'Web-enabled' color instrument management software

'Web-enabled' color instrument management software-GretagMacbeth's new NetProfiler software is designed to automatically test, measure and profile color instruments remotely over the Internet to Gretag's standards laboratory. The program consists of 'B2B' Web service, software and certified standards.

According to the company, NetProfiler "provides the constant assurance that the quantification of every color is the same for your entire global network of instruments, allowing you to cut costs, obtain quality color consistently and achieve color perfection."

In addition, this software identifies and corrects typical and routine problems. It is designed to keep instruments running at peak and desired performance while minimizing downtime and enabling users to ensure that their color measurement systems are remotely tested, checked and certified to work within the desired quality control specifications.

The user's results are compared via the Internet to the color standards and a profile is created to bring the system to a virtual zero color difference. This profile is inserted into the user's measurement software via the Internet and acts to maintain the consistency of future measurements to the virtual standards. In addition, reports are generated from the Web via NetProfiler showing the performance and trends of every instrument in the global color management network.

"Whenever an instrument drifts off spec, a NetProfiler run will identify the problem and fix it via the Internet," says Jim Vasconcellos, GretagMacbeth's Product Manager for NetProfiler. "Now you can be confident that your color production in Location A is a match with the production in Location B, achieving an unprecedented degree of color consistency whether produced across town or around the world."

The company also introduced a new version (4.0) of the ProPalette Plastics V4.0 color formulation and quality control software. This new Version accommodates transparent, translucent and opaque matching with fewer samples required.

This Windows-based colorformulation software packageis compatible with any of GretagMacbeth's spectrophotometers, including the new ColorEye XTH, as well as other competitive instruments to formulate colors for concentrate and compounding functions.

A searchable library of color standards and formulas canbe created and modified allowing the optimum match for color specifications.

This colorant calibration program requires only three to seven samples to build a database, yet the file accuracy can be improved by the addition of extra samples. In addition a colorant can be selected to be in every match formula. Due to the improved recall and color search speed, the time to obtain the closest color has been reduced and larger files can now be accommodated.

This software is scalable so users can choose between three different package levels, in addition to a satellite product. The three system configurations include:

* ProPalette Plastics Gold is a fully functional color formulation and Optiview quality control program designed for a range of color application operations. Plastics Gold Satellite is for installations within the same company where only one location controls the database.

* ProPalette Silver includes formula storage and retrieval, as well as the ProPalette Optiview quality control program. This includes data that is directly shared with formulation, allowing new formulas to be easily analyzed in quality control.

* ProPalette Platinum adds an expert system to the formulation functionality of the Gold to greatly improve the color of initial formula predictions.

Both Silver and Platinum versions will be available later this year.

GretagMacbeth
New Windsor, NY