Pantone have announced the availability of huey, an easy-to-use monitor calibration tool designed for digital photo enthusiasts, gamers and any computer user wanting absolute color and clarity. Developed in partnership with GretagMacbeth, huey is based on GretagMacbeth's technology and is a true breakthrough in terms of form, function and usability. About the size of a small marker, huey delivers excellent results on LCD, laptop and CRT displays without requiring users to have any knowledge of color management. In addition, huey is the first monitor calibration device to continually adjust the monitor as room lighting changes.

"The convergence of publishing, the Internet and entertainment has led to a generation of computer users whose primary media is the computer screen," explains Doris Brown, vice president of marketing for Pantone. "This has big implications in terms of color. In printed media, color can be carefully controlled during the printing process to ensure the viewer sees the intended color. Different monitors, on the other hand, interpret color differently, leaving a big question mark in terms of color accuracy. With huey, wondering if your color is right is a thing of the past."

"huey breaks new ground in terms of size, performance and ease-of-use," adds Iris Mangelschots, vice president and general manager of digital imaging at GretagMacbeth. "We've been able to leverage the technology used in our professional products, package it in a very affordable and convenient form factor and combine it with new software designed specifically for the non-technical user. Our partnership with Pantone and their ability to reach consumers is important to the success of huey."

In less than five minutes, huey can calibrate a user's monitor and adjust it based on their primary viewing activity viewing photos, playing games, creating graphics or browsing the Web. And it is priced at an affordable $89 ($79 at Amazon.com).

"huey may be the coolest tool I've seen for achieving color accuracy. With its portable, sleek design and professional-level technology, it's a great tool for any digital photography enthusiast who might want to edit or print digital images," said professional photographer and PANTONE Innovator, Jon Canfield. "huey makes sure the reds, greens and blues are all true. This is something anyone who uses a monitor will appreciate."

As part of its strategic partnership with GretagMacbeth, Pantone is bringing two additional monitor calibration tools to market specifically for professionals, Eye-One Display LT and Eye-One Display 2. Eye-One Display LT is designed for creative professionals just getting started with color management and Eye-One Display 2 lets advanced professionals control every aspect of color management onscreen.

Eye-One Display LT features more advanced controls than huey. A software wizard calibrates the monitor to produce consistent, predictable color in just a few simple steps. Eye-One Display LT can also be used to calibrate multiple monitors connected to a single workstation. It is the ideal entry-point for the price sensitive creative professional and can also easily be upgraded to the capabilities of the Eye-One Display 2 as the user's needs expand.

Eye-One Display LT includes a profile summary reporting capability that shows target color temperature, luminance and gamma, and stores all the information in a profile, which is ideal for post profile analysis.

Eye-One Display 2 includes all the features of Eye-One Display LT and also provides unlimited control and customization capabilities over the gamma and whitepoint settings. Its lightweight, sleek design comes with an ambient light head that easily snaps onto the device, also acting as a dust protector designed to ensure the sensor's longevity. Eye-One Display 2 creates high-quality ICC profiles for accurate, onscreen softproofing.

huey, Eye-One Display LT and Eye-One Display 2 are available through Pantone. huey is priced at $89, Eye-One Display LT is priced at $169 and Eye-One Display 2 is priced at $249. Eye-One Display 2 is also available through GretagMacbeth. All of the devices work with LCD, CRT and laptop monitors and are compatible with Mac OSX 10.3 and Windows 2000 and XP.

Datacolor, a world color technology leader, announced ColorVision Spyder2 Plus (“The Digital Darkroom in a Box”), a complete digital package for on screen and final output color accuracy. This new PANTONE COLORVISION product debuted today at the photo industry’s premiere press event, SNEAK PEAK, at the International PMA trade show, which runs from February 20 - 23 in Orlando, Florida. (ColorVision Booth No. 1908.)

ColorVision Spyder2 Plus provides a full suite of tools for anyone working with digital images and is frustrated by color discrepancy between the monitor image and final printout. Based on ColorVision’s award-winning color display and output technology, Spyder2 Plus is combined (for FREE) with the latest digital imaging software from Adobe - its hot new PhotoShop Elements 3.0. The Spyder2 Plus Digital Darkroom in a Box also includes:

* The all-new ColorVision Spyder2 calibrator ($189 value), a highly accurate, sleek color sensor that delivers precise color correction for CRT, LCD and laptop displays. Comes with Spyder2 color monitor calibration software.

