HOW TO MEASURE THE SPECTRUM OF A COLOR PATCH USING Eye-One Share

(last edit: 20 August 2006)

First, to generate spectral data, you need the Eye-One spectrophotometer,
not the Display model.

A spectrophotometer shows how reflective is each patch at given colors
across the visible spectrum. The Display model is a colorimeter, and
gives only the color coordinates (i.e. L*a*b*, which is enough for many
tasks but not this one).

Procedure:

1- Start Eye-One Share. This free program comes with the Eye-One, it can
also be dowloaded at:

  http://www.gretagmacbeth.com/home/communities/i1color/i1freeware.htm

You may need to be registered to get it but, since you have an Eye-One,
there should be no problems.

2- Calibrate the unit using Device/Calibrate (its asked by default)

3- Click the Eye-One image in the "Work" zone (near the screen bottom)

4- Using the Eye-One, measure each patch using the provided plastic guide
(the elliptically shaped one).

  Suggestion: start at the upper-left (dark-skin), then go by rows.

  Check that the colors appear in the Work zone. It takes a few seconds for
  the color to appear in the Work zone and the spectro should not be moved
  until it does; you should hear a beep when done.

  You can always Edit/Delete the latest entry. Do not spend time on the names,
  they are assigned automatically and I will make sense of the data.

  Be careful not to slide the plastic instruments on your chart and ruin your
  chart.

5- When a chart is done, select "Save As" .cxf format. CXF is an XML format
that can be opened with some spreadsheet software. You can also re-open the
saved file using Eye-One Share if you wish.