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What colors are least used during photosynthesis?

What is the tool used in photography that is like a ruler showing the colors of the spectrum?

  • I have sometimes seen a tool in photographs that looks like a ruler covered in the colors of the spectrum. I assumed it was used to process colors consistently, or to show relationships between colors. What is that tool called? Where can I get one?

  • Answer:

    Depending on what you saw, if it looked like a ruler with graduations-- it was a Kelvin scale. If it was any other type of chart with patches of color, it was a target. Kelvin measured 'black body radiation' and assigned grades to the color of visible light in ratio to his scale. Thus, a 'black body' emitting low levels of radiation appears black. The same black body, when heated to more than 5500K the same 'black body' would emit nearly 'white light' radiation. Above 6000k, the same body would generate blue spectral wavelengths. Though this scale is used to measure radiation, it has become a standard measuring scale for any devices producing or capturing light, such as light bulbs and cameras. This is known as color temperature. If the thing was a target, those are devices used for building profiles for reproduction purposes in print, as well as video/crt/lcd displays to insure that 'what you see is truly what you'll get.

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Sounds like what they call an IT8 target. These targets are used to create what are called profiles. Because reproducing color in a print from your computer rarely matches the color on your screen, calibration devices exist to make this possible. All colors represented refer to a standard set by the ICC (International Color Consortium). The targets represent a know set of color patches which have a related reference file. The colors in the target when scanned are compared via the reference file, which thru the software makes the necessary corrections. This creates a relatively small file called a profile. Most people don't care about exact color matching, but photographers who make their living have to be. Exact color matching can affect the way a logo translates or the color of next falls fashions or even a picture of a painted room. Calibration starts with the monitor using a device called a colorometer which uses software to measure a series of color patches, thus creating a profile for the monitor. Profiles for scanners and printers use the targets to create the profiles, thus permitting more exact color matching between monitor and final print. Targets are also available for digital cameras. Different film emulsions (slides) have available targets because various slide films have different color attributes. If you are looking for an IT8 target, you can either get one with the profiling software of which there are a few: http://www.xrite.com http://www.gretagmacbeth.com/index/products.htm or go to http://www.targets.coloraid.de/

Gerry297

a color wheel

Abe H

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