Epson launches new SD-10 spectrophotometer and wins Good Design Award

Epson has launched its SD-10 spectrophotometer, a highly accurate, compact and affordable spectrophotometer. Battery powered and equipped with a precision MEMS Fabry-Pérot tuneable filter, the SD-10 is small enough to fit in your hand or pocket and recently won a Good Design Best 100 award 2021.

Key features of the SD-10 spectrophotometer

• Compact hand-held design (35 x 80 x 80 mm)
• Self calibrating and simple to operate
• Large aperture lens with a wide spectral range
• All-in-one with a high-capacity lithium ion battery for mobile operation
• Take spot readings, compare colours or a patch set
• Downloadable iOS and Android app extends the functionality
• Integrated annular multi-spectrum light source & LCD display
• USB & Bluetooth interfacing supports M0, M1e and M2 standards
• One year warranty with service cover extendable to five years via CoverPlus

The SD-10 spectrophotometer can be linked with a smart device to manage colour information for smoother and more precise printing. Being portable, it allows users to measure colours anytime, anywhere.

It solves colour matching problems in print and design-related work, such as those commonly found in the sign & display industry.

There are often issues around accurate colour matching when producing printed matter, mainly corporate logo colours. The user-friendly SD-10, Epson’s first portable spectrophotometer, helps solve problems related to colour matching that were, until now, the work of a specifically trained and experienced operator.

By using the SD-10 spectrometer, anyone can easily measure and quantify colours without specialised knowledge, so colours and processes can be standardised.

With an easy-to-read LCD screen, you can easily measure colours and convert them into accurate values. It’s also easy to connect the SD-10 to a smart device via Bluetooth, and the Epson Spectrometer app is straightforward to use, even for those who are new to colour measurement. Wired and wireless connection with a PC is also possible.

The SD-10 measures colour quickly and accurately using nine light sources arranged in a ring. As a result, you can further reduce the time required for color matching. In addition, you can get accurate values ​​immediately that are unaffected by any uneven shape on the media’s surface.

It can also be used for media with uneven surfaces, such as fabric, and the colour measurement results are not affected by any external environment.

The main body measures 35 mm(w) x 80 mm(d) x 80 mm(h), and it weighs 190 g, making it compact and easy to carry. Therefore, it is suitable for use in meetings and colour matching, such as construction sites. In addition, as it has a built-in battery and can be used without requiring a cable.

The Epson Spectrometer app displays the numerical values ​​measured by the SD-10 as a colour picker with readings in various formats, including LAB, CYMK, LCH, RGB and more. In addition to comparing approximate colours and numerical values, you can also compare the colour differences between two measured colours and display the difference numerically.

The app identifies similar colours of measured colours, colour scheme examples and complementary colours, and similar PANTONE® colours.

By linking with the Epson Edge Print and Epson Edge Print PRO software functions, you can get the exact colour you want with any Epson large-format inkjet printer.

The judges described Epson’s SD10 “The ability to match colours objectively based on numerical output instead of human sensory perception promises great benefits in terms of colour matching accuracy and efficiency. The digitisation of the last remaining analogue part of the printing process should remove a bottleneck and enable rapid advances in efficiency. The fact that the product is reasonably priced, thanks to sensor technology developed in-house and that the product fits neatly in the hand are also very appealing. The GUI is intuitive. It displays colours as numerical values and visualises differences in colour differences with a dedicated application that was developed at the same time. Coordination with familiar colour samples such as PANTONE is also being considered, and it is not difficult to imagine its widespread use in the future.”