Review -Color is big business. This is something most of us take for granted, but the correct choice of colors can be very complicated. It doesn’t matter whether we are talking about the paint color or the space gray of the MacBook Pro; in either case, one person (or many people) is getting the correct shade. This is why there are color cards in the paint shop, as well as palette plug-ins for computer software. If you are working in the field, calibration of printers and even monitors is critical (and frequent), and ultimately cannot replace physical samples. Datacolor knows this well and has provided solutions for five years. I have been using one of their smallest products to read and measure colors last month. It’s called ColorReader EZ, and it’s very cool.
What is it?
The Datacolor ColorReader EZ is a small digital measuring device, paired with a smart phone application, designed to match paint colors. One click to scan the physical colors and find the 3 best matching paint colors. Digital fan books and complementary colors help simplify the process of choosing color schemes.
What’s in the box?
- Datacolor ColorReader EZ
- CR2032 CR battery (2 installed)
- Instruction card
Hardware specifications
strength: 6V, 235mA powered by (2) CR2032 button battery
Require: Smart phone (iPhone or Android phone with Bluetooth 4.0 or higher)
application: ColorReader app from Apple App Store or Google Play
compatibility: IOS 9.3 or higher | Android 6.0 or higher
aspect: 83 x 44 x 15 mm | 45 grams
Design and features
Datacolor ColorReader EZ is a small and portable color measurement device that can start processing colors with just one click.
Then display the colors on your smartphone through the ColorReader application, and provide many options for the next steps.
Flip cover protects the lens and provides built-in color calibration
The shot below is where the magic happens. It is also located in the center just below the top operation button, so it is easy to aim.
set up
- Download the app and open it.
- Check the coin cell battery on the device, then press the button to wake it up.
- Select the product when it pops up. If you need to confirm, there is a label with the corresponding number on the information card.
- Next, click on the “Calibration” alert, or go to the device tab in the bottom left corner, and then go to the calibration tab in the top right corner.
- Close the lens cover at the bottom of the reader and press “Calibrate” in the app. (You can do this at any time).
- The yellow alert will turn green to inform you that the ColorReader is now calibrated.
- The only other message you often encounter is the “connection to device lost” alert. This happens whenever you have been idle for too long or have not used the device for a period of time. Just press the button on the device to wake it up, then press connect in the app.
Performance
So out of the gate, I want to set up a playing field here. Color is very subjective, what I see may be different from what you see. What I like or like is almost certainly different from what you do. When people try to define a color and describe it as the feeling of a cool or warm color or a specific hue, it gets very different interpretations. Then, any inaccuracies we may have in terms of vision, lighting, phone brightness, or display settings will magnify this. This is where accurate measurement is so valuable, and why this is such a unique product.
To take a reading, place the reader flat on the color surface to be measured, place the button in the center of the position to be measured, and then press the button. The app will quickly display a large sample, showing the “highest match quality” and two additional matches.If you click “Information” in the upper left corner, you will see other color value standards, such as Hexadecimal with RGB along with laboratory Unless you are engaged in manufacturing or batch color consistency, these values may not make much sense.
If you click on the actual color, in this case, Tuscan Herbs is the reading of one of my bikes, you will see a full-size swatch and the option data to view the fan deck, coordinate color, save swatch or color. Below I clicked on the coordinate color, and then clicked on the free, three-in-one, similar and single-color options. Clicking any of the 4 background colors will bring up the swatch of that specific color above.
When you want to save any color, you can create your own color palette to combine the colors. This is very helpful for planning. It is also worth noting that the saved colors are read by the device. If you open and close different libraries, then click the color and click match, you will get updated results without having to re-read.
There is also a complete history of the colors you have read, you can find all available libraries in the color tab for selection.
Some notes:
- When calibrating the device, make sure to click on the actual alarm or navigate to the device/calibration and use the app button to calibrate. Closing the lid and clicking the button is second nature, but then you will get Kelly-Moore KMW46 as if it has been read, but also on the sample, you no longer see the alarm that requires calibration, which means Additional readings may leave.
- If you are measuring in a different location, or if you do not lay the device flat, the color you are reading may show some different readings, so you may need to take some readings to find the average.
- Please pay attention to whether the content you are trying to read is uneven, heavily textured, or actually has multiple colors.
- If there is a clear coating on the color you are reading (such as my bike or car), the color may look a bit monotonous even if it matches.
- Make sure to make a note of the painting library you choose, because the ColorReader application will present matches for any subset you choose.
So I took some readings from my bike and I needed to pick up some refinish paint there. They are not the bikes of the year, so getting the actual paint is tricky at best. I only took these with the Behr paint selected in the library, so I could easily pick up samples from Home Depot to check the closeness of the readings.
The first one is my Spot Rallye cross-country bike. Because of its very frog color, it is nicknamed Kermit. The Behr option proposed by ColorReader is the vivid yellow of Tuscan herb green and green neon. If I turn on the paint option, I believe I can get a closer match, but I also feel that Tuscan herbs will look darker under some clear coating. The green neon lights are very close.
Next is my wife’s Bianchi. The Celeste color of this brand is very famous and difficult to match. This time I chose Aqua Rapids. It might take a little bit of yellow, but it’s very close in my case, and again, the clear coat will add some depth.
My Felt eBike is closer to a motorcycle, and it is prone to debris. This reading looks very accurate, but is actually closer than the image represents.
Next, I sampled the railings of the stairs. It is a dark beige, one of the 3 similar shades used outside our house, they are all very close and it is easy to confuse. The arrow color is closer and more accurate than the other two tones in our garage, and considering that 5 years of sunlight and weather may actually be a direct match.
what do I like
- Small ultraportable device
- Built-in calibration
- Compared with the cost of large-scale paint projects (especially the improper color selection), the price is cheap
What will i change
- Button rattle
- If you take a reading, the calibration alarm will not stay in the front and middle
Final thoughts
ColorReader EZ is an excellent tool that can be easily used to identify paint colors. The read colors are stored independently of the paint matching, which is very helpful, allowing you to adjust the paint library without rescanning the colors. Color coordination is helpful, but may be more subjective when it suits personal taste. If you are tired of the current painting scheme and want to draw inspiration from the world around you, this is an EZ way.
Price: $59.00 US$49.00 (via Amazon coupon or direct discount of US$10 on Datacolor)
Where to buy: Amazon or Data color
source: The sample of this product is made by Data color
