\\backup\utilerias\software\x-rite\spectrosync guides

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Quick Guide


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Overview

SpectroSync profiling software improves inter-instrument agreementthroughout a manufacturers supply chain. As more and more

businesses around the globe implement color-management programs,

they rely less on physical samples for color approval. SpectroSync letscompanies exchange comparative color data anywhere in the world with

business partners who may have various types of color-measurementinstruments.

SpectroSync Usage Recommendations

NOTE:To ensure SpectroSync performance, make sure that all of your

instruments are kept clean and in good working order. Daily

calibration is still needed, whether you are using a SpectroSync profileor not. Keep in mind that SpectroSync is a tool to improve inter-

instrument agreement; it is not intended to improve repeatability.This is why it is still necessary to send your instruments in for theirrecommended recertification.

1. Set up users in X-Admin (even if this is an upgrade) and applyappropriate permissions. Keep in mind that the purpose ofSpectroSync is to draw instruments closer together. If a user

is allowed to circumvent the system, data integrity could becompromised. For an upgrade, all existing users will have theSpectroSync permissions turned off.

2. You will probably only want to give one or two people

permission to create/edit Master Color Sets. The Master ColorSet File is what gets distributed (along with the corresponding

color standards) to each location wanting to profile their

instrument to your master instrument. Once a Master ColorSet (MCS file and color standards) has been distributed, no

changes should be made to that file. A separate MCS file andset of color standards should be distributed to each location.

The MCS file is an XML file that gets created in C:\ProgramFiles\X-RiteColor Master\SpectroSync\Color Sets\ and is

named by the master instruments model and serial number,

and the color set name. The MCS file needs to be placed in thesame location for remote location PCs (not necessary for WebEdition systems).

3.

A Master Color Set needs to contain at least ten colors (two ofwhich are black and white), but performance will be limited.As with any type of profiling, the larger the gamut of the

profile, the better the results. In addition, the closer your

Master Color Set is in regards to texture and gloss to what youwill be measuring, the better the results will be. Our default

ColorSet provides good results, but you may want to add a


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few of your most common colors to them to further enhance

the performance of the profile. In any case, the ColorSet

should be kept as clean as possible (avoid marring the surface)and be stored in a dry, dark place.

4. It is recommended that you profile your master instrument to

itself before creating any additional Master Color Sets. In thecase of a Virtual Master, choose one of the instruments used to

be your working standard and profile that instrument to thevirtual one. This is so that you can maintain your master

instrument as close as possible to its original performance. Inaddition, if your master instrument should fail, you can profile

a replacement instrument to your master until it is repaired.

Upon receipt of the repaired master instrument, you can re-profile to ensure you are back to your original state.

5. Whenever you are creating a Master Color Set or profiling asecondary instrument, it is recommended that you use some

type of fixture to eliminate any errors in positioning of thesample. In lieu of a fixture, it is suggested that you average

several measurements together. Make sure that your color

standards are handled with care, as any changes to its surfacecan affect your profile quality. It is also important to maintain

your ambient temperature so that the profile will be accurate

as possible. Because certain colors are thermo chromatic, it isimportant that you control the ambient temperature (andhumidity) as much as possible.

6. Your best results will be obtained when the apertures between

the master instrument and the profiled instruments are thesame. In addition, the larger the aperture size, the better the

performance.

7. X-Rite recommends profiling a minimum of once a month for

best performance. The ambient temperature during profilingshould be 4F (2C) of the temperature recorded during the

color set creation.

Creating a Color Set

X-Rite offers a complete X-Rite ColorSet consisting of 24 ceramic tiles

that were chosen from a wide gamut of color space to optimize theperformance of SpectroSync. However, there are ways to improve the

performance of SpectroSync by creating your own color set based onthe materials used in your process, or by augmenting the X-Rite

ColorSet with your colors developed from your materials. If you chooseto create your own color set, the following guidelines are provided to

help you create the most efficient SpectroSync color set.


