REGENSDORF, Switzerland – X-Rite Inc. has entered into a long-term relationship with the University of Bonn and has acquired Sensible Graphics GmbH, a company providing digital appearance solutions.

Based in Bonn, Germany, Sensible Graphics is a spinoff from the university’s Institute for Computer Science II, which has gained a reputation for its efficient virtual renderings of vehicle bodies coated with pearlescent paints, upholstery made from patterned textiles and leathers, and other products with complex textures.

X-Rite’s research agreement with the University of Bonn will establish a graduate school in the field of digital appearance to be led by Dr. Reinhard Klein, head of the Computer Graphics Group at the university’s Institute of Computer Science II.

Additionally, X-Rite plans to expand the reach of the Pantone brand beyond its traditional relevance of communicating and specifying flat color into serving as a key standard for definition and categorization of complex digital materials. The PantoneLIVE digital color standards Digital Rights Management (DRM), which already delivers cloud-based color data, will be expanded in the coming years to manage and deliver appearance data.