Need Service and Repair Coverage for a Spectrophotometer & Software?

You’ve done your research, weighed your options, and decided that Datacolor instruments and software are the best fit for your company’s color needs. It’s a big decision and a long-term investment in your business, so the thought of also purchasing a service contract or repair coverage might be the last thing on your mind. After all, Datacolor instruments have a reputation for their lasting power.

It’s true that your spectrophotometer could last 20 years, but here’s the real question: will it work well for 20 years without regular calibration, preventative maintenance, or having an expert come in when something goes wrong? Think about it like owning a car. If you never go in for regular oil changes or ignore that “check engine” light for as long as possible, you’re not going to have that car for very long. The same goes for color control instruments and software. Regular care can avoid bigger problems in the future.

Who Should Purchase a Datacolor Service Contract?

While anyone can benefit from a service contract and repair coverage, it’s especially recommended if you fall into one of these categories:

1. You are a manufacturer of paint, stains, or coatings where paint can easily get into the sphere of your spectrophotometer
2. You work with stone or cultured products that leave behind dust and sand particles
3. You are a textile brand or part of the textile supply chain and have stringent internal and external audits and guidelines
4. You purchased a portable instrument like the Datacolor Check 3 or Datacolor 45, which can get dropped or lost more easily than a benchtop instrument

7 Benefits of a Datacolor Service Contract

1. We have a local service and support presence around the globe—all adhering to the same best practices. This is especially important for global organizations that depend on color consistency across their supply chain.
2. We have a dedicated call center staffed with Datacolor employees ready to get you the support you need. Our service and repair experts are also happy to answer your questions during on-site visits—or connect you to someone who can answer them as quickly as possible.
3. For most industries, precision and accuracy are table stakes today. Keeping your spectrophotometer or color control software functioning properly isn’t enough. As quality expectations increase across many industries, the priority becomes functioning within spec and in close agreement with all the other instruments you operate. For organizations performing color evaluation in more than one location (across multiple local facilities or even across countries), you need to be confident that colors are accurate and consistent no matter who does the measurements or where they’re taken. Regular service is a key part of that.
4. Cutting corners with calibration can cost you in the long run. Let’s say you need a white tile. Instead of purchasing a Datacolor tile, you grab a piece of standard ceramic tile instead. You’ve saved money, but we guarantee you’ll see an immediate color performance change. You won’t have calibration data with an off-the-shelf tile. Datacolor tiles are characterized to our master units with traceability certification.
5. The same goes for third-party ISO certification. We know there are third-party companies that perform certifications on Datacolor instruments, and it can be tempting to go with this option. The problem is, we’ve seen these companies work with extremely wide tolerances of 1.0 dE. As long as your spectrophotometer meets these wide tolerances, these companies say that the instrument is certified. But it won’t match your spectrophotometers in other facilities or provide your customers with the most accurate color matches. If you purchased a spectrophotometer for its accuracy, you could be working against your investment. Our service and repair team has deep knowledge of OEM specifications, parts, and technical work so you won’t run into color consistency headaches.
6. It’s an investment in the long-term future of your company’s color matching. If you purchase an instrument from Datacolor and commit to regular service, your instrument will be a reliable part of your color operations for years. But it doesn’t stop there. When it’s finally time to get a new Datacolor instrument, you won’t have to waste time re-adding your color data before using it. Our instruments are backward compatible, so they work with your existing color data.
7. We’re all about education—and making your work with color easier. Here’s an example: One of our support team members found that a customer was using their own calibration standard and had to manually change the value every time they performed a measurement. Realizing how much time they were spending on this, he let them know that using a Datacolor calibrated white tile would remove this tedious work. Problem solved and time saved.

The Datacolor Difference

We’ve been helping customers control color since 1970. We know that companies around the world trust us to ensure their color operations are running smoothly, and we don’t take that trust lightly. If you spend any amount of time with our service and support team, that commitment is instantly clear. You’ll hear them talk about teamwork and how they’re happy to spend hours with a customer just to make sure all of their questions are answered. Pair that with a global team that has a combined hundreds of years of technical experience and the value of investing in Datacolor service and repair becomes clear.

To learn more about Datacolor service and repair contracts, contact our team here. Already a Datacolor customer and need to reach our support team? Find local support contact information here.