BARBIERI electronic present their new SpectroPad solution dedicated to digital textile printing. Digital printing on textiles and fabrics has very special requirements for color management and especially with measuring devices. Whether it be dye-sublimation, transfer or direct inkjet printing, measuring fabrics can be a tricky task. To meet these needs, BARBIERI electronic has incorporated a special, cost effective solution to the revolutionary SpectroPad.

This special solution consists of our portable SpectroPad, using an electrostatic sample holder and DOC (digital output control) option for process control. The electrostatic sample holder is securely mounted to the fabric to be measured, in order for it not to move during the measuring process. Without such a secure fixing, even the smallest movement of a sample will impact measurement results.

The core of this solution for textiles is found in the SpectroPad. Equipped with the new Barbieri “qb-technology”, it ensures the most accurate measurements even on complex media such as textiles. This “qb-technology” consists of a large measurement aperture, light sources and a high precision spectral core. The large measuring aperture enables measurements of a large area and ensures highly accurate results. Multiple measurements using a smaller aperture would never achieve such accurate results.

The SpectroPad uses three light sources which illuminate the fabric from different angles, to illuminate the textile as homogeneously as possible. This illumination technique ensures reflections from the textile structure are appropriately handled. Each of these light sources is based on LED technology, producing real M1 measuring conditions (rather than a calculation) and D50 illumination. All these special features and rigorously researched accessories guarantee precise measurements even on tricky substrates.

In addition to printer setup, Barbieri DOC enables control of the entire printing process. Within seconds and without the need for a computer, the printer operator knows if the output is still within color tolerance and whether or not to continue printing or make adjustments. This process control can be performed by means of color accuracy against standards such as ISO, SWOP, GRACOL, FOGRA, UGRA and CGATS or custom color stability standards.

DOC process control can also be set up to guarantee consistent color quality across multiple locations. To achieve this, an initial color reference is created at headquarters and different production facilities can produce and check output according to this initial reference. A quick check of spot colors and color distance between several spot colors can also be made within seconds and without the need for a computer by using the portable SpectroPad. This Barbieri SpectroPad textile solution is a professional, complete solution for digital printing on textiles and available for an affordable price.