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RichardSwearinger
Known Participant
January 10, 2022
Question

What Happened To The Color Checker Profile Builder?

  • January 10, 2022
  • 4 replies
  • 3761 views

Is there still a feature in Lightroom that lets you create custom color profiles from a shot of a Color Checker? I remember it being there for at least a few iterations but in LR2021 10.2 I can't find the functionality.

Am I looking in the wrong place?

 

Thanks

 

These are the ColorChecker images from which one makes the profiles—they are done in DNG.

4 replies

Conrad_C
Community Expert
Conrad_CCommunity Expert
Community Expert
January 10, 2022

If I remember correctly, that ability was never built into Lightroom (Classic) itself. Historically there are two ways to do it.

 

One is what johnrellis already posted: Use the DNG Profile Editor by Adobe, which is a separate utility.

 

The other way is to use software provided by the maker of the color chart. In the case of the ColorChecker Passport shown in the picture, that’s a Lightroom plug-in provided by X-Rite. So yes, you get to that through Lightroom (Classic), but it is not included with the Adobe installation of the application.

    R
    RichardSwearingerAuthor
    Known Participant
    January 28, 2022

    Thanks. I have the utility and it's amazing. I didn't realize that I had been using an X-rite plug in. I thought it was part of Lightroom. 

    Thanks again

     

    JohanElzenga
    Community Expert
    JohanElzengaCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    January 10, 2022

    This was never incorporated in Lightroom. There are two plugins with (more or less) that name however. There is XRite Color Checker Passport and there is Datacolor SpyderCheckr. Your screenshot shows the XRite ColorChecker chart. Both plugins do still work in the latest version of Lightroom Classic.

     

    -- Johan W. Elzenga
    TheDigitalDog
    TheDigitalDog
    Inspiring
    January 28, 2022

    The X-rite software (stand alone) and plug in are free, you simply need a real Macbeth ColorChecker.

    There are some minor advantages to using the standalone, or there were: ability to make dual illuminant profiles.

    The stuff from Datacolor is junk! It uses a different target they kind of ripped off from X-rite (GretagMacbeth originally) and doesn't produce a true DCP profile. Stay away!

    You can use the old Adobe DNG software (also free) but it may not support newer hardware so just go directly to X-rite and get their software which is updated 'regularly'. I don't think Adobe is supporting this older product, and there's little reason to do so thanks to X-rite.

    If you want more options, bigger targets and such, you can spend money on something like Lumariver Profile Designer which is superb but not free.

    Author “Color Management for Photographers" & "Photoshop CC Color Management/pluralsight"
      GoldingD
      GoldingD
      Legend
      January 10, 2022

      I think that is a plug-in from XRite

       

        johnrellis
        johnrellis
        Legend
        January 10, 2022

        See the DNG Profile Editor:

        https://helpx.adobe.com/camera-raw/digital-negative.html#DNGProfileEditorSeptember2012 

         

         

          johnrellis
          johnrellis
          Legend
          January 10, 2022

          In the Adobe DNG Profile Editor Tutorial, see "Tutorial 5: Automatic Adjustments Using a ColorChecker":

           

          "This tutorial explains how to use a 24-patch ColorChecker Chart to create an initial set of color adjustments automatically. This is useful for getting different cameras to produce a similar color response under fixed lighting conditions."

           

           

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