Spector helps designers sample colors and typefaces

One can never know when inspiration strikes, so it pays to have some tools at hand to help designers take note of a typeface or color that strikes their fancy. Along comes Spector.

The brainchild of research designer Fiona O’Leary, the Spector allows users to capture colors and typefaces on the go. It’s a small handheld tool that will easily fit inside most bags. But the catch is that it’s still a working prototype, reports Wired.

For the time being, Spector recognizes only seven typefaces that it accesses through a font database. It also captures color samples. The way it works is it’s like a “physical eyedropper” tool like one would find in Photoshop. Spector is placed over a typeface or color, and with a press of a button at the top of the device, it stores the information for later perusal. It can also link directly to a computer via Bluetooth. The captured media can then be directly fed to programs such as InDesign where highlighted text will automatically be replaced by the sampled typeface. The device will also be able to measure type size, leading and kerning.

As for the color, Spector is able to display the full CMYK or RGB values for the user’s reference.

Spector can hold up to 20 font samples but no details as of yet has been revealed about the number of color samples it can carry.

One drawback would be its use to steal typefaces. Theft is not uncommon in the design world and Spector could be used to facilitate it even more efficiently. But barring the drawbacks, the potential use of this device cannot be overlooked. O’Leary recognizes this but also notes that in testing, most have used it as an educational tool. Technology is always a double-edged sword. It’s up to the user how they make use of the tool provided to them.  Alfred Bayle