True colours

Citation

(1999), "True colours", Pigment & Resin Technology, Vol. 28 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/prt.1999.12928eaf.001

True colours

True colours

Keywords: Connolly Leather, GretagMacbeth, Colour

Top-quality leather manufacturer Connolly Leather Ltd reports that it is using GretagMacbeth colour matching equipment to ensure that colour specifications for the seats and interior trim panels in the latest Jaguar cars are accurately met. The company supplies Jaguar with leather for the interiors of its luxury models and utilises a GretagMacbeth Color-Eye 2020 spectrophotometer and Spectralight II overhead luminaires as part of its rigorous quality control procedures for verifying the colours of the finished leather (Plate 1).

Connolly informs us that it prides itself in being able to produce leather of the finest quality in a broad range of colours to match its customers' specific requirements. The colouring process involves coating the leather with water-based pigmented resins which are produced by mixing four basic pigments in the necessary proportions to produce the desired colours.

Plate 1GretagMacbeth's SpectraLight II overhead luminaires provide a controlled lighting environment at Connolly Leather

A GretagMacbeth computerised colour match prediction system is used to calculate the quantities of each of the four pigments required in the mix. This system claims to guarantee maximum efficiency of the mixing procedures by ensuring that the correct amount of resin is produced first time and in the specified colour. Once the coated leather is dried, its colour is then checked both by visual inspection and by spectrophotometer measurement using the Color-Eye 2020.

Procedures for inspecting the seat covers for the Jaguar cars are laid down by the Ford Motor Company, which now owns Jaguar, and uses the GretagMacbeth Spectralight luminaires for colour matching at its own plant in the USA. The luminaires reportedly provide a consistent artificial daylight setting in which the colour of the newly coated leather can be accurately assessed in comparison with standard samples.

With new Jaguar models now being introduced to compete with other European car manufacturers at the top end of the market, Connolly Leather believes that it can rely on GretagMacbeth to show its luxury leather seat covers in their true colours.

Further details are available from GretagMacbeth Ltd. Tel: + 44 (0) 161 926 9822; Fax: + 44 (0) 161 926 9835.