X-Rite launches Capsure handheld colour matching instrument

X-Rite Europe GmbH is introducing the small, handheld instrument called Capsure in smaller order quantities as an effective tool for encouraging customer excitement and simplifying paint selection.

Easy to use and intuitive, Capsure acts as a paint store in the pocket of contractors, interior designers and do-it-yourselfers who want to precisely identify a colour on walls, carpets, furniture, flooring, clothing – virtually any inspiration object – and find its exact match in an electronic fan deck of a paint manufacturer.

Capsure has been well-received by some of Europe’s largest paint manufacturers as a way to reduce the time and guesswork involved in selecting the colours of interior and exterior paints. X-Rite, the world’s largest designer and manufacturer of systems for colour measurement and communication, is now also offering the device in smaller order quantities.

Paint manufacturers can have digital files of their paint chips loaded into Capsure so a person measuring an inspiration colour will see the closest match in the manufacturer’s palette of colours. X-Rite can measure the paint chips of a manufacturer to create the database, if needed. Since the Capsure electronic fan deck consists of digital files, paint offerings can be updated quickly and easily at reasonable costs.

"Today’s consumers are becoming frustrated and confused with having to use paint chips or physical fan decks to make a selection from palettes that may have up to 15,000 colour choices," said Matthew Adby, Product/Market Manager of X-Rite. "Instead of flipping through a fan deck that is heavy, bulky, expensive to produce and prone to damage, customers using a Capsure can have their colour matching problem solved with the push of a button.

"Even professionals such as painters, interior designers and contractors can become overwhelmed by the number of choices today in colour schemes. But their customers know what colour they like when they see it on a wall, fence, or even a room accessory or piece of clothing."

Capsure users simply place the unit on the surface they wish to measure, push a button and get an accurate colour reading in less than two seconds. The device can also isolate colours within a multi-coloured pattern for developing matching or complementary colour palettes. Colour information can be recorded and saved for selecting accent colours or downloaded for in-store paint mixing.

Interior decorators and professional painters report that the device saves time and improves accuracy in color matches, allowing them to better serve their customers. Capsure’s small size and powerful lithium battery that can be recharged through a USB port make it the perfect choice for measuring colours of samples while on the go. The instrument can hold up to 100 measurements.

The Capsure works seamlessly with other X-Rite solutions for paint manufacturers and retailers, which enhance the consumer experience, such as the PersonalDesigner PLUS that allows consumers to apply paint colours from a manufacturer’s fan deck of offerings to uploaded digital photographs of their projects. The software also automatically offers palettes of harmonising colours for the customer to use as accent paints.