Datacolor, strong manufacturer of color measurement and control systems technologies, turned 2012 into an assertive period with Datacolor Viewport it developed. Launched firstly at ITMA Barcelona in September 2011, Viewport was presented to Turkish visitors later at ITM Istanbul exhibition. The company’s product was examined closely by Asian manufacturers latest at ITMA ASIA CITME exhibition. While the product attracted great attention, it brings revolutionary innovations to textile color control.
Viewport is based on a technology that provides the quality data and visualization for users required for a wide range of products such as multi-color fabric prints/patterns, lace, denim, towels, and wall coverings most accurately. It evaluates the textile material visually and provides the results to users. By combining precisely calibrated imaging with a web-based image communication platform, Viewport offers more objective color data. Designed for meeting daily needs of retailer dyers and QC operators, it makes the color control process accurate.
The product captures color-calibrated image in multiple reference lights including daylight, home and store light, has software offering the suppliers remote access to the visualized review of samples, approval and archiving.
Switzerland-based Datacolor, carrying out works on color measurement and quality in the sector for 40 years, reached a more active position in the market, as reflected by the great interest from visitors at ITMA ASIA CITME.
Great Interest to Viewport from Turkish Market
Fred Olshewski, Datacolor Manager Key Accounts, provided explanations especially for Textil Dünyası. He explained that Datacolor Viewport drew great interest from Turkish customers, promising at ITMA exhibition held in Istanbul in April to order Viewport once the unit will be available. Underlining that they left the exhibition in Istanbul as satisfied, Olshewski said that they are in a very productive period for reaching Turkish and Middle East markets.
Claiming that Turkish market is also a door to the Middle East, he emphasized that they have a long business tradition in Turkey. Olshewski said; “We are dealing with clients here in different industries already since more than 30 years. Turkey was always a key market for us. So we look to participate in events, special programs held in Turkey. Turkey is very important not only as an internal market but also as a door to the Middle East market. Thus we aim to extend our presence here. We want to develop Istanbul also as a center for our export to Middle East”.
Olshewski explained that they closed 2011 successfully both in global markets and Turkish market and Turkey’s performance was even above the average in the world. He reported that in Turkey, they have overachieved the plans they had in terms of turnover and sale, and they achieved successful rates in the past period of 2012 as well.
Olshewski said that Datacolor Viewport firstly introduced at the end of 2011 helps everybody at the supply chain have right information and communication related to colors, and emphasized that the products which cannot be measured with spectrophotometer can be measured with Viewport now. Olshewski continued as follows; “For instance, color data that is important for multicolored, patterned as laces, prints, heather, etc. is measured under different light sources, images are taken and then can be analyzed on a computer monitor. As Viewport is a camera based system, it takes images under different light sources. You can zoom in down to four pixels to a design”.
Brings Solution for Small-Scale Products
We have discovered a huge demand and initially planned to produce a certain number of units as first production batch. We have now decided to almost double this production batch because of the positive reactions we had since ITMA.
Fred Olshewski underlined that thanks to the advertisements in the global market, they have a huge demand and official sale of the product will commence in summer season. He also reported that demand from Turkish textile manufacturers played an effective role in this process. Olshewski said that manufacturers of too small products which cannot be measured with spectrophotometer demand Viewport and they are a solution partner of owners of products such as lingerie and embroidery.
Underlying that this technology is very fast, he added that the camera takes images under different light sources in 15-20 seconds, and then immediately the data and the images are transferred to PC.
Olshewski stated that this length of period is really fast for determining the color quality of a product and that they had another product line which is called Datacolor Envision that can digitally communicate colors. He said this technology has been present in the market since many years, and the new technologies are based on Envision.
We Carry out R&D together with Customers
Reporting the important role of customer demands and expectations in Datacolor’s works on new technologies, Fred Olshewski said; “We do not do our R&D in a dark chamber or somewhere in our factory. We go out, talk to customers, and learn their demands. After discussing extensively and when a general demand is formed, we develop prototypes. Fine tuning those prototypes, we, again, act together with the industry”.
Olshewski pointed out that Viewport provides manufacturers great convenience in examining the color quality of product in dye houses and factories and sustaining color quality and said color quality is not only obtained through personal view but based on objective criteria, through this data. Olshewski ended as follows; “Datacolor Viewport, making the product quality continuous through whole segment, even through whole line, ensures more consistence and more reliability with control process and thus involves more backup communication between the different parts in the supply chain”.
