The X-Rite Ci64 is a handheld sphere spectrophotometer designed for industrial colour measurement across a wide range of non-print applications - plastics, textiles, coatings, cosmetics, and other manufactured materials where colour is a quality parameter. It is one of the most capable and widely used handheld instruments in X-Rite's Ci series, combining laboratory-grade measurement accuracy with the portability and durability needed for quality control in production environments. This guide explains what the Ci64 does, how it works, and where it fits in an industrial colour management program.
The Ci64 uses sphere geometry (d/8°) - the standard geometry for non-print colour measurement. Unlike the 0/45° geometry used in print spectrophotometers like the eXact 2, the sphere geometry is suited to measuring textured, curved, and non-uniform surfaces that are common in manufactured goods. The integrating sphere illuminates the sample from all angles simultaneously, averaging out the directional effects of surface texture and providing more consistent results on surfaces that a 0/45° instrument would struggle to measure repeatably. The Ci64 can operate in both SCI (specular component included) and SCE (specular component excluded) modes, allowing users to measure total colour including gloss effects, or to exclude gloss and focus on the underlying colour of the material.
The Ci64 measures the full visible spectrum (400-700nm at 10nm intervals) and produces L*a*b* values, Delta E results, and spectral reflectance data. It stores measurements and colour standards in memory, and transfers data to PC software via USB or wireless connection. Its cordless operation - powered by a rechargeable battery providing hundreds of measurements per charge - makes it fully portable for use at the production line, the goods-inward dock, or on the factory floor without needing a power outlet nearby. The Ci64 handheld spectrophotometer is available from Seaga Group in Australia.
Measurement Apertures and Port Sizes
One important aspect of the Ci64 is its configurable aperture - the size of the measurement opening that determines how large a sample area is measured. Different aperture sizes are suited to different sample types: larger apertures provide more averaged measurements useful for granular or textured materials; smaller apertures are needed for measuring small samples or samples with limited flat measurement area.
The Ci64 offers multiple aperture options, and the appropriate choice depends on the application. For most plastics and coatings applications, a standard aperture provides sufficient measurement area. For small moulded parts, precise edge measurements, or samples with limited flat area, a smaller aperture may be needed. Seaga Group can advise on the appropriate aperture configuration for specific applications, ensuring that the instrument is set up correctly for its intended use before purchase.
Software and Data Management
The Ci64 integrates with X-Rite's PC-based software platforms for data management, reporting, and quality analysis. In a production quality control environment, measurements from multiple Ci64 units across a facility can be consolidated into a central database, providing quality managers with a comprehensive view of colour performance across all production lines and shifts.
The instrument also supports direct connection to formulation software in colour matching applications - providing the measured spectral data that formulation algorithms use to calculate pigment recipes. In a plastics colour lab, the workflow might be: measure the target colour with the Ci64, send the spectral data to formulation software, receive a calculated pigment recipe, produce a trial batch, measure the trial with the Ci64, compare to target, and iterate until within tolerance. This instrument-guided formulation approach is dramatically faster and more material-efficient than visual matching.
Color iQC software provides the quality management layer for Ci64 measurement data - storing colour standards, applying tolerance criteria, generating pass/fail results, and producing measurement reports suitable for customer submission or quality audit documentation.
Applications Across Industries
The Ci64 serves quality control programs across multiple industries. In plastics manufacturing, it measures injection-moulded and extruded components against colour standards, verifying batch-to-batch consistency and multi-part colour matching. In textiles, it measures fabric samples across rolls and between dye lots, detecting colour variation that would be commercially problematic in cut garments. In coatings and paint, it verifies colour accuracy of applied coatings against the formulation target. In cosmetics, it measures product colours - lipstick, eyeshadow, foundation - against approved standards for consistency across production batches.
What makes the Ci64 particularly valuable across this diverse range of applications is the universality of its measurement approach. The same instrument, using the same calibration, measuring in the same colour space, can be used in any of these environments - providing a consistent measurement platform even when production environments are very different. For businesses that manufacture across multiple material types or work with external contract manufacturers in different industries, a single Ci64 platform simplifies colour management across the entire operation.
The handheld spectrophotometers range includes models with varying capabilities and price points, allowing businesses to match their instrument investment to their specific application complexity and measurement frequency requirements.
Conclusion
The X-Rite Ci64 is a comprehensive handheld spectrophotometer that brings laboratory-grade colour measurement to industrial production environments. Its sphere geometry, configurable apertures, full spectral measurement capability, and integration with quality management software make it the instrument of choice for colour quality control in plastics, textiles, coatings, and other non-print manufacturing applications. For Australian businesses in these industries seeking to improve colour consistency, reduce rework, and demonstrate measurement capability to their customers, the Ci64 is the starting point for a professional industrial colour quality program.