X-Rite Pantone and The Fashion Institute of Technology Partner to Advance Digital Colour Education


New York, NY – August 2026  – X-Rite Pantone, the global authority in colour standards and colour science, and the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), a global leader in creative education and part of the State University of New York (SUNY), have announced a strategic partnership to advance colour education and digital innovation across the apparel, footwear, soft goods, and textile industries.

As part of the collaboration, X-Rite Pantone will donate industry-leading colour measurement, quality control, and visual evaluation technology to FIT's Textile Development and Marketing (TDM) department, which sits within the college's Jay and Patty Baker School of Business and Technology.

The donation equips students with a complete, end-to-end textile colour management ecosystem — including the latest X-Rite colour measurement devices, software, and visual evaluation solutions — giving them direct access to the same professional tools used by leading global brands.

The partnership comes at a critical moment for the textile industry.

As production continues to globalise, accurate and consistent colour communication — from design through to finished product — has never been more important.

Digital colour workflows accelerate development cycles, reduce waste, and enable more effective collaboration between brands, mills, dye houses, and manufacturers across complex international supply chains.

"By partnering with FIT, we're providing the knowledge and tools future designers and textile professionals need to align physical colour standards, spectral data, and digital workflows," said Raj Shah, Vice President of Marketing at X-Rite Pantone. "Digital colour skills play a critical role in helping brands design for achievability, improve collaboration across global supply chains, and bring products to market faster. As the textile industry continues its digital transformation, these skills are becoming essential for designers, developers, and production teams alike."

Shannon Maher, Dean of FIT's School of Business and Technology, welcomed the collaboration. "FIT's legacy is rooted in strong industry alliances and hands-on, applied learning. Combining our TDM faculty's deep textile expertise with X-Rite Pantone's industry-standard colour technology gives our students a distinct competitive advantage, preparing them to champion faster, more sustainable production practices across the global market."

Beyond the technology donation, X-Rite Pantone and FIT will conduct joint industry research aimed at establishing more efficient, sustainable, and connected colour processes.

The initiative will explore opportunities to improve digital adoption, strengthen supplier-brand collaboration, increase colour quality and consistency, and identify best practices for more resilient textile supply chains.

About X-Rite Pantone

Founded in 1958, X-Rite Pantone is a global leader in the science and technology of color and appearance.

Together with its Pantone business, X-Rite Pantone employs more than 800 people in 11 countries.

The company’s corporate headquarters are located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA, with regional headquarters in Europe and Asia and service centers across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the Americas.

X-Rite Pantone offers a full range of solutions used by manufacturers, retailers, printers, and graphic design houses to achieve precise management and communication of color and appearance throughout their processes.

X-Rite Pantone products and services are recognized standards in the printing, packaging, graphic design, automotive, paints, plastics, and textiles. For further information, please visit www.xrite.com. For the latest news, information, connect with X-Rite Pantone on LinkedIn and Facebook.


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