It’s no secret: Photographers are really picky about color. Despite the many color matching apps and gadgets out there, there’s always a place for something different and hopefully better. Palette, a tech company from Australia, has unveiled the Cube, a tiny device that scientifically detects, measures and quantifies color so it can be more easily and accurately matched later on.
The rocket science is in the device, but to users — graphic, interior and fashion designers, fine artists, photographers, painters, printers and architects — it’s friendly. You need only hold the small square unit in your hand (it measures 2.17 x 1.97 x 1.97 inches and weighs 1.76 ounces) and touch it to the surface whose color you want to record. You can even use it to match to paint manufacturers in some locations.
The embedded software takes care of the rest by reading and recording the red, green and blue light pulses of the target object. Cube measures color intensity and temperature and can record in LAB, RGB, HEX, LRV or CMYK.
The color values are then transmitted to a companion iOS or Android device via Bluetooth or USB. Cube also integrates with Photoshop and Illustrator via the Cube Link app, which imports precise color values into the programs. Sampled colors are located in the foreground color palette and can be added to the color swatch list.
Cube can capture colors on plastic, wood, paper (matte and glossy), cardboard, concrete, plaster, painted surfaces (matte and glossy), some fabrics, powders and organic items (such as leaves, bark and skin). Forget about transparent objects, liquids, loose fabric (wool), metallic or fluorescent surfaces. The device can store up to 20 colors at a time.
Sound good? Well, it doesn’t come cheap. Palette Cube will set you back $179.99. It’s available from the company’s Website.
➤ Palette Cube (via DPReview)
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