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Selecting Colors

When selecting colors for your color set, make sure that you have

as wide of a color gamut as possible. A minimum of 10 colors isrequired to create a color set, however the more colors you use ,

the better SpectroSync will perform. The following 24 L*a*b*

values are provided as a starting point for creating your color set.SPIN data under D65/10 Illum/Obs

L* a* b*25.99 0.12 -0.1393.37 -0.27 2.0762.21 -2.24 -15.0674.62 -10.34 32.1537.31 -12.03 -2.6156.45 -5.14 14.09

61.44 -1.6 -1.4733.31 9.6 -4.5969.6 15.04 51.3834.28 2.93 -19.7175.38 -4.04 6.6137.09 19.47 6.185.53 1.96 61.9637.06 -11.41 4.7264.75 4.01 7.3438.29 3.12 10.51

51.08 6.92 -7.7850.71 -15.69 -0.4882.81 1.37 8.3443.55 -8.39 3.9529.57 -0.04 -5.8741.83 49.85 24.5425.5 9.26 -17.2660.61 56.02 56.5

Do not use fluorescent colors in your color sets, as these are

unstable and will react significantly different between instruments.NOTE:A fluorescent color is one that has a reflectance value over100%. If you are measuring optically brightened papers, try

adding one of these into your color set.

If your main concern is controlling your corporate colors, it is agood idea to add those to your color set as well. For instance, if

you are a furniture manufacturer, make sure you have a few

blacks, browns, tans, and whites to add to the default colors.

Color sets developed from materials similar to those used innormal production will typically further improve the performance of

SpectroSync.

If you do not have the resources to establish a complete color set

on your own, please consider adding a few of your colors to our

default X-Rite ColorSet.


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Maintaining Your Colors

If you decide to create your own color sets, keep in mind that:

All samples deteriorate over time. Make sure that you areentering the appropriate expiration time for your color sets when

creating the files with SpectroSync.

Pigment stability and substrate/material aging should be taken

into account.

You will also need to consider handling of the color sets and howoften users are going to use them to profile with.

All of this will affect the overall stability of the color sets and ultimately

the overall performance of SpectroSync.

No matter what approach you decide to take, keep in mind that you

should have a distribution of colors across as much of color space as

you can in order to optimize SpectroSync performance.

Setting SpectroSync Permissions

SpectroSync permissions are set through the Database Administration(X-Admin) program. You will first be prompted to enter the

administrator's password. (If you do not know the password, youcannot perform administration functions. See your System

Administrator for assistance.) After entering the correct password, youcan then set up the SpectroSync permissions.

To Set SpectroSync Permissions:

1. From the Optionsmenu, choose Administrative to open

the Administrator Login dialog.

2. Enter your password and click OK.


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3. The X-Admin Database Administrator dialog appears. Click theSpectroSync Permissionstab.

4. From the Users list, select the user for whom you want to set

up user permissions.

5. Under Permissions, select which functions the user can

perform.

Check Allcan be used to check all boxes and Clear Allcanbe used to clear all boxes.

6. Select the appropriate check boxes to give the user permission

to use those functions; de-select a check box to remove thepermissions.

7. When you have made all of your selections, click Applyto set

the user permissions.

Creating a Master Color Set

The Create Master Color Set function is used to create color sets thatwill be distributed to users wanting to use SpectroSync to profile their

instruments.


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To Create a Master Color Set:

1. From the SpectroSyncmenu, choose Create Master Color

Set.

The Master Color Set dialog box.

2. In the Color Set IDbox, enter a name for the Master Color

Set, or click Selectat the end of the text box to choose anexisting color set to edit.

3. In the Color Set Expiration Datebox, enter the date that youwant to set as the expiration date for that specific color set.

4. In the Warn _ days before expiration datebox, enter the

number of days to be warned before the expiration date of the

color set.5. In the Reprofile every_daysbox, enter in the interval you

want for profiling the target instrument.

6. In the Warn _ days before reprofilingbox, enter the number

of days to be warned before the expiration date of the Profile.


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7. In the Ambient Temperature box, enter the current ambient

temperature.

8. Choose the Color Set you wish to use from the Choose a ColorSet drop list. You can either select the default X-Rite Color

Set, or choose Create your ownto enter in a custom

Color Set.9. If you would like to group together instruments to create an

averaged virtual data set, check Virtual Master Instrumentand enter or select the number of instruments.

10.Enter the number of colors in your Color Set.

If you are using the default X-Rite Color Set, this value willbe automatically set for you. In addition, you will not be

required to enter in color names for this set.

11.

Click Startto open the measure window.

12.You will be prompted to initiate instrument calibration. After

calibration is completed, Black appears in the Measure

Color box. If you would like to average more than onemeasurement for the color, check Averageand enter or selectthe number of measurements. Averaging is set per color.

13.Measure the black color by lowering the instrument (hand-heldunits) or clicking Measure(benchtop units). Continue to

measure the black color if averaging is used. After you finish measuring the color, the program updates

the color display area with the new color information. Youcan change the display options to more accurately analyze

the color data.

14.White appears in the Measure Color box. Select theaveraging option if desired.

15.Measure the white color.

16.

After the white color measurement is finished, a blank text boxappears. Enter a name for the next color into the box and click

Next. Measure the color.

17.Continue with additional colors. A minimum of 10 colors mustbe measure to create a color set.

18.When the last color has been measured (according to the valueentered in), you will get a message telling you that you are done.

Once colors are measured, the order that they appear in the Color

Set list can be changed. Simply click on a color in the list and clickMove Upor Move Downto move it one position.

Add is used to add an additional color to the Color Set.

Deleteis used to remove a selected color from the list.

Rename is use to rename the selected color in the Color Set list.


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Remeasureis used remeasure the selected color in the Color Set

list.

19.Click Saveto save the Master Color Set.

Creating a Profile of the Instrument

The Create Profile function is used to profile a given instrument to amaster instrument so that they measure very close to one other.

To Create a Profile:

1. From the SpectroSyncmenu, choose Create Profile.

The Create Profile dialog box appears.

2. For Master Color Set, click at the end of the text box tobrowse to the Color Sets directory. Choose the Color Set fileyou want to load.

3. In the Ambient Temperaturebox, enter the current ambienttemperature.

4. Click Startto begin measuring the colors in the Color Set file.

You will be prompted to initiate instrument calibration. Once


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calibration is completed, you will be lead through the proper

measurement sequence in the Instructions section.

5. Measure the colors by lowering the instrument (hand-held units)or clicking Measure (benchtop units). You will be prompted to

take additional measurements if averaging is used.

a.

If you make a mistake during a measurement, click Backto move back one color so you can remeasure.

6. Continue with additional colors until complete.

After the last color is measured, pass/fail is determined for each

color, as well as the entire profile. The results are then displayed.

If the profile passes, it is automatically saved along with a copy ofthe report.

If the profile fails, you will be prompted with a message informing

you of the failure. The profile will not be saved, however a copy ofthe report is still saved automatically.

Click Printif you wish to print a report.

(Sample Report)


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Loading a Profile

The Load Profile function is used to load previously created Profiles.

NOTE: SpectroSync must be enabled for the profile to be used.

To Load a Profile:

1.

From the SpectroSyncmenu, choose Load Profile.

The SpectroSync Profile Files dialog box appears.

2. Choose the name of the Profile you want to load from the listand click OKto load the Profile.


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Enabling SpectroSync

The Enable SpectroSync function is used to enable and disable theselected profile from being used during measurements. An indicator in

the toolbar displays the current status of the profile.

Enabled = Disabled= (dimmed indicator)

From the SpectroSyncmenu, choose Enable SpectroSyncto enableprofiling.

A checkmark () appears next to Enable SpectroSyncwhen it is

enabled.

To disable profiling, select Enable SpectroSyncagain to remove thecheckmark.


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X-RITE WORLD HEADQUARTERS

Grandville, Michigan USAwww.xrite.com1-888-826-3042FAX 1-888-826-3043 or616-534-0067International1-888-826-3039 or 616-534-7663FAX 616-534-0723

X-RITE LATIN AMERICA

Hollywood, Florida USA954-927-4979FAX 954-927-4979

X-RITE LTD.

Poynton, CheshireUnited Kingdom44 (0) 1625 871100FAX 44 (0) 1625 871444

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Massy, France33 1-6953-6620FAX 33 1-6953-0052

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Barcelona, Spain34 93 567 70 73FAX 34 93 567 70 78

X-RITE ITALY S.R.L.

Origgio (VA), Italy(39) 02-967-34266FAX (39) 02-967-30681

X-RITE GMBH

Kln, Germany(49) 2203-91450FAX (49) 2203-914519Vyskov, Czech Republic(00) 420 517-320-331FAX (00) 420 517-320-335

X-RITE INTERNATIONALTRADING L IMITED

Shanghai, PR China86-21-6427-2426FAX 86-21-6427-5816

X-RITE ASIA PACIFIC LTD.

Quarry Bay, Hong Kong(852) 2-568-6283FAX (852) 2-885-8610

X-RITE K.K.

Tokyo, Japan81-3-5439-5971FAX 81-3-5439-5972

P/N 1247-601

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