To underpin the colourzone initiative Akzo Nobel is making an unprecedented financial investment in hi-tech spectrophotometers in order that Crown Trade stockists everywhere can provide a unique colour matching service for their customers.

Customer can able to take all manner of samples, swatches, fabrics, household items, treasured possessions and even slivers of old paint, (providing there is at least 1cm² of consistent colour to be measured), into hundreds of participating stores where they can be scanned by a colourzone spectro.  Unlike other tinting services the colourzone spectro generates an individual paint recipe to accurately recreate the colour of every sample rather than a closely matched formula from a pre-programmed library of paint shades.

A second key element of the colourzone package is the distribution of hundreds of portable colour scanning devices called MatchStiks to colourzone stockists. These handy, easy-to-use ‘colour readers’ are to be loaned out to any decorators and designers who want to use the devices and offer a valuable additional service to their customers.

A MatchStik allows convenient and accurate colour readings to be taken anywhere at all -  in a customer’s home or office, in an area requiring refurbishment, or even in the great outdoors should anyone want wild organic tints and tones to be replicated in a paint colour! The MatchStiks are all supplied pre-loaded with a specially created colourzone collection. This extensive colour portfolio contains more than 7000 different colours drawn from various Akzo Nobel colour collections past and present, all with ACC colour references. The system offers a quick and easy, ‘go-anywhere’ alternative to searching through colour swatches at the mixing desk or scouring the Crown Trade fandeck for a match. Once the colour reference is determined using the MatchStik, it can then be tinted in the colourzone stockist.

All main stockists of Crown Trade bases are eligible to receive all the hi-tech equipment and promotional support they need to offer colourzone services to their customers.

Kees den Elzen of Crown Trade said: “The investment we are making in colourzone is substantial, clearly demonstrating our total commitment to the Crown Trade brand and our comprehensive colour offer. Our ultimate aim is to supply all our major stockists with state of the art spectrophotometers and to make the use of colourzone MatchStiks an everyday occurrence for as many professionals as possible.

 “By making bespoke colour matching and mixing services so accurate, so accessible and so easy to use we are making a step change to the services our stockists can offer, and in turn enabling Crown Trade customers the opportunity to differentiate themselves and offer their clients real added value.”