title: "How to Use a Colour Chart in Product Photography" date: 2024-09-12 slug: /how-to-use-color-chart-product-photography word_count: 2500 images: 5

How to Use a Colour Chart in Product Photography

Give a shout if you've ever bought a shirt online in your favourite colour — perhaps it matched the event's theme — only to find it looks totally different when it arrives.

You don't want your customers to experience that with your brand, do you?

At Pixel by Hand, we've seen our fair share of colour discrepancies in product photography. Colour is a key element of any image, and customers are unlikely to purchase items if there's an obvious difference between what they expect to see online and the reality. Through our colour correction service, we've helped hundreds of eCommerce brands achieve pixel-perfect hues in their product images.

In this guide, we'll explain how to use a colour chart in product photography and why it's essential for consistent branding.

Table of Contents

• Why Is Colour Accuracy Important in Product Photography?
• What Is a Colour Chart?
• How to Use a Colour Chart in Product Photography
• Why You Should Use a Colour Chart
• How to Keep Colours Accurate in Product Photography
• How Will I Know If I Need Colour Correction Service?
• Pixel by Hand Colour Correction Service
• FAQ

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Why Is Colour Accuracy Important in Product Photography?

Accuracy in the colour of your products is an integral part of any business. In fact, 87% of consumers attribute colour as the primary reason for their purchases, and 22% of retail returns happen because a product looks different in person. If you wish to succeed online, you shouldn't take colour for granted.

When a consumer returns a product because it looks different in person, it can hurt your brand and your bottom line. You not only risk bad reviews but also losing customers.

For example, a customer might order a pair of yellow shoes online, only to find they're a different shade in person. This can lead to negative reviews and lost sales, as customers will hesitate to buy from you if they cannot trust the product's hue. So how do you ensure that the colours in your images are accurate?

The answer lies in using a colour chart. A colour chart helps to remove any guesswork when it comes to product photography and allows photographers to capture images with consistent and accurate colours, helping to avoid discolouration. This is especially useful for eCommerce stores, as customers will often make decisions about a product based on its colour.

Struggling with colour accuracy? Start your free trial with Pixel by Hand and let our editors get your colours spot on.

What Is a Colour Chart?

The Macbeth ColorChecker was the first colour chart ever introduced in 1976 — a cardboard-framed arrangement of 24 swatches based on Munsell colours. Today, colour charts are mostly made of plastic and are available in different sizes. But they remain a humble tool that professional photographers can use to capture colours accurately regardless of the lighting situation.

Although modern-day cameras have come a long way in interpreting colours, there are still several factors that can influence how colours are represented in the resulting images:

• Lighting temperature: the type of light used for the shoot (natural, tungsten, fluorescent)
• Lighting intensity: how bright the lights are
• White balance settings: how cameras interpret colours in different lighting temperatures
• Exposure settings: the amount of light allowed into the image
• The type of lenses used: different lenses may produce different effects

A colour chart can be used during a product photoshoot and later as a reference point in post-production to ensure colour consistency throughout the creative process. Professional photographers can save hours in photo colour correction editing by using it to adjust exposure, perfect white balance settings, and fine-tune other details.

Colour charts also allow photographers to accurately represent the colours of their products, even in challenging lighting conditions. For example, a photographer using a tungsten light might have difficulty capturing accurate colours; a colour chart can help them achieve more consistent results.

How to Use a Colour Chart in Product Photography

You can use a colour chart by taking a picture of it close to the subject — or in the same light as the subject — at the start of the photoshoot. Then, with the eyedropper tool in your editing software, select the patch closest to 18 percent grey. This action will instantly allow your software to recognise that colour as grey and adjust the overall colour of the image.

Once you have figured that out, you can apply the same adjustments to the rest of the photographs taken within the same setup and lighting environment. This is a great time-saver that allows you to do batch edits during colour correction.

Using a colour chart for product photography is the best way to guarantee accurate colours in your eCommerce photos. This simple step can prevent you from receiving bad reviews and losing customers due to inaccurate images of your products. Make sure to add this tool to your arsenal and start using it during your photoshoots.

Why You Should Use a Colour Chart

Using a colour chart in your photography is essential for achieving accurate and consistent colour. Whilst you may think that your camera's colour settings are enough to produce high-quality images, several factors can still impact your output. The surrounding objects in your scene, for example, can give off ambient light that may cast a colour tint on your images, causing them to appear differently than they actually are.

To ensure precise colour production, it is strongly recommended that a colour chart be used on set. Capturing a reference shot of the chart in similar lighting conditions as your subject will help you adjust and fine-tune your camera's settings to generate accurate and reliable colours.

Using a colour chart can also save you a significant amount of time during post-processing. By taking a quick reference shot, you can easily adjust your colour correction settings using the eyedropper tool. This provides a consistent look across all of your images and eliminates guesswork during post-production.

Lastly, using a colour chart can help you identify any colour cast that may be present in your images, such as a warm or cool tint. This is crucial for ensuring that your images are not only accurate but also appealing to the viewer.

For example, a product photographed in natural light may appear too cool if the white balance has not been adjusted properly. By comparing your reference shot of the chart to your product images, you can quickly identify any colour cast and adjust it accordingly.

