Released by Pantone:
Pantone and GretagMacbeth Announce Profile Distribution Agreement For PANTONE ColorVANTAGE™ Inkjet Inks
Two Companies Align To Deliver High Quality Color Solutions For Inkjet Printing
CARLSTADT, N.J. – September 27, 2004 – Pantone, Inc., the worldwide leading provider of professional color standards for design industries for 40 years, along with GretagMacbeth, a worldwide technological leader of color management solutions, today announced a new licensing agreement. The arrangement will give Pantone the right to use GretagMacbeth ProfileMaker 5 Publish Pro software and a GretagMacbeth measurement device to develop and distribute high quality International Color Consortium-compliant (ICC) profiles for its PANTONE ColorVANTAGE inkjet ink system. Anyone using PANTONE ColorVANTAGE inks can download the profiles for free at www.pantone.com. In addition, beginning on October 1, 2004, all PANTONE ColorVANTAGE customers will be offered a special promotion on GretagMacbeth ProfileMaker 5 and Eye-One Solutions.
ColorVANTAGE is a family of premium inkjet products that includes inks and specially developed profiles. ColorVANTAGE inks are a wide-gamut pigmented ink set designed for applications that require the most accurate color reproduction and the widest possible range of color. ProfileMaker 5 Publish Pro and ProfileMaker 5 Photostudio Pro are GretagMacbeth’s newest high-end color management solutions for professionals in color-critical environments in prepress and publishing, as well as in digital studio photography. Customers can choose a solution that meets their needs at the most optimal price/performance level for profiling their entire workflow from digital camera input to RGB, CMYK or Hexachrome® output.
When Color is Critical
Photographic printing, fine art reproduction and proofing require optimal results when printing to inkjet printers. Achieving accurate results with color can be the key to a winning design. Every ink/paper/printer combination has a unique color gamut or color fingerprint. Profiles are designed to recognize the combined effect of printing parameters, and provide a way to map and adjust color to take best advantage of the color gamut and deliver the best possible printed results.
The licensing of ProfileMaker 5 Publish Pro allows Pantone to develop ICC compliant profiles for new media and distribute them for ColorVANTAGE ink customers. High quality ICC profiles are required to support a variety of media to ensure optimal color output when using ColorVANTAGE inks. Currently, profiles for the ColorVANTAGE ink include media from Arches Infinity, Epson, Hawk Mountain, Moab, Red River and Tecco. This agreement will allow Pantone to grow this list and add new media and profiles regularly.
“We have a longstanding relationship with GretagMacbeth and both of our companies have a similar goal – to provide the best possible color solutions for our customers,” said Andy Hatkoff, vice president of Pantone.“ This agreement further aligns our resources and ensures that our ColorVANTAGE customers get optimal color output with the latest profiles.”
“Allowing our customers to get accurate, predictable color from concept to final production is our number one goal,” said Iris Mangelschots, vice president and general manager of Digital Imaging at GretagMacbeth. “We are expanding our foundation for ProfileMaker 5 Publish Pro and making it easier for Pantone customers to achieve unrivaled color output.”
Pricing and Availability
ColorVANTAGE profiles created with GretagMacbeth solutions are available immediately for free download at www.pantone.com. The joint promotion for any ProfileMaker 5 and Eye-One Pro solution will be effective October 1, 2004, for all ColorVANTAGE customers and is available exclusively through GretagMacbeth’s e-store. ColorVANTAGE customers may access this special offer via the URL found on the voucher in the ColorVANTAGE ink package.
About Pantone, Inc.
Pantone, Inc., developer of the globally accepted PANTONE Color Systems, is the leading source of traditional and electronic products for the selection and accurate communication of color. With over 40 years of experience, Pantone is recognized as the worldwide market leader in color communication and color technology for the graphic design, printing, publishing, textile and plastics industries. More information is available at www.pantone.com.
About GretagMacbeth
GretagMacbeth is a worldwide technological leader of color management solutions for graphic arts, photography, digital imaging, paints, plastics, apparel, textiles and automotive, among other industries. The company, part of Amazys Holding AG headquartered in Regensdorf, Switzerland, maintains offices in the Americas, Europe and Asia. GretagMacbeth trains and supports customers worldwide and is an ISO 9001- certified company.
More information is available on www.gretagmacbeth.com
