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New PANTONE huey Improves Color and Solves Digital Image Problems on Monitors

Press release from the issuing company

CARLSTADT, N.J. – Jan. 16, 2006 – Pantone, Inc., the global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries, today announced the availability of huey, an easy-to-use monitor calibration tool designed for digital photo enthusiasts, gamers and any computer user wanting absolute color and clarity. Developed in partnership with GretagMacbeth and brought to market by Pantone, huey is based on GretagMacbeth’s technology for professional-level products and delivered in an easy-to-use, affordable device – a true breakthrough in terms of form, function and usability. About the size of a small marker, huey delivers excellent results on LCD, laptop and CRT displays without requiring users to have any knowledge of color management. In addition, huey is the first monitor calibration device to continually adjust the monitor as room lighting changes. “The convergence of publishing, the Internet and entertainment has led to a generation of computer users whose primary media is the computer screen,” explains Doris Brown, vice president of marketing for Pantone. “This has big implications in terms of color. In printed media, color can be carefully controlled during the printing process to ensure the viewer sees the intended color. Different monitors, on the other hand, interpret color differently, leaving a big question mark in terms of color accuracy. With huey, wondering if your color is right is a thing of the past.” “huey breaks new ground in terms of size, performance and ease-of-use,” adds Iris Mangelschots, vice president and general manager of digital imaging at GretagMacbeth. “We’ve been able to leverage the technology used in our professional products, package it in a very affordable and convenient form factor and combine it with new software designed specifically for the non-technical user. Our partnership with Pantone and their ability to reach consumers is important to the success of huey. ” huey huey is the newest gadget for any consumer or photo hobbyist looking for absolute color and clarity. huey is distinctly different from professional monitor calibration tools on the market that require a basic understanding of color management to operate. Plus, it is the only device that continually adapts a monitor for changing room lighting. In less than five minutes, huey can calibrate a user’s monitor and adjust it based on their primary viewing activity – viewing photos, playing games, creating graphics or browsing the Web. With an affordable $89 price tag, huey delivers accurate onscreen color, a crucial component for anyone who cares about color fidelity. “huey may be the coolest tool I’ve seen for achieving color accuracy. With its portable, sleek design and professional-level technology, it’s a great tool for any digital photography enthusiast who might want to edit or print digital images,” said professional photographer and PANTONE Innovator, Jon Canfield. “huey makes sure the reds, greens and blues are all true. This is something anyone who uses a monitor will appreciate.” A Complete Family of Monitor Calibration Solutions As part of its strategic partnership with GretagMacbeth (see separate release), Pantone is bringing two additional monitor calibration tools to market specifically for professionals, Eye-One Display LT and Eye-One Display 2. Eye-One Display LT is designed for creative professionals just getting started with color management and Eye-One Display 2 lets advanced professionals control every aspect of color management onscreen. Eye-One Display LT Eye-One Display LT features more advanced controls than huey. A software wizard calibrates the monitor to produce consistent, predictable color in just a few simple steps. Eye-One Display LT can also be used to calibrate multiple monitors connected to a single workstation. It is the ideal entry-point for the price sensitive creative professional and can also easily be upgraded to the capabilities of the Eye-One Display 2 as the user’s needs expand. Eye-One Display LT includes a profile summary reporting capability that shows target color temperature, luminance and gamma, and stores all the information in a profile, which is ideal for post profile analysis. Eye-One Display 2 Eye-One Display 2 includes all the features of Eye-One Display LT and also provides unlimited control and customization capabilities over the gamma and whitepoint settings. Its lightweight, sleek design comes with an ambient light head that easily snaps onto the device, also acting as a dust protector designed to ensure the sensor’s longevity. Eye-One Display 2 creates high-quality ICC profiles for accurate, onscreen softproofing. Pricing, Availability and System Requirements huey, Eye-One Display LT and Eye-One Display 2 are available immediately through Pantone at www.pantone.com and its resellers. huey is priced at $89, Eye-One Display LT is priced at $169 and Eye-One Display 2 is priced at $249. Eye-One Display 2 is also available through GretagMacbeth. All of the devices work with LCD, CRT and laptop monitors and are compatible with Mac OSX 10.3 and Windows 2000 and XP. The Beginning of a Strategic Partnership with GretagMacbeth huey and the Eye-One Display solutions are the first products from Pantone as a result of its strategic partnership with GretagMacbeth. By combining Pantone’s relationship and understanding of the creative community with GretagMacbeth’s innovative technology, the two companies hope to make color management more accessible for a wide variety of users, ranging from consumers to professionals.