© Thomas Adorff 2022
Within the photo and video fields, it is often difficult to get prints that match what you see on screen and even images that match what you originally captured on camera. The primary goal of color management is to achieve a good match across color devices (e.g. colors should be accurate and appear the same on a monitor and the final print).
Simply put to make sure that the colors are accurate in your photographic or video files and have color consistency in your workflow. Calibrite color management solutions are designed to allow you to take control of your color workflow and improve color accuracy throughout.
From the very first shutter release, you can make sure you capture colors accurately, and Calibrite ColorChecker targets provide the right tool for every situation. Whether shooting indoors or outside, once you’ve got your shot and your desired lighting set up, place the ColorChecker Classic 24 patch target in the frame for the first take. Then, when editing your series of shots, use the free ColorChecker Camera Calibration Software to create a custom color profile of that first shot with the ColorChecker Classic 24 patch target. This target is available in the original 8×11 size, a small pocket size, inside the ColorChecker Passport Photo, and in larger sized for large set, event, auditorium, and other large venues where the camera is far removed from the shooting space. Using this ColorChecker Classic 24 patch target allows you to create a correct custom profile and white balance settings during the edit process. These settings can then be synchronized to all images in the series (provided the images are taken under exactly the same conditions and lighting). The software uses the 24 color patches of the ColorChecker Classic target to calculate a neutral and accurate color profile that you can use in your editing software.
Depending on the size of the scene or subject, there is a color chart for every photographic situation. Calibrite offers 11 different ColorChecker targets in various sizes to assist from macro to aerial photography.
Here you can see the comparison when using a ColorChecker chart. On the left side there is no color correction, while on the right, colors have been corrected using a ColorChecker chart. This saves a lot of time during editing, allowing you to focus on enjoying your work.
A Gray Balance card is specifically designed to help obtain consistent image exposure and/or color in video production, film and photography. The neutral gray color card’s uniform surface is spectrally neutral (reflecting equal amounts of red, blue and green) offering an accurate neutral balance at the start of each new photo session. Calibrite offers two different-sized 18% gray cards as well as a 3-Step Grayscale, especially, for videographers. Calibrite also offers a White Balance card designed specifically to set in camera and/or post production white balance.
If a monitor is not properly calibrated and profiled, you cannot trust what you see. Colors may not be accurate or match what you saw during your shoot, and prints will never quite match your monitor either. Did you know that your editing work space lighting conditions affect how you perceive color on your monitor? Bright colors in your peripheral view (e.g. monitor desktop color, wall color, the color of the desk) and the monitor viewing angle also influence how you perceive colors on-screen? So, it’s important to know that your monitor is set up correctly.
To achieve consistent screen color, colorimeters such as the Calibrite ColorChecker calibration devices produce a color profile that is saved to the graphics card in your computer. The hardware and software also guides you though optimizing your monitor’s display settings for brightness and contrast. This ensures that your digital files are displayed correctly, giving you the confidence to edit them accurately and avoid surprises when it comes to printing. Calibrite monitor calibration solutions are equipped with technically advanced filters and optical systems, fast measuring speeds and high color accuracy. This gives you the certainty that what you see is what you get!
Photographers can create custom colour profiles for their printers too, saving valuable time and avoiding wasted material due to too many unnecessary test prints. The Calibrite ColorChecker Studio is a spectrophotometer, which creates custom print colour profiles that are saved in the printer driver. It uses intelligent iterative profiling technology that ensures your output is always colour accurate, delivering precise smoothness, highlights, and shadow details. Simply remember to select the correct profile saved in the printer driver before printing. Custom print profiles should be created for different paper types (i.e glossy or matte) and for more accuracy for different paper weights.
Calibrators Charts
