Clothing colours

treeman · 31 Oct 2019

I've got a few items of clothing to photograph, nothing fancy, just lay flats, but I need to make sure the colour is true as possible.

I'm thinking if I just use an 18% grey card in my first shot (the lighting won't change after that) and colour check it in LR when I edit, that should give an accurate enough colour balance?

Keep seeing these Xrite colour checkers with a multitude of colour charts, and not sure I really need that?

Sky · 31 Oct 2019

Yup! Use the card and make sure your camera isn't set to AutoWB and that'll do it.

mike weeks · 31 Oct 2019

The X-rite passport will give a better result than a simple grey card because it creates a profile that includes lens and body in the equation

Mike

Phil V · 31 Oct 2019

The pertinent questions:
What’s your light source?
How true does it really need to be?

If flash, a grey card will give pretty accurate.
If using LED, even with a color checker you’re going have to work hard to get ‘perfect’.

Tdes · 31 Oct 2019

Of course anyone else viewing it on their monitors will see a version of the correct colours!

treeman · 31 Oct 2019

Phil V said:
The pertinent questions:
What’s your light source?
How true does it really need to be?

If flash, a grey card will give pretty accurate.
If using LED, even with a color checker you’re going have to work hard to get ‘perfect’.

Yes flash and only website use. Its just leisure clothing, so no big deal.

riddell · 6 Nov 2019

Tdes said:
Of course anyone else viewing it on their monitors will see a version of the correct colours!

Yes, when it comes to the public, but in professional circles everyone should be calibrated, and therefore viewing the same thing.
If at any point someone in that chain says the colour etc. is out and you check, verify and it looks good, and then you ask 'are you calibrated?' and they say no, well theres your problem.

If you aren't calibrated then you simply have no idea what you are giving the client.

sk66 · 6 Nov 2019

mike weeks said:
The X-rite passport will give a better result than a simple grey card because it creates a profile that includes lens and body in the equation

Mike

A grey card also includes the lens/body in the equation; it just doesn't make a profile compensated for all of the individual color swatches. But I do agree; the x-rite is the best choice when used with the software (profile generator).
I also don't think it's really necessary for this job.