ST LOUIS–At Esko World 2025, X-Rite Inc, a global leader in color science and technology, announced that the eXact 2 hand-held 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.”