Color Chart

[StrongBeaver]

I'm looking for a low cost X-Rite MSCCC ColorChecker Classic or a way I can create my own which is just as accurate as the X-Rite version, if possible ? If anyone can help me in any way, I would appreciate it.

Thanks.

[Bob_Hallam]

You can not create your own easily or at a low cost.  If you have software that can create profiles from a Color Checker Classic, then you can make a target with similar colors, but it will not perform the same.    That may be a good thing in your situation, or a bad one. 

The Color Checker Classic is created with pigments of various spectral reflectances.  Those are measured using a spectrophotometer to produce the spectral aims for the profile.   Those aims produce good profiles when the pigments used in the Color Checker correspond to real life colors you want to reproduce.  If these are not the colors in your scene / artwork or scan then the resulting profile may not improve the reproduction accuracy.  

It is very possible to create your own that might be better for your own scene / artwork / or scans.  You need to decide the dyes / pigments used and make it in the same layout of colors in the Color Checker Classic.  Then you must be able to measure the new target and save a text file for a target reference.  

Use this measured reference file along with the photo / scam of your custom target to create an ICC  profile with the software for that purpose.   To the degree you have represented the process aim colors and your target reference measurements are accurate then you should expect a nice improvement in the accuracy of your process.   Not perfect, and not as accurate as a tele-spectroradiometer  but better. 

[davescm]

The issue with creating your own will be finding pigments that do not change color under various lighting conditions (think of two pieces of clothing that appear to match in the shop lighting but look very different in daylight). By the time you have bought, tried and tested, several pigments you may well have paid the cost of a checker.

Dave

[Bob_Hallam]

Dave, the current color checker pigments chromatic, and do change under different lighting.  The issue is that they do not describe a real world scene very well.  The Color Checker DC was created to solve this, but it was found that adding a whole bunch more colors didn't solve the problem.  So we are back to the classic with pastel patches to help determine a correct white point.   Useless in many situations, but helpful in some

[davescm]

I didn't realise that Bob - thanks.

To be honest I use mine less these days..

I kind of gave up correcting landscape scenes with a checker as I found I was correcting the life out of the scene. So in the film days late afternoon light took on a warm cast and looked realistically warm, unless you specifically chose to correct it . I found I was "correcting"  that out and ending up with bland images.

However, I do include it in at least one shot of a wedding dress, or similar,  - just to make sure I don't rely on memory and make an ivory dress white.

My point would be, for anyone that may be thinking a checker is the answer to everything, use the checker sensibly when specifically required but don't correct the very lighting that made the scene you saw and chose to capture.

Dave

[StrongBeaver]

If creating your own does not give an accurate representation; would anyone have one they are willing to sell or know where I can get one at a low cost ?