How to Keep Colours Accurate in Product Photography

Understanding how to photograph objects so they appear as they would to the human eye is key to accuracy in product photography. Besides using a colour chart, here are additional tips for keeping colours as accurate as possible during a product shoot.

1. Histogram

A histogram is a graph that measures the exposure of an image, represented as values on a bar chart. Working with a histogram allows you to ensure correct exposure, which is particularly handy when shooting light-coloured objects or against a white background, as they tend to get overexposed quickly.

2. Light Source

When shooting products, make sure your light sources are of the same colour temperature. Otherwise, your products may have uneven tones on different sides. Don't rely on your camera's internal white balance correction feature — it's not always accurate, particularly in a mixed-light environment.

3. Shoot in RAW

RAW files give more leeway for adjusting the white balance during post-processing. They are quite forgiving if you have overexposed or underexposed areas, meaning you can edit shadows and highlights without losing detail — something that is often a problem with JPEG files.

4. Invest in a Good Display Screen

The best monitors for photo editing should provide broad colour coverage, accuracy, and uniformity. The good news is that there's a wide range of high-quality display screens on the market at different price points for both enthusiasts and professionals.

5. Check Colour on Multiple Devices

Whilst you may have a reliable display screen, it also pays to double-check the colour tone on a different device. This way, you can get an idea of how others will see your images.

Colour matching and colour correction services play a vital role in the success of any business, especially eCommerce. Research has found that over 11% of customers will return items based on discrepancies in colour. This shows how crucial it is for businesses to deliver a product that matches customers' expectations.

How Will I Know If I Need Colour Correction Service?

If you've implemented all of the tips above but still find that your colours are off, it might be a good idea to outsource professional colour correction services. Professional colourists have a deep understanding of the relationship between colours and can accurately adjust them in Adobe Photoshop or any other graphics editor.

There are several signs that indicate you may need a colour correction service:

• Inconsistent colour: If the colour of your images is inconsistent, with some appearing too warm or too cool, you may need colour correction. For example, if you're shooting against a white background, the objects should appear exactly the same regardless of their position in the frame.

• Excessive contrast: If the image looks too saturated or the shadows appear too dark, it may be due to incorrect saturation settings or poor white balance. A professional colourist can adjust the contrast and brightness to produce a more even look.

• Out-of-gamut colours: Colours outside the standard colour range, such as bright blue hues or neon magenta, can be difficult to correct. A professional colourist can adjust the colours back into gamut so they look natural and consistent.

• Poor white balance: This is a common issue that can cause images to appear too yellow, too blue, or too green. If you notice a colour cast, you may need colour correction.

• Unnatural skin tones: If skin tones in your images appear unnatural, it may be due to incorrect white balance, causing them to appear too yellow, too pink, or too orange.

• Over or underexposed images: These can cause colour inaccuracies, making your images appear too bright or too dark.

• Post-processing difficulties: If you're struggling to achieve accurate colour during post-processing — for example, having trouble adjusting whites or blacks — it could be a sign that the colours need professional correction.

If you recognise any of these indicators in your photos, it's worthwhile looking into a colour correction service. A professional will help guarantee that each one of your images is precise and uniform, saving you time and energy during editing.

Pixel by Hand Colour Correction Service

At Pixel by Hand, we've worked with a wide range of digital photographers, from hobbyists to professionals. With over 10 years' experience and 380+ eCommerce clients, we specialise in eCommerce product photography and have a thorough understanding of product colour accuracy.

We take the time to adjust your images so that they are consistent across all devices, including phones, tablets, and desktop monitors. Our photo editors use Adobe Photoshop with calibrated displays to ensure accurate colour reproduction.

We understand that each image is different and requires an individual approach. Whether you're looking for a subtle colour change or a comprehensive colour correction, our editors are here to help.

Send us your images for a free sample edit — see how our editors can perfect your product colours. Get started here.

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FAQ

What is a colour chart and do I really need one? A colour chart (such as the X-Rite ColorChecker) is a card with standardised colour swatches used as a reference point during photography. If you're shooting product images where colour accuracy matters — which is virtually all eCommerce photography — then yes, it's a worthwhile investment. They typically cost between £20 and £70.

Can I fix colour issues entirely in post-production? You can correct many colour issues in post-production, especially if you shoot in RAW format. However, it's always better to get colours as accurate as possible during the shoot. A colour chart makes post-production corrections faster, more accurate, and more consistent across batches of images.

How often should I replace my colour chart? Colour charts can fade over time, especially if exposed to direct sunlight. Most manufacturers recommend replacing them every 1-2 years, or sooner if you notice any visible fading or damage to the swatches.

Does lighting type affect colour accuracy? Absolutely. Different light sources have different colour temperatures — daylight is cooler, tungsten is warmer, and fluorescent can add a green tint. This is precisely why a colour chart is so valuable: it gives you a known reference point to correct against, regardless of the lighting conditions.

What's the difference between colour correction and colour grading? Colour correction is the process of adjusting colours to accurately represent what the human eye would see — essential for product photography. Colour grading is the creative process of applying a specific look or mood to an image. For eCommerce, colour correction is what you need to ensure products look true to life.