."
The new Color Cue(TM)2 combines the Pantone Matching System Library for coated, uncoated and matte stock and the Pantone Textile Color System® Library for fashion and home and for architecture and interiors -- into one portable, affordable, handheld device. With one small device, users can toggle across two Pantone E Libraries and cross-match any material or surface. For example, capture the color of a seashell and convert it to a Pantone Color for use on a product package, silk skirt or hotel lobby carpet.
Color Cue(TM)2 records the last 20 colors measured for later reference. It also identifies related colors -- colors that are lighter, darker, or similar in tone to the identified color. The device is powered by a standard nine-volt battery that lasts for thousands of measurements.
New software in the Color Cue(TM)2 enables designers to translate Pantone Colors for use in different color spaces and popular image editing software, as well as accurately specify and communicate color for four-color process and Hexachrome® printing and the Web. Color Cue(TM)2 provides additional formulas for reproduction including CMYK, CMYK EURO, sRGB, Adobe® RGB 255, HTML, L*a*b, Pantone Hexachrome® and XYZ values. Ultimately, designers can focus time on the creative process and spend less time on color communication.
Color looks significantly different under different light conditions. Therefore, it is important to be able to view colors under a variety of simulated lighting conditions before finalizing a design. Color Cue(TM)2 enables users to simulate lighting conditions for: D65 (6500 degrees K, daylight), D50 (5000 degrees K, horizon light), F2 (4150 degrees K, fluorescent), A (2856 degrees K, tungsten) and TL84 (4100 degrees K, narrow tri-band fluorescent).
Pantone Color Cue(TM)2 is available in October 2005 for U.S. $349 on the Pantone Web site, www.pantone.com, and through select distribution partners.
