Color Meets Its Match

Colorful Tools

The range of applications for color measurement devices—such as densitometers and spectrophotometers—may even hold a surprise or two for those used to focusing on print. A case in point is X-Rite's new ShadeVision system for the dental market.

Shaped similar to a handheld hair dryer, the device reads the color of a tooth and the surrounding area. Measurements taken in a dentist chair then can be passed to a dental lab to guide the coloring of bridgework, crowns, etc. to better blend in with a patient's mouth. With ShadeVision as its cornerstone, President Mike Ferrara says he expects X-Rite's bio-diagnostic's division to become a dominate market segment for the company within five years.