The following article is excerpted from Digital Arts.

Pantone has launched two mobile apps for color-aware creatives: MyPantone for Android and myPantone 2.0 for the iPhone.

MyPantone for Android brings Pantone’s popular iPhone application for capturing, creating and sharing color palettes to the Android platform. It gives graphic, digital, multimedia, fashion, interior and industrial designers access to more than 13,000 Pantone colous wherever they go. The included libraries are the Plus Series Formula Guide (coated and uncoated), Plus Series CMYK, Color Bridge, Premium Metallics, Pastels & Neons, Goe (coated and uncoated), GoeBridge (coated), Fashion + Home Color System Library (paper and cotton), and Fashion + Home nylon brights.

Each color swatch in the myPantone for Android application includes sRGB, HTML and L*a*b* values. MyPantone for Android also automatically generates a variety of harmonious colour combinations. Additionally, cross-referencing color capabilities aim to make it simple for users to find similar colors among the various Pantone Colour Libraries. For example, users can identify the Fashion + Home Color that most closely matches any Plus Color.

MyPantone for Android takes advantage of Android's built-in camera to let the user capture whatever inspires them. Colors can be extracted from any photo stored on the Android and matched to the closest colors.

Color palettes can be sent as Pantone Color Chips, or as swatch files that can be used in Adobe Creative Suite (.ase) and QuarkXPress. Designers can also share their color palettes by automatically posting notification of new palettes to Facebook or by sending them to the Pantone hosted website mypantone.com.

myPantone 2.0 for the iPhone, iPod and iPad is a free update for current myPantone users. myPantone 2.0 provides designers with CMYK data for all Plus Series Colors. Another innovative feature myPantone 2.0 offers is the ability to connect to Pantone’s Color Manager desktop software to upload color managed data for Pantone Colors based on ICC color output device profiles

Pantone says that the iPhone, iPod and iPad app’s interface has been improved as well. Now myPantone 2.0 allows users to calibrate the iPhone display to view color-corrected Pantone Colors within the application. An X-Rite calibration device is required for calibration, such as ColorMunki Photo, Design or Create, or the new ColouMunki Display, i1Pro or i1Display 2. Additionally, myPantone 2.0 allows users to print from compatible iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch devices using AirPrint.

MyPantone for Android is available for download at the Android Market store for $8. It’s compatible with Android 2.2 or higher.

The iOS-compatible MyPantone 2.0 is a free upgrade for current owners and is available for download to new users in the iTunes App Store for $10. Current myPantone users will be prompted to download a free upgrade. MyPantone 2.0 is compatible with iPhone OS 4.0 or higher, and can be used on the iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch.