X-Rite Wins Prestigious iF DESIGN AWARD 2017

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., March 6, 2017 – X-Rite Incorporated, a global leader in color science and technology, and its subsidiary Pantone LLC, are the winners of this year's world-renowned iF DESIGN AWARD for their Total Appearance Capture (TAC™) scanner. The TAC7 scanner is part of a comprehensive solution that brings a new level of accuracy and realism to the capture, communication and digital presentation of physical materials in the virtual world. A team of 58 judges, made up of independent experts from all over the world, reviewed a total of 5,500 entries and selected TAC7 as a winner in the product discipline. “We’re thrilled to win the prestigious iF Design Award,” said Dr. Francis Lamy, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, X-Rite. “The TAC7 scanner represents a breakthrough in digital material capture and has the potential to transform the product design-to-production process. This award recognizes the dedication of the X-Rite product development team to expanding our solution portfolio beyond color to address the more significant challenge of capturing and managing appearance.” The TAC7 scanner is part of a full ecosystem that addresses a key challenge in product design – the ability to accurately capture and virtualize today’s increasingly complex materials such as special effect paints and synthetic fabrics. TAC brings virtual designs to life with digital material representations that are truly physically correct. Using the TAC ecosystem, product designers, 3D artists, material specifiers and marketers can scan in physical material samples and create vendor-neutral Appearance Exchange Format (AxF™) files to digitally communicate and share consistent appearance-related data with Product Lifecycle Management (PLM), Computer-Aided Design (CAD), and state-of-the art rendering applications. Incorporating the TAC ecosystem into the digital design process helps to improve design time, reduce approval cycles, and accelerate speed to market. Since 1953, the iF DESIGN AWARD has been awarded annually by Germany's oldest independent design organization, Hannover-based iF International Forum Design GmbH. An entity recognized as an arbiter of quality for exceptional design, it is comprised of a panel of independent experts that assesses each entry strictly and fairly, live and on site, according to a specific set of criteria including degree of innovation, formal quality, functionality and ecological compatibility. The iF label is renowned worldwide for outstanding design services, and the iF DESIGN AWARD is one of the most important design prizes in the world. For more information regarding the TAC ecosystem, please visit us at http://www.xrite.com/categories/Appearance/total-appearance-capture-ecosystem About the iF DESIGN AWARD For more than 60 years, the iF DESIGN AWARD has been recognized as an arbiter of quality for exceptional design. The iF label is renowned worldwide for outstanding design services, and the iF DESIGN AWARD is one of the most important design prizes in the world. Submissions are awarded in the following disciplines: Product, Packaging, Communication and Service Design, Architecture and Interior Architecture as well as Professional Concepts. All awarded entries are featured on the iF WORLD DESIGN GUIDE, in the iF design app and are displayed at the iF design exhibition Hamburg. About X-Rite Founded in 1958, X-Rite Incorporated is a global leader in the science and technology of color and appearance.  With its wholly owned subsidiary Pantone, X-Rite employs more than 800 people in 11 countries. The company’s corporate headquarters are located in Grand Rapids, Mich., with regional headquarters in Europe and Asia and service centers across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas. X-Rite Pantone offers a full range of solutions used by manufacturers, retailers, printers, photographers and graphic design houses to achieve precise management and communication of color and appearance throughout their processes. X-Rite Pantone products and services are recognized standards in the printing, packaging, photography, graphic design, video, automotive, paints, plastics, textiles and medical industries. For further information, please visit www.xrite.com. For the latest news, information and conversations, connect with X-Rite on LinkedIn, Vimeo, Twitter, and Facebook. About Pantone Pantone LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of X-Rite, Incorporated, has been the world’s color authority for nearly 50 years, providing design professionals with products and services for the colorful exploration and expression of creativity. Always a source for color inspiration, Pantone also offers paint and designer-inspired products and services for consumers. More information is available at www.pantone.com. For the latest news, trends, information and conversations, connect with Pantone on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest. - # # # -