For Paint Manufacturers

Introduction

This page provides information for paint manufacturer representatives — legal, technical, sales, and public relations — to evaluate the request for permission to reference paint color chart information in "Iris," an iOS app for scale modelers.

Estimated reading time: 5–10 minutes

Technical details beyond the scope of this page are available in a separate technical specification page, linked in Section 9.

What Iris Is (Executive Summary)

Iris is an iOS app for scale modelers, designed for iOS 17 and later.

Key Facts

• Product nameIris
• TaglineThe Ultimate Color Master for Modelers
• PlatformsiPhone, iPad (iOS 17+)
• Planned release periodLate July 2026
• PriceIris Pro one-time purchase, ¥980 (~$6.99)
• LanguagesJapanese (MVP), English (Phase 2), others (Phase 3+)
• DeveloperKouji Someura / AetherForge Lab (sole proprietorship)

Core Features

• Capture colors via camera and generate recipes from owned paints
• Cross-manufacturer paint mixing calculations
• Compare painting results with target colors (ΔE2000)
• Bottle-level inventory management
• Shopping list generation via iOS Reminders integration

Technical Foundation

• Color space: CIE Lab (D65 reference)
• Color difference: ΔE2000 (Sharma 2005 verified)
• Data storage: On-device SwiftData, no cloud sync of paint data
• Payment: Apple StoreKit 2 (one-time purchase)

Why We Are Asking Manufacturers

For color management apps like Iris, there are two main approaches to handling paint manufacturer color information:

Option A: Obtain permission and use official color information

• Provides accurate color information
• Significantly improves user experience
• Establishes a clear relationship between manufacturer and Iris

Option B: Operate without permission, using "factual information only"

• Product names, codes, and color names treated as factual information
• Color values measured independently, labeled as "unofficial estimates"
• Manufacturer relationship handled separately

Iris prioritizes user experience and integrity toward the modeling community, and therefore pursues Option A — obtaining permission from manufacturers as the primary approach.

For manufacturers from whom permission is not obtained, Iris will proceed with Option B as a fallback. The planned late July 2026 release period will not be delayed based on permission negotiations.

Iris's Operating Philosophy (Foundation of Neutrality)

Iris is built with sincerity toward the modeling community as its highest priority. As a result, Iris maintains structural neutrality with respect to manufacturers' distribution strategies and retail channels.

Four Operating Principles

1. No advertisements — No banner ads, video ads, or text ads of any kind. We have no plans to introduce advertising in any form, ever.
2. No affiliate links — No affiliate links to Amazon, eBay, Rakuten, Yodobashi, or any other retailer. No directing users to specific stores or specific e-commerce sites.
3. Revenue exclusively from Iris Pro one-time purchase (¥980) — No subscription model. No in-app purchases beyond Iris Pro. Single revenue stream via Apple App Store one-time purchase only.
4. Shopping list integration only with iOS Reminders — When users want to buy a paint, Iris creates an entry in the iOS standard Reminders app — nothing else. No directing to specific e-commerce sites, no embedded links. Users purchase from retailers of their own choosing.

Structural Guarantee of Neutrality

These four principles ensure that Iris remains structurally neutral with respect to manufacturers' distribution strategies. This is not "neutrality as an attitude" — it is neutrality enforced by the absence of advertising and affiliate mechanisms in the app's design.

Our sole purpose is to provide a better color experience to modelers who choose your products.

What We Are Asking to Reference

Iris would like to reference the following color information from your products in its paint database.

Items Requested for Reference

1. Color codes (product codes) — Examples: Mr.Color C1, Tamiya XF-58, Citadel Layer. Purpose: User search via bottle label codes.
2. Color names (product names) — Examples: "White", "OD Green", "Mechanicus Standard Grey". Purpose: Search, display, user identification.
3. Color chart images — Examples: Official manufacturer color swatch images. Purpose: Visual color representation within the app.
4. Lab values (if available) — We would appreciate official measured Lab values if available. If not available, Iris will estimate from official PDFs or color chart images. Purpose: Color difference calculation, mixing calculation base data.

Phased Approach

We do not assume that all of these items will be provided at once. We would like to start with a representative selection of 20–30 popular colors and expand gradually based on your preference.

For example, the following phased approaches are possible:

• Codes and names only first; color chart images and Lab values in a later phase
• Representative 30 colors first; expand to full range over time
• Single product series first (e.g., Model Color); expand to other series (Air, Mecha Color, etc.) later

The pace and scope can be adjusted to match your preferences.

Data Handling

The handling of your color information in Iris is described below.

