10/13/2026
with Color Management Group.
Today, we wanted to look at spectrophotometers. Currently there are three main brands that are manufacturing spectros that are focused on the printing industry. Most companies in the US are using the X-Rite i1Pro 3 or eXact but which spectrophotometer is right for your printing business? Different devices like the ones shown here all serve different purposes.
For example, the Techkon and X-Rite eXact 2 are handheld devices that are meant to read a small number of patches, or even maybe just a single swatch of color. These devices come with different sized apertures for measuring samples too which means it's not just about the device but also the required patch size you'll need for the device to measure accurately.
The other two devices, the i1iO and the Barbieri are meant to read charts. They work differently in that the Barbieri pulls the chart through the device and reads the patches as it does so. The i1iO keeps the chart stable and moves the device around the chart reading each row of patches in an automated fashion. Again, these devices are also available with different apertures. Also, these different devices might work better or worse with different materials. An example of this is that the Barbieri SpectroSwing can only work with media up to 1.2mm thick. The X-Rite i1iO supports media up to 10mm thick. If you're printing on specialty substrates you might have more variation on the thickness of your media and might benefit from up to 10mm vs. only up to 1.2mm.
If you have questions about which spectro is best for your business, reach out to us through our webpage here: https://bit.ly/3Qqh6Kj and we'll answer any questions you may have and make our recommendation.