*ColorVision ProfilerPLUS, an industry standard printer utility that employs an existing scanner to profile the printer ($110 value), helps improve inkjet and color laser prints. Because it’s a plug-in, it operates within Adobe’s Elements or other color management-compatible software and is especially useful for users or plan-to-be users of third-party papers or inksets. (A $75 coupon is included to upgrade to the more advanced ColorVision PrintFIX or ColorVision SpectroPRO2 profiling products.)

* Adobe  Photoshop Elements 3.0 software, the latest in digital imaging, an all-in-one solution for digital photography. Keeps track of photos from multiple devices–cameras, hard disks, CD’s, DVD ’s, and scanners. This hot new Adobe $100 software program comes with tools even a beginner can use: for example, to retouch blemishes, eliminate red eye, or manage and share a photo library. For the advanced user it includes Quick Fix–the Spot Healing Brush, Camera Raw, 16-bit color support and many other features from the more advanced CS program.

* Topping off the Spyder2 Plus package is Pantone’s colorist ($49 value), which gives users easy access to PANTONE MATCHING SYSTEM Colors. 

“As digital cameras and imaging technology is embraced in record numbers, more and more people are realizing that their ‘digital light box’ (their monitor) isn’t reproducing color accurately,” said Brian Levey, vice-president of Datacolor. Spyder2 Plus is an affordable, easy-to-use tool that delivers vibrant, true-to-life color with minimal time and effort. This product answers the market demand for more accurate and affordable color on monitors and in print.

Levey continues, “This product reflects the convergence in the digital imaging industry, an evolution that embraces every form of communication. As digital imaging goes mainstream, color display and output increasingly determine customer satisfaction. Our job is to make sure that color stays true as we move across various media channels. The ColorVision Spyder2 Plus will put the color on your monitor and from your printer in sync. And that’s going to make you and your customers look a lot more professional when it comes to producing digital images and designing desktop environments. With more than 42% of Americans owning digital cameras, you can bet that this is a popular topic among your photo resellers.”

System Requirements
Spyder2: OSX 10.2 or better, or Windows 2000 or XP, Adobe Photoshop 5.5 or better on Windows, Adobe Photoshop 7 or better on Mac or Adobe Photoshop Elements .

Spyder2 Plus languages: English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Traditional and Simplified Chinese.

ProfilerPLUS languages: English, French, and German; Adobe Photoshop 5.5 or better (for both RGB and CMYK profiles) or Adobe Photoshop Elements 3.0 (for RGB profiles only), included with this package. 300 dpi flatbed scanner or better and color printer.

Pricing and Availability
Spyder2 Plus includes the Spyder2 colorimeter, monitor calibration software that can be used on multiple workstations with no additional licensing required, ProfilerPLUS software, PANTONE colorist software and Adobe Photoshop Elements 3.0. Spyder2 Plus - a $447 value has a manufacturers suggested retail price of U.S. $269 and can be found for less at many resellers.

As part of the ColorVision Spyder2 Plus special promotion, customers with proof of purchase receive a $75 rebate coupon, redeemable for PrintFIX or SpectroPRO2.

The PANTONE COLORVISION Spyder2 product line can be purchased through major consumer electronics retailers, and from ColorVision at www.colorvision.com. ColorVision also offers free unlimited E-mail and telephone support and FREE software updates. Comes with a 2-year Spyder2 Warranty. Call 1.800.554.8688 for customer service.

About ColorVision by Datacolor
ColorVision technology by Datacolor provides affordable, easy-to-use digital color control products to creative professionals, photographers, corporate customers and consumers around the world.

Because color matters, leading businesses, creative professionals, and consumers worldwide choose Datacolor’s innovative technology solutions to consistently achieve the right color. A Swiss-held company, Datacolor’s strong worldwide presence encompasses global manufacturing and operational facilities with an international strategic network of sales and support offices.

For more information visit www.colorvision.com.