Pantone (http://www.pantone.com) has introduced CapSure, an US$649, compact, handheld device that lets design professionals, contractors, paint retailers and do-it-yourselfers measure and match color inspiration instantly -- from small, patterned, multi-colored textures and textiles to walls and carpeting.

The device uses tri-directional image capture technology that eliminates the shadows and interference inherent to patterned and textured materials and surfaces. By illuminating the surface being measured from three different directions while simultaneously recording 27 color-accurate images in 1.6 seconds, CapSure can extract up to four dominant colors from an intricate pattern so the viewer can clearly identify the desired color, says Giovanni Marra, director of corporate marketing at Pantone.

The CapSure comes pre-loaded with all Pantone Color Libraries, allowing users to match more than 8,000 colors with a single device. Users can also toggle across multiple Pantone Libraries and cross-match any material or surface. The CapSure Palette application software provides access to saved color measurements, details and tags, and allows users to view measured color samples with selectable lighting conditions on their computer screen.

Users can also create palettes with their favorite shades or custom palettes for a specific project. All palettes can be synchronized with popular design applications including Adobe Creative Suite, QuarkXPress and CorelDRAW.