Colour Checkers. Who's Using?

[Peter Blake]

I've got a job coming up where I need to rephotograph some artworks in acrylic.

Thought it would be an idea to acquire a colour checker. Any input on this? Looked at X-rite Passport (about $99 at BH)

 

[Pete Askew]

I often use one of these as well as Kodak colour strips.

 

[Paul Lange]

I haven't got one but have been looking at doing so. Colourtrax versions are quite a bit cheaper. Each square is measured and the RGB values shown. I can see where this would make making a camera profile a bit easier.

 

[Mark Hoy]

I use the x-rite passport when accurate colour reproduction is important - it came with my x-rite screen calibrator.

 

[Peter Blake]

I looked at the x-rite in more detail and it appears that it won't integrate with the Aperture program that I use. I did pick up the Kodak colour separation strips, which I guess can be taped to the frame of the artwork? What happens after that?
The whole point of the exercise is to enable the artist to sell prints of his originals. Would I send him files which include the colour guide, as well as cropped ones? So that his printer could match the colour to the Kodak strips? which I imagine are industry standard for printing?

 

[Paul Lange]

First of all do you have a fully colour managed setup with calibrated monitor? The idea from what I understand is that you need to make a correction file for your camera so that the colours you see on your screen match the Colourchecker in real life. With Adobe software there is a free camera profile creator to do this.