Just months after Datacolor teamed with CSI to expand the capabilities of its portable color measurement device, the ColorReaderPRO, the color technology firm has announced a new partnership with Adobe that will allow users to easily integrate the device into Photoshop.
The set of tools that will be available from the collaboration will allow users of the ColorReaderPRO to integrate Adobe’s newest photoshop plugin, Textile Designer, with the device via Bluetooth. Once paired, the data picked up by the ColorReaderPRO transfers automatically to the Adobe suite, further streamlining the design process for brands and designers.
“Many designers use Photoshop when starting fabric designs, but with the introduction of Adobe Textile Designer, users can now build and preview repeating patterns, define separations, work with colorways and keep every element editable in Photoshop until a design is print ready,” Datacolor said in a statement. “With this Adobe plugin, designers can use Datacolor ColorReaderPRO to measure any source of color inspiration and translate the color data directly to Photoshop.”
The ColorReaderPRO can even integrate directly with a brands’ color library (or CSI’s ColorWall) to match a physical garment’s color with a digital version—which can then be transferred to photoshop for immediate implementation without ever touching a color swatch.
“Finding the correct color can be an inefficient activity in the print design process that can lengthen the production cycle,” Tim Williams, marketing manager at CSI added. “Adobe Textile Designer paired with the ColorReaderPRO offers users an efficient means to create colorways, whether using CSI’s ColorWall or selecting from existing Custom colors in their own library.”
In May, Datacolor also launched its Assessment Services program, an external auditing service that will provide brands with audits for their color supply chains in order to further shore up unnecessary supply chain costs as it becomes more and more likely margins will begin shrinking in the near future.
Datacolor also recently collaborated with Sourcing Journal to produce a series of videos over the importance of color management in supply chains. In it, Andrew Fraser, director of global quality control at swimwear manufacturer InMocean Group, explains how the ColorReaderPRO can shorten the color selection process “from days to weeks.”
The company will debut its collaboration with Adobe at the ITMA Textile & Garment Technology Exhibition in Barcelona from June 20-26.