LOS ANGELES — February 19, 2019 — X-Rite Inc. and its subsidiary, Pantone LLC, announces that it has entered into a collaboration with Luxion, the makers of 3D rendering and animation solution KeyShot. X-Rite and Luxion enter into a new partnership to collaborate on the use of X-Rite’s Total Appearance Capture (TAC) scanning technology with Luxion’s KeyShot rendering solution.

Starting Tuesday, February 19, through Wednesday, February 20, X-Rite and KeyShot will be displaying their collaborative solution at the Product Innovation Apparel Conference at the LA Grand Hotel in Los Angeles. In addition, on April 18, X-Rite and KeyShot will host a webinar, showcasing how KeyShot users can create physically accurate material representations for the highest quality 3D visuals and imagery.

The ability to produce soft product imagery in CG at the highest level of fidelity has historically been something of a challenge. One obstacle in the way of achieving true CG realism has been the inability to accurately measure and capture every detail across the multitude of materials used in any particular product design lifestyle. However, firms are now realizing the beneficial savings in time and costs achieved with a library of accurate, digital assets. These assets can follow a product from the initial design to its end-marketing.

The partnership between X-Rite and Luxion marks the start of an exciting collaborative development; using X-Rite’s advanced scanning technology with Luxion’s KeyShot real-time rendering application — the technologies can produce the most accurate material visualization possible.

Henrik Wann Jensen, chief scientist and co-founder of Luxion:

“A primary differentiator and key feature of KeyShot is the ability to create high-quality visuals using scientifically accurate materials.”

“Along with the vast material capabilities in KeyShot, this collaboration with X-Rite will allow users to accurately and consistently represent the complex material properties of their scanned textures for an endless number of materials, providing even greater realism in communicating their product visuals.”

Dr. Francis Lamy, executive vice president and chief technology officer, X-Rite and Pantone:

“This collaboration will allow X-Rite and KeyShot to take a giant leap forward to allow users to visualize their creations using physically correct digital materials, providing a new level of realism that results in even more immersive experience in product virtualization, media content, and marketing collateral.”

To catch this collaboration in action, KeyShot users can also see demonstrations of the TAC7™ at the PI Apparel conference, Los Angeles where visitors will see a physical material placed into the X-rite scanner and rendered in real-time by KeyShot.

Posted February 19, 2019

Source: X-Rite, Inc.

JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — February 19, 2019 — Mountain Khakis®, an outdoor apparel outfitter for men and women, was pleasantly assured when Pantone released their color of the year for 2019. “We were thrilled when Pantone released their 2019 color of the year: Living Coral, which closely resembles MK’s Spring 2019 color, Melon, available in several men’s and women’s styles and accessories. We work diligently on trend research seasons in advance and hope the industry carries through with the forecasted trends; in this case it did,” said Noah Robertson, director of Product Development at Mountain Khakis. “Both are ‘vibrant’ but ‘mellow’ glowing hues, with a perfect hint of warmth to brighten up the end of winter.”

“We were inspired by the rich hues we see early in the morning at sunrise, and the colorful Alpenglow we get to experience at sunset here in the Tetons. We wanted to bring this feeling to life in our Spring collection,” said Robertson. “Our interpretation of Living Coral is fun and playful, this bold color adds a nice pop. Look out for Melon in both men’s and women’s for Spring 2019!”

Posted February 19, 2019

Source: Mountain Khakis

OBERTSHAUSEN, Germany — February 18, 2019 — KARL MAYER is demonstrating that it is even closer to its markets, and is increasingly participating in trade fairs that focus on applications and end-uses. Consequently, this textile machinery manufacturer was exhibiting for the first time at the ISPO sports trade fair, held from 3 to 6 February 2019 in Munich. With its modern, welcoming design and wide range of products to attract visitors, Karl Mayer’s stand quickly became a real magnet for the public. The team of experts from the company’s Textile Product Development Department welcomed roughly 400 visitors from home and abroad. Many of them were specialists with specific issues to discuss, and just under 150 high-quality conversations were recorded.

Most of the visitors were curious to examine the attractive presentation of selected warp-knitted textiles on show. A range of innovative, warp-knitted spacer textiles with three-dimensional patterns, air-permeable jacquard designs, and a shoe style with the design fully integrated into the surface were being showcased. RASCHELTRONIC® textiles, which deliver compression and breathability in the same piece, stretch, sporty lace items and functional, warp knitted meshes were also on show. “Our counter display proved to be a real attraction. Many of the visitors stopped, touched the fabrics, and wanted to know more about their production and performance,” said Gabriela Schellner, the head of Textile Development. She discussed many interesting, new concepts and exchanged ideas about the latest trends, especially with international brand manufacturers.

Many of the visitors also took the opportunity to look around Karl Mayer’s Virtual Showroom using the mega-touchscreen.

An unusual contest was also attracting large crowds — a battle between two mini-robots, controlled by a textile remote controller, which the visitors could try out for themselves. The electrical control technology needed to produce this was incorporated directly into the textile during production on a jacquard raschel machine. The onlookers to this spectacle included fabric producers, as well as brand experts and end users. Most of them were from the sports sector, but many of them were also operating in the medical and protective clothing sectors and were looking for inspiration. Their interests were equally as wide and varied. “Some of them already had very specific product ideas, whereas our samples were the first time that some of them had encountered the concept of using textiles in the electronics sector,” says Sophia Krinner, a member of Karl Mayer’s exhibition team. In the near future, this textile product developer aims to follow up a number of contacts, with a view to taking concrete steps towards cooperation.

Posted February 18, 2019

Source: KARL MAYER

MUNICH/UNTERFÖHRING, Germany — February 18, 2019 — At this year’s Lineapelle, to be held February 20-22, in Milan, Sympatex (hall 22P, booths M11-M19 / N12-N20) will premier a new line of functional materials for footwear in which PU foams commonly used in the lining of the laminate are completely replaced by a fleece-like compound made from recycled clothing fibers. This innovation dovetails with several of the ecological goals set down in the Sympatex “Agenda 2020” sustainability strategy: avoiding waste while reusing valuable and scarce raw materials, replacing controversial chemicals with more sustainable alternatives, reducing carbon dioxide emissions and significantly reducing water consumption during the production of the laminate. With the new footwear line, Sympatex is not only feeding valuable raw materials back into the textile loop while curbing carbon dioxide emissions. The material also boasts impressive performance. Replacing the PU foam with recycled textiles has a decidedly positive impact on the breathability of the laminated material.

The recycled textiles are collected by a Sympatex partner in Italy, where they are also integrated into the Sympatex laminate. According to data from the SAC (Sustainable Apparel Coalition) HIGG Index, omitting the PU foam leads to significant improvements in the ecobalance. Using conventional manufacturing technologies, 800 kg of carbon dioxide are released for every 1,000 linear meters of PU foam, which roughly equates to the amount of carbon dioxide that can be absorbed by 65 beech trees each year, or the production of 49 pairs of running shoes. When measured by the manufacture of one linear meter of Sympatex laminate, replacing the foam reduces carbon dioxide emissions by around 15 percent, and water consumption by roughly one-third.

“It is our conviction that our firm commitment to sustainability is serving as an impetus for innovation, becomes again evident in this new footwear line of materials in a highly-convincing fashion,” explained Dr. Rüdiger Fox, CEO at Sympatex Technologies. “While many market partners view sustainability as a stranglehold on creativity, maintaining a clear focus with our innovation processes helps us to concentrate our energy, and thus produce new solutions for our customers at a much faster pace. We encourage the market to resort to these solutions in order to prepare for an unavoidable future in which there will be clear limits placed on the current over-exploitation of our resources,” adds Fox.

Posted February 18, 2019

Source: Sympatex Technologies GmbH