At Esko World 2025, X-Rite has announced that the eXact 2 handheld spectrophotometer is an essential component of the Esko Print Clone software innovation. This cloud-native, AI-powered solution simplifies and accelerates color matching in digital production environments.

The eXact 2 and Print Clone solution enables digital press printers to reproduce color from any previously printed packaging with speed and precision, reducing make-ready time and minimizing waste. Digital press operators simply upload PDFs into Print Clone and measure physical print samples using the eXact 2 for real-time print and press profiling. Print Clone’s AI-powered algorithms calculate the target color profile to ensure digital press output meets brand specifications.

“X-Rite and Esko have a long-standing partnership focused on delivering innovative, end-to-end color solutions for packaging customers,” said Cindy Cooperman, VP, Brand Global Strategic Accounts at X-Rite Pantone. “Print Clone is a great example of how we’re working together to bring AI-powered automation to the digital pressroom—helping brands and their print suppliers reduce manual steps, improve accuracy, and keep pace with the demands of modern packaging production.”

X-Rite at Esko World

This week at Esko World in St. Louis, Missouri, X-Rite is demonstrating how its advanced color management solutions enable consistent color across packaging types, print processes, and global supply chains.

Featured products include:

Color Assessment Service: A complimentary report showing how brand colors appear across five packaging substrates.

eXact 2: A next-generation handheld spectrophotometer that removes subjectivity and helps suppliers ensure brand color is in target run to run.

PantoneLIVE and Private Library Manager: A cloud-based solution to digitally communicate brand and custom color standards.

ColorCert ScoreCard Server: Cloud-based software for tracking and analyzing print quality.

Panel Discussion: McDonald’s Packaging Color Best Practices

On Wednesday, June 4, Kim Haugh from tms/McDonald’s will share best practices about how X-Rite Pantone’s advanced color management solutions help tms/McDonald’s reduce rework, improve production efficiency, and maintain brand color consistency across packaging on a global scale.