By Margie Dana

Rarely do I write about a particular product. My role is not to promote but to inform, so I have to tread lightly. Every once in a while, however, a new tool for print production professionals comes on the market that sounds so cool, I can't help but follow my nose for news.

So today we say hello to ColorMunki Design, a new device for designers from the first jointly developed line of products from X-Rite and its recently acquired partner, Pantone.

To be totally honest, I fell in love with the name, which is why I followed the trail to this Tip. My hat's off to the advertising and/or creative team that came up with it. I first heard of ColorMunki from Daniel Dejan of Sappi Fine Paper about a month ago. If you know Daniel, you know he's not only a speaker who's approaching groupie status, but he also is a designer/creative director who is very discerning when it comes to color management tools.

When Daniel talks, I listen.

For this interview I spoke with Andy Hatkoff, a vice president at Pantone, Inc., in the Advanced Color Technologies division. (Pantone, Inc., is a wholly owned subsidiary of X-Rite, Incorporated.) Andy's been with Pantone for 17 years. His major responsibilities include technology licensing and OEM partnerships.

MD: Andy, what is ColorMunki Design?

AH: It's an easy-to-use, all-in-one tool that meets the needs of creatives working in a digital environment. Basically, it ensures accurate color from inspiration to final output. The device profiles and calibrates monitors, projectors and printers (inkjet or laser) for accurate display-to-print matching. It also lets users quickly and accurately capture color from any surface and verify spot colors for process-safe reproduction in any medium. So when you combine all the functions of ColorMunki into a single unit, it makes for a very innovative tool. It's a tool to help designers get the color they want and to trust what they are doing.

MD: When did it come on the market?

AH: Mid-March of this year. It was widely announced at drupa.

MD: Who is it meant for and how will it help them?

AH: ColorMunki Design was developed specifically for graphic designers, from small- to mid-size agencies to creatives in large agencies and corporate in-house designers, too. The ColorMunki is designed to do some rather complicated things quickly and easily. ColorMunki will decrease file-handling problems. Designers won't be working in color chaos anymore, but in a color-managed environment. It demystifies the science of color and provides the designer with a practical tool that can accomplish a lot without extensive training or education in color science. It allows designers to focus on design. In a matter of minutes, you can learn how to use it by following steps on screen. It will give you a monitor you can trust and output that is more like what you see on-screen.

One of the things it can do is create a printer profile. It prints out 50 patches of color on your printer, then you measure them with ColorMunki. By going through this process, you can control your output more accurately. The software that comes with ColorMunki allows users to build palettes using colors from PANTONE Color Libraries, including the PANTONE Goe System and the PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM, as well system-level color pickers, inspirational images, color harmonies and key word searches. It is a versatile tool for taking control over color.

ColorMunki can also use printer or output profiles that you have already created. You can easily see what colors will print well on your device or on a printing press. Its "PrintSafe" feature will block out colors that won't print well on your output device or press. It's a way for designers to finally take control over their color from inspiration to final output.

MD: Does it work with standard design software?

AH: Yes. Colors and color palettes can be imported into popular design applications including Adobe Photoshop and InDesign and QuarkXPress, through an automatic sync function. And it works with both Mac and Windows.

MD: What about commercial printers? How do you expect they'll react?

AH: Printers will benefit. This device will help establish a higher degree of synergy with their designers and require less reworking.

MD: Ok, define it for me in one short phrase.

AH: An all-in-one color tool.

Andy, thanks for your time with me. I'm not a designer, but I can't wait to meet my first munki. To learn more about this cool new color device for graphic designers, visit www.pantone.com. ColorMunki retails for $499 and can be purchased on the Web site as well as at retail stores. I leave you with a final thought from Andy Hatkoff: "Everyone can be a munki."

Hey PaperSpecs Members: Don’t forget that you receive a 20 percent discount on all Pantone products! Just log in and go to “Special Offers” to retrieve your promo code. And if you’re not yet a member, simply click here  and you’ll not only get this terrific offer, but all the latest paper news, exclusive mill promotions and access to the most comprehensive paper database – now upgraded with LAB and RGB color formulas to simulate the color of stock you’re considering.

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© 2008 Margie Dana. All rights reserved. You may contact Margie Dana at mdana@bostonprintbuyers.com.

7/16/08