The iPhone seems to be the phone of choice amongst the Apartment Therapy editors; at our retreat this past week, there were iPhones aplenty. I imagine that we'll all be giving the upcoming Color Capture app a whirl...it's free, and frankly...
...it sounds like fun.
Launching on June 1, the new app from Benjamin Moore lets you "snap a picture of any color inspiration, anywhere in the world, and instantly match it to one of the more than 3,300 hues that comprise Benjamin Moore’s color system". Favorites can be saved for "instant color coordination and comparison".
Here's a description of how it will work from the press release: Simply glide a finger across the digital photo taken with the iPhone’s built-in camera, zoom into a color, and tap the “match” key. In just seconds, a strip of colors will appear below the photo, with the closest paint match highlighted. A simple shake of the phone and ben will provide up to four coordinating colors, creating an entire harmonizing palette based on the original selection. Favorites can be saved and enlarged to the size of the iPhone screen for easier viewing. There’s access, as well, to the full spectrum color wheel, which expands or contracts by fingertip control to focus on a color preference. That, too, can be translated into a Benjamin Moore color and saved as a favorite for future reference.
Are you as intrigued as we are? Do you think you'll give it a go? Let us know if you plan to download in the comments below...
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I'm holding off for the next generation of iPhones. If I had one now, though, sure. Curious to see how accurate it is and whether other paint companies will rise to the challenge. I suppose much depends on the accuracy of the phone's own color capture. Any input on that?
OMG I want it! Okay, first I have to get an iPhone. But, THEN I want it. :)
It's a clever idea - I probably wouldn't get much use for it tho...
Ooooh I want an iPhone...and I'm not a phone person at all! I always get whatever is free or super cheap with whatever new and cheap contract I can get.
But iPhones are seemingly awesome.
I wonder what the plans are like as far as cost goes. Does anybody know? (Obviously it varies, but I only use about 40 minutes a month and like 15 texts. So whatever the most minimal plan is would work for me.)
Oh, and I meant to say- this app sounds really cool. :)
WWDC is coming up in a couple of weeks. I'd hold off on any iPhone purchases as there will most likely be some sort of upgraded version coming shortly.
Oh! My boyfriend and I were scheming this idea a couple weeks ago! The only thing that kept us from it is lack of developer skills. And yanno, license to use the paint colors. Shoot!
Laura
http://www.grafxnerd.net
sherwin willams already has the same app... free and give you the tri-color palette with main color and 2 complimentary colors... you just take a picture, slide the selector around to the color you're aiming for and it helps you with the palette, as well as a local store.
As someone who works with architects and ID's all day long, this is a godsend. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Another awesome iPhone app along similar lines is "what the font." Also free. You take a picture of lettering, then it tells you what font it is (it usually pulls up the exact font, along with a bunch of similar ones).
It is unlikely that the app will be able to get an exact match, mainly bc the iPhone camera isn't all that and lighting is always an issue. That said, I lurve my iPhone. And I'm definitely getting the app, which will probably be free or pretty cheap.
I would definitely wait and buy the next iteration: rumor has it that it will be 32 gig! yeah. There are a number of plans: go to the AT&T site to see what they offer. http://tinyurl.com/pt4j2l
eeka: thanks for the heads up on the what the font app. omg, i'm in love with it.
damn. I was going to make a very similar app to this! This one looks good though, I might have to try it.
That's really cool...........and not just for decorating.
It would be great for color ideas for quilts, crochet, clothing, etc.
The problem with this is that the camera on the iphone is mediocre at best. This means that the colors will never be very precise. Which means that I will be opting out of this one.
Hmmm. I don't have an iPhone (I hate phones in general, especially cells. Nobody I want to talk to out there! I'm a hermit, what can I say?!) But my "domestic partner" has one... I wonder if he'd add an app for me to play with?
As for calling plans for the iPhone, somebody asked... they are not cheap. Kerry was going to give me his old iPhone when he (inevitably) upgrades, but there is no family plan option and the base rates are pretty high. I won't pay them and I'm not encouraging him to give the phone to me and pay the steep price because, after all, I hate phones... although if any phone were to win me over it's that one.
(I'm not a luddite -- I appreciate the technology, I just don't want to use it myself.)
this sounds cool. oh and the iphone plans are basically $30 more per month (per phone) than your current plan. you pay the $30 a month for unlimited network usage, or whatever the internet is called, on top of your current plan.
i have been using the sherwin-williams app "colorsnap" for a week or so- it's interesting but not very accurate. i really doubt the screen color will ever be close enough to use it to actually pick paint colors.
it IS a nice way to get palette suggestions, but that may be about it.
I use the Sherwin-Williams ColorSnap also - only need one paint color app on the phone. I think it works great - plus, it was a free download, so you can't beat that. Here's the link if you want to check it out or download - http://www.sherwin-williams.com/colorsnap
It's June 1 and I can't find the app via my iPhone. I've searched for "Benjamin Moore", "Color Capture", "Benjamin Moore Paints" and their app didn't show up, but Sherwin- Williams's did.
TSK, bad SEO Ben!
Update on ben iphone app...right now it is slated to be available in the iphone store by the end of this week. I guess the process of setting it up with Apple took longer than anticipated.
It's heeeeere! Apple just got it on the site over the weekend, so Ben ColorCapture is very of-the-moment...
I've tried it, I've blogged about it, and I love it!
http://livingincolorwithsonu.typepad.com/sonu_blog/2009/05/colorcapture-iphone.html
Very cool and I'd get it only if I had an iPhone. Any chance those in the trade could get a discounted rate? : )
This app isn't getting very good reviews (it seemed to get good reviews before it was out, but since Monday when you could downloaded, the feedback isn't that terrific.
Check the review at the Apple app store (search for color capture) and here's another that is also very so-so
http://areaaesthetics.typepad.com/airings_on_design_by_area/2009/06/confessions-of-an-app-addict-the-skinny-on-color-apps-for-the-iphone-.html