# Coffee roasting colour problems with camera and screen



## cracked_bean (Apr 13, 2014)

Having bean (get it?) around for a couple of weeks now I have started thinking about how we are comparing roasts. Everyone knows that light conditions and cameras can affect the perceived colour, I know when I took my pictures the colours really didn't match and looked different comparing my phone to my computer screen.

I also recently bought my gene cafe, and with it came an A3 instruction booklet which had printed on it a colour chart, now I think most of us know how bad the relationship between on screen and printed can be so even this sheet, when comparing it to others with the identical sheet would not always match.

For the same reason if we all went to a specific website and each printed out a reference sheet to then put in our pictures all the comparisons would then be based on how well our individual printers performed.

Am I alone in thinking this? I have had a think and maybe we could have a unified way of comparing roasts (colour swatches from B&Q? or specific printed media? a brown magazine?) something we can all keep and be certain that all look identical