Where Data Is Stored

Your color information is stored within each user's iPhone/iPad using SwiftData. It is not transmitted through Apple CloudKit or any cloud service.

This means:

• Each user maintains an independent paint database on their device
• Risk of unauthorized redistribution is structurally minimized
• User privacy is simultaneously protected

Data Updates

The seed database (initial data) is updated through Iris app updates released via Apple App Store. We do not perform dynamic downloads of color information.

Data Deletion

Should you request the removal of any data, we will remove it from the seed database in the next app update. Due to Apple App Store review processes, deletion typically reflects in production within 1–2 weeks.

Third-Party Data Sharing

We will not provide your color information to any third party — other companies, other apps, research institutions, etc. We do not offer any API to expose this data externally.

User Data Handling

User-generated data within Iris — mixing recipes, captured colors, inventory information — is stored entirely on the user's device. AetherForge Lab collects none of it. We do not collect statistics on how your color information is used.

Brand Protection Considerations

Iris is designed with the following considerations to protect your brand value.

Display Considerations

• Manufacturer names, product names, and color names are displayed using your official notation
• We do not use abbreviations or nicknames inconsistently
• Color information is attributed to the manufacturer where appropriate

Relationship with Other Manufacturers

• When multiple manufacturers appear in search results or paint lists, all manufacturers are treated equally; no preferential display
• Manufacturer-specific views are provided so users can browse your products in focus

Correcting Errors

If errors are found in your color information, or if you wish to modify display conventions, please contact info@aetherforgelab.com. We will reflect changes in the next app update. Due to Apple App Store review processes, updates typically take 1–2 weeks.

User Review Functionality

Iris does not include features for users to post reviews or comments on individual paints (consideration for Phase 2 onwards). This means brand damage risk from user posts is structurally absent in the MVP.

Should we introduce community features in the future, we will consult with you on operating policies in advance.

About the Developer

Iris is developed and operated by Kouji Someura, doing business as AetherForge Lab (sole proprietorship).

Career Background

• Ceramic artist (handling glaze colors)
• Wedding photographer (handling skin tones, print colors)
• Current: Designer & Engineer (handling on-screen colors)
• Currently: Developing Iris for iOS

Color Through Life

Color has been part of every career chapter. As a scale modeler, the difficulty of accurately reproducing anime design colors became the starting point for developing Iris.

For more details, please see the AetherForge Lab About page:
https://aetherforgelab.com/en/about.html

Business Form

• FormSole proprietorship
• Trade nameAetherForge Lab
• LocationJapan
• Contactinfo@aetherforgelab.com

We may consider incorporation depending on business scale and circumstances. At the time of the late July 2026 release, we will operate as a sole proprietorship.

Technical Transparency

Iris's color processing is implemented based on industry-standard color science.

Key Technical Specifications

• Color space: CIE Lab (D65 reference, aligned with sRGB standard)
• Color difference: ΔE2000 (CIEDE2000, ISO 13655 compliant)
• Verification: Passes all 34 pairs of CIE Sharma 2005 test dataset
• Recommended capture lighting: D65 (6500K), guided in the UI
• Data storage format: SwiftData (Apple standard)

Detailed technical information is available on a separate technical specification page. Legal department reviewers can obtain a sufficient overview from this page alone; technical and engineering reviewers can refer to the detailed page as needed.

Phased Approach to Permission Negotiation

Iris approaches permission negotiations with manufacturers in phases.

Step 1: Initial Inquiry (Domestic) / Direct Request (International)

• ContentIris introduction, operating philosophy explanation, consultation about permission consideration
• Estimated timeline2–4 weeks from email send to initial response
• GoalHearing your opinions and concerns

Step 2: Formal Permission Request

• ContentSpecific permission request, scope of data sharing, terms and conditions
• Estimated timeline2–6 weeks from Step 1 response
• GoalAgreement on permission scope and data provision

Step 3 (Advanced Topic): Lab Value Handling Consultation

• ContentOfficial Lab value provision availability, format, update frequency
• Estimated timelineAfter Step 2 completion, as needed
• GoalTechnical agreement for accuracy improvement

Timelines may vary based on your team's availability. We will proceed at a pace comfortable for your organization.

Contact

For questions or consultations regarding this page:

Contact

• Business inquiriesinfo@aetherforgelab.com
• Response timeWithin 24–48 hours (weekdays)

Online Meetings

We can arrange online meetings as needed (Japanese / English available). Please send candidate date/time options via email.

Document Exchanges

We can flexibly accommodate NDAs, permission agreements, and other formal document exchanges. Please send your standard format and we will review and respond accordingly.