X-Rite Eye One BASIC

Consistent, Predictable Colour From Your Monitor and Printer - Basic Starter Package

Eye One DesignThe X-Rite (formerly Gretag Macbeth) Eye One Basic (manufacture's page here) is the starter version of the premier colour management package for Photographers (Eye One Photo) working with the digital darkroom.

(The Eye One Basic is the cheapest way to get an Eye One Pro spectrophotometer, so this is the package to go for if you want to use the spectro with independet RIP packages or similar).

The System comprises the incredibly accurate Eye One Photo spectrophotometer and the Eye One Match profile building software. It can calibrate and profile CRT and LCD displays, as well as RGB output devices like Inkjet Printers. The Eye One Basic allows you to 'close the loop' and have colour matching results from screen representation to proof to final output. This versatile spectro can read both transmissive and reflective colour - basically you can precisely measure the colour of anything (and convert the Spectro measurements to densities with the free Eye One Share software and you essentially have a densitometer as well!). The new, included, ambient light head allows you to read the colour temperature of your working environment, and even strobe (flash) lighting!

The Eye One Basic system is modular and expandable - if you later decide you want to upgrade to other modules (eg the scanner module, or the module for digital projectors), you pay a much reduced fee as you already have the core, accurate and brilliantly designed Eye One spectrophotometer.

New 2006 Version - now with new ruler and case!

The latest version of Eye-One Photo Includes:

What will this device do for me?

The Eye One Basic will calibrate your screen to a known standard (can use whitepoints of 5000K, 6500K and the monitors native white point, also allows Gamma 1.8 or 2.2). It then profiles your monitor/video card combination and creates a profile of your system. This profile is then used by Photoshop (and other ICC colour management savvy applications), to display images with clinical accuracy on your system. Having images displayed with accuracy on your screen is the first step in developing a system you can trust and use to get professional quality results. If your monitor is properly calibrated and you deliver a digital file to a lab, and the print comes back poorly done, you can definitively tell the lab that the fault was theirs. You will be able to make fine adjustments to files, with changes of as little as 1% in colour tone easily visible and accurately reflected. You will be able to work with a new found level of precision and confidence.

The Eye One Basic will also allow to produce basic output profiles for your devices in just minutes. Print out the target files, let them dry, and read the patches in with the Eye One. In strip mode, you can read approximately 1000 patches in less than 5 minutes! The Eye One Match software takes in the readings and produces an accurate profile of your output device, giving you excellent shadow and highlight detail, and accurate, screen matching colour (where the gamuts of your screen/printer match). The whole process is guided by the very powerful yet simple Eye One Match software.

Finally, you can also accurately measure ambient light sources in terms of colour temperature in degrees kelvin, and luminance (in cd/m2). This allows you to measure and improve the lighting of your work environment to further increase the accuracy of your workflow, as well as accurately measure the degrees kelvin your flashes are outputting, very useful with white balancing digital camera shots.

What do I get? What does it plug into and can I use it with Mac and/or PC?

You receive the Eye One spectrophotometer device, a manual, warranty for 12 months, and the Eye One Match software. The Eye One license allows you to install the software on all machines you personally use and hence if you use more than one computer you can calibrate the screens to match across your system.

The Eye One Basic system is compatible with Mac (OS X 10.1 and later) and Windows (Windows 98, 2000, ME, and XP).

The device plugs into a USB port. Please note, the device draws power from the USB port and some laptops do not supply enough power to their USB ports. In this case you may need to use an inexpensive powered hub ($25 to $50 at any computer store).

How often do I use it?

For Monitors: Professional Photographers calibrate their screens at least once a month and before any major job. The average home use will find that every 4 to8 weeks is sufficient (varies depending on the age and quality of the monitor). The process takes less than 10 minutes. Basically, monitors do drift over time. You should let the monitor warm up for half an hour before calibration, as there are usually big colour changes in the first few minutes of using a monitor. If your monitor is older or brand new, then calibration will need to be done more frequently.

For Printing: For colour accurate results you should create a custom output profile for every individual ink/paper/DPI combination you use.

Do I need the UV Cut version?

Generally, no. The Eye One software compensates for UV readings automatically. However some RIPs require the UV Cut version of this device, so if you are using a RIP, please check with your RIP supplier before ordering.

How much and how do I get one?

Just AU $1920! (Including GST) [Add to cart]Add To Cart

(UV Cut Version Also Just AU $1920! (Including GST) [Add to cart]Add To Cart )

You can buy online using the links above, or contact us to make your order.