I know there are tons of different color picking software for picking colors out of digital photos, but what about picking colors from physical objects (bulky things that won't fit in a flatbed scanner)? Does anyone know of a device that will do this?

I think a digital camera and neutral lighting would be the most versatile and cost effective, although it would be cool if there was a magnifying glass or spotting scope that could display a hex based on what was in the crosshairs.

I had in mind something pen-shaped, with some sort of light-reader/scanner in the tip that could be placed against an object. It would have to be connected to the computer somehow, probably via cable.

I've seen devices that measure distances when run along lines on blueprints, and I thought it would be neat if there was something similar to measure color.

Depending on what you want to do?

Benjamin Moore makes a handheld chromameter/scanner that will translate what it sees to the paint color line. I guess you could go to www.easyrgb.com and translate backward from there. easyrgb sells a chromameter/software bundle but it is $888. I seem to remember Pantone has something similar? The dental industry has thingies for getting color from teeth so lab people can match porcelain color to them (they do not work especially well). There must be more such devices out there.

As long as your digital camera is reasonably accurate or so long as you can adjust color balance? That may be your best approach unless you are going to do a lot of this? My company had one of the Benjamin Moore devices and it worked more than reasonably well. It was about $300 though as I remember.

Benjamin Moore Thingie

Pantone Thingie

Yet Another Thingie


Of course there are elaborate scientific instruments as well. Good luck.

By the way. There was a company out of Hawaii that was going to build this kind of technology into cell phones as a means of providing color blind people with a non-conspicuous way of knowing what colors they were picking out to where etc. so you may find something fun out there.

I don't have a specific project in mind yet, I just had the idea and thought if I could pick up something simple for less that $100 it would be fun to play with.

I've got a decent camera, I just have to practice with the lighting.

Though, now I remember a commercial (maybe for Home Depot) that advertised their paint dept's ability to color match any object. You'd have to bring the object for them to scan. That's probably the Benjamin Moore thingy.

bunigrl33 wrote:

I don't have a specific project in mind yet, I just had the idea and thought if I could pick up something simple for less that $100 it would be fun to play with.

I've got a decent camera, I just have to practice with the lighting.

Though, now I remember a commercial (maybe for Home Depot) that advertised their paint dept's ability to color match any object. You'd have to bring the object for them to scan. That's probably the Benjamin Moore thingy.

The Benjamin Moore thingie I provided the link for is hand held. Same idea as the paint store ones though except that the ones in the store kick out the paint formula translations. I added the link to the Pantone one in the post above. Same price: $300.

This does not seem like the patent I remember but is very similar and promises a pen like device similar to what you seek. If the patent has been assigned to IBM? Don't look for anything real for a century or so. Although, such things are also popping up in color vision systems for robotics and such.

Pocket Colorimeter Patent

A Former Clients Robot Vision Contribution

Bunigrl,

You can also check out Pantone's Color Cue 3, which is bigger than a pen, but still handheld, aand gives you the color code or formula in html, rgb, cmyk, eurocmyk, etc. and allows you to match the output to Pantone's colors in various books.

Best,
Haleigh

Watch out for the price of the thing.

And remember, Pantone does want to hold you hostage. Their color bridge guide is more anorexic than a fashion model.

If you are going to invest $800 in something? Buy the www.easyrgb.com package with scanner.

Screw Pantone. It got greedy. Pantone's day is gone and past. There are just too many others out their now that got tired of the arrogance.

I mean come on, has anyone on this site fallen for the PR and used the Pantone color of the year? Thought not. Next year the PR department will rip an unsold chip book apart, pick one and call it the color of the year.

Other people and conferences call color trends. Pantone could have been a player.

Pantone's Color Cue 3 I've used it to take colors off of a vase- side of a building etc. It gets the job done. It is high in price though...