Why It’s Time to Upgrade to eXact 2
Commercial printers are under constant pressure to deliver accurate, repeatable color while keeping presses moving, controlling waste, and meeting tighter customer expectations. If your team still relies on first-generation eXact instruments, the upcoming end of life is a practical opportunity to assess whether your current measurement tools still support the speed, consistency, and reporting needs of today’s commercial print environment.
Effective September 1, 2026, X-Rite will discontinue sales of first-generation eXact devices, including eXact Standard, eXact Xp, eXact Advanced, and eXact Basic Spectro. While these instruments have supported years of reliable color control, this transition gives commercial printers time to plan ahead, review installed devices, and move to a next-generation platform before aging equipment begins to limit productivity, service options, or workflow consistency.
If you are evaluating an eXact Gen 1 replacement, the eXact 2 family provides updated handheld spectrophotometer options designed to support consistent commercial print color measurement.
Avoid Disruption with a Proactive Upgrade Plan
For many printers, the biggest risk is not the end-of-life date itself. It is waiting until an instrument fails, a replacement is no longer available, or operators are forced to adapt under production pressure. A proactive upgrade plan helps protect production continuity and gives teams time to standardize workflows, train users, and align expectations before the transition becomes urgent.
It also creates an opportunity to address common pressroom challenges that may have become accepted as part of the process, such as inconsistent measurement technique, manual troubleshooting, operator-to-operator variability, and limited visibility into device performance.
By planning now, commercial printers can turn the eXact Gen 1 end-of-life timeline into a controlled transition instead of a reactive equipment decision.
Reduce Variability at the Point of Measurement
Small measurement differences can lead to big production impacts. A reading taken in the wrong location, at the wrong angle, or with inconsistent technique can influence press adjustments, extend make-ready, increase waste, and make color discrepancies harder to resolve.
Modernize Color Control with eXact 2
eXact 2 helps reduce operator-dependent variation with video targeting, digital loupe zoom technology, and an intuitive touch-screen experience. Operators can better see the measurement area, inspect patches, and capture more consistent readings across jobs, shifts, and user experience levels.
For busy commercial print environments, that consistency matters. When teams measure color the same way, they can spend less time questioning the data and more time making confident press-side decisions.
Choose the Right eXact 2 for Your Workflow
The eXact 2 family gives commercial printers a path forward based on measurement needs, applications, and desired workflow connectivity. eXact 2 Standard is designed for paper, corrugated, and carton board substrates. eXact 2 Plus expands capabilities for printers that need additional flexibility and advanced functions, including the ability to switch between polarized and non-polarized measurements. With eXact 2 Basic, commercial printers that need an entry point into the next-generation platform will also have a simpler option to support essential measurement needs without unnecessary complexity.
The right model depends on how your team measures today, the substrates you support, and how much workflow connectivity you need going forward.
Take the Next Step with Confidence
The best first step is to identify the eXact Gen 1 instruments currently in use, confirm which teams and workflows depend on them, and determine which eXact 2 model aligns with your production needs. From there, you can plan training, standardize measurement practices, and transition before end-of-life timing creates unnecessary pressure.
eXact Gen 1 helped set a high standard for handheld color measurement. eXact 2 builds on that foundation with the targeting, speed, connectivity, and workflow support commercial printers need to keep color consistent and production moving.
Ready to plan your transition from eXact Gen 1? Fill out the form and an X-Rite Color Expert can help you review your current instruments, compare model options, and choose the right upgrade path for your commercial print workflow.
