In the printing and coatings industries, color is the lifeblood of the business. If a customer provides a color sample and you are unable to match it, or if the match is inaccurate or takes too long, you are likely to lose the order. In recent years, many factories have begun to implement automation and digitalization; however, few have truly managed to integrate color‑matching machines, color-matching system, and their own systems—such as ERP systems and X‑Rite color measurement systems—into a cohesive whole.
Our color‑matching machine and accompanying color‑matching software have been designed specifically to address this issue. It is not a standalone piece of equipment, but rather a comprehensive system that connects color measurement software, order management, formulation data, production execution, and quality control.
Many paint manufacturers may have a misconception about color‑matching machines—believing that the machine itself is the core, whilst the color-matching system is merely an ancillary system. In fact, the opposite is true.
Within the entire color-matching system, it is the software that truly acts as the brain. Our color-matching system runs on the computer, and all operations—whether creating new orders, retrieving historical formulations, setting batch quantities, or viewing batch progress and historical records—are carried out entirely within this software. Operators are presented with a comprehensive management interface, rather than a jumble of disparate buttons and switches.
This “brain” is responsible for issuing instructions to the various components below. When an operator clicks “Dispense” on the software’s dosing page, the command is first transmitted to the PLC and the switch. Upon receiving the command, the diaphragm pump begins to operate, conveying the various materials through the pipework to the dosing valve. The dosing valve begins dispensing at the set speed in accordance with the command requirements—most of our machines support three dosing speeds, whilst a few models offer two, with the aim of striking the optimal balance between efficiency and precision. During the dosing process, the system monitors the weight in real time. Once dosing is complete, information such as the actual dosed weight is fed back to the main board, which then displays the data on the computer screen.
Throughout the entire process, the operator needs only click the mouse a few times within the color-matching system; the rest is handled automatically by the system. This is the fundamental difference between “fully automatic” and “semi‑automatic” operation.
In many factories, communication between the color‑matching workshop and the sales department is often delayed—the sales team receives an order, the order details are passed on to the workshop, and the workshop then manually enters the information into the color-matching system. This process is not only slow but also prone to errors.
Our software can connect directly to the client’s ERP system. Once an order is transmitted from the ERP system, the color-matching system automatically retrieves the work order data, including color specifications, quantities, delivery dates, and other relevant information. Staff do not need to re‑enter any information; the system immediately displays what needs to be done and in what quantities.
ERP integration is, in fact, a real test of a software’s compatibility and flexibility. Every factory’s ERP system is different, with data structures, field definitions, and interface protocols varying greatly. From the very outset of its design, our software has prioritised “integration capability” as a core requirement, incorporating flexible data interfaces that allow for customised adaptation to the client’s specific ERP system. This is not a question of “whether” it can be done, but rather “how” it should be done—and that is precisely what we specialise in.
Many clients often ask: “If we purchase X‑Rite’s color measurement software ourselves, can it be used alongside your color-matching system? You have your own color-matching system, so why integrate with X‑Rite’s? What is the difference between the two systems? ”
This is an excellent question.
Our software can store (save and record) client formulations. However, it is not currently capable of generating new formulations (the color measurement function is still under development).
X‑Rite’s software primarily uses a spectrophotometer to measure color and then automatically generates formulations, which requires a specialised color measurement tool.
X‑Rite offers a range of color measurement software programmes, the core capability of which is to measure a target color using a spectrophotometer and then calculate the optimal formula based on pigment data in their database. Some programmes also support the creation of new formulas using leftover ink, thereby enhancing sustainability.
However, X‑Rite’s software only generates formulas; it cannot control our equipment. It tells you “how many grams of red and how many grams of yellow to add”, but it does not directly control the color‑matching machine to dispense the ink.
Our software perfectly fills this gap.
We use X‑Rite’s software to generate formulations, which are then automatically imported into our system. The operator selects the required formulation within our software, sets the quantities, clicks “dispensing”, and our system automatically handles the rest. X‑Rite is responsible for “what to calculate”; we are responsible for “how to do it”—the two are complementary, not substitutes for one another.
There is one crucial point here: if you wish to use this workflow, your X‑Rite software must be a version capable of generating formulations; it cannot be the basic version used solely for color measurement. The X‑Rite software we currently use supports formulation generation, so our testing has proceeded smoothly. If a customer’s X‑Rite software does not support formulation generation, they will need to upgrade or replace their version first.
With this integration in place, the color data measured by the X‑Rite spectrophotometer is displayed directly in our color-matching system. Upon viewing the color data, staff can select the closest existing formula from the system, or use the X‑Rite software to generate a new formula, set the quantities, and click “Dispense”—the entire process flows seamlessly.
If ERP integration and X‑Rite integration address “front‑end” issues—such as how orders are received and how recipes are generated—then mathematical retrieval and leftover ink management tackle “back‑end” issues: how materials are utilised and how costs are reduced.
Many people view color‑matching machines simply as equipment for “dispensing ink according to a formula”, with the process ending once the ink has been dispensed. In reality, however, optimising the formula before dispensing is often more important than the dispensing process itself.
Our software features a crucial function known as “mathematical retrieval” —which essentially automatically calculates how much ink needs to be replenished based on existing stock levels.
Here is a very simple example:
Suppose there is a batch of 10 kg of leftover ink in the workshop, with the following composition:
Now, 20 kilograms of new spot color ink is needed, and the target formula needs:
If there is no mathematical retrieval function, the staff may directly follow the target formula of 20 kg—5 kg for red, 6 kg for yellow, 1 kg for black, and 8 kg for base. Then the remaining 10 kilograms of ink will continue to pile up in the workshop, occupying space and accumulating dust. After a long time, it may deteriorate and be scrapped and eventually thrown away.
But the function of data retrieval can just use the leftover ink to make new ink:
Therefore, the actual need for new materials is: 3 kg red+1 kg yellow+5 kg base +1 kg black, a total of 10 kg new materials, plus 10 kg leftover ink, just to match 20 kg new ink.
On the whole, not only is the material cost of 10 kilograms of leftover ink saved, but also the labor cost and environmental protection cost of treating leftover ink. This is a very big pain point in the paint industry- many factories have a mountain of ink, which can only be treated as waste. And our color-matching system turns these “wastes” into useful raw materials through data retrieval.
The core logic of this function is actually not complicated; that is, subtraction- the target formula minus the existing inventory is equal to the amount that needs to be replenished. However, if there is no color-matching system to do this retrieval and calculation, it is not only slow, but also easy to make mistakes by manually going through inventory records and calculating one color after another. Moreover, manual calculation often only pays attention to the main colors, ignoring the “auxiliary materials” such as base and additives- the result is that the viscosity and fluidity of the new ink are wrong, and it has to be reworked, and even the ink directly becomes new ink. In day‑to‑day production, if there is already a batch of semi‑finished products or stock color paste for a particular color, the color-matching system can similarly calculate automatically how to maximise the utilisation of existing materials. The more that is used, the less waste there is, and the lower the costs.
When viewed in conjunction, the operational logic of the entire color-matching system becomes very clear:
Each of the above steps is completed automatically, requiring no manual intervention. From order placement to ink dispensing in the workshop, all intermediate stages are carried out within a single system.
Color matching is a technically demanding task; under the traditional model, it relied heavily on the skills and experience of the staff. However, with the advancement of technology and the refinement of color-matching system, the process has shifted from relying on experience to relying on technology and computation, and has evolved from a single‑step color‑matching task to a comprehensive end‑to‑end process from order placement to color matching.
The color-matching system isn’t intended to replace anyone; rather, it allows each stage of the process to excel in its own area of expertise: X‑Rite specialises in formulating color formulation, ERP systems excel at managing orders, and our software excels at controlling equipment and managing processes.
If you, too, are struggling with issues such as inaccurate color matching, ink wastage, or a disconnect between orders and the production floor, why not take a look at our system? After all, when the color is right, everything else falls into place. If you’d like to find out more about our software and equipment, please feel free to contact us at any time.
