Pantone and ColorVision Announce PrintFIX

“How can I get my prints to match what I see on my screen without being a color guru or breaking the bank?” After this question from many prospective customers, Pantone and ColorVision have come up with PrintFIX?. The integrated package of hardware and plug-in software is designed to help users of Adobe Photoshop and Photoshop Elements maintain color consistency from monitor to RGB photographic inkjet printers.

With a suggested retail price of $352, it's targeted at amateur and professional photographers, graphic designers, and fine artists who don't want to invest in comprehensive color-management systems in order to get more predictable results. According to Pantone, PrintFix can help anyone who prints on a variety of inkjet stocks from different manufacturers and wants to maintain consistency. According to Brian Levey, vice-president of ColorVision, “The savings gained from avoiding the waste of time, paper, and inks involved in the usual trial-and-error of color-matching can quickly pay for the product.”

As a Photoshop plug-in, PrintFix outputs a series of color patches (calibration chart) that are read back into the computer with the USB PrintFix Patch Reader. Within minutes, the PrintFix software creates an ICC profile of the printer's color behavior on a specific inkjet paper that will allow the user to create a high-quality print that more closely matches what's viewed on the monitor. The initial release supports the majority of Epson inkjet printers, with new models and manufacturers being added. Printer-specific calibration charts will be available for downloading as they become available.

PrintFIX is also available bundled with SpyderPRO? with OptiCAL? for monitor calibration, with a three-user license for $587. (Pantone, Inc: www.pantone.com, www.therightcolor.com; ColorVision, Inc.: www.colorvision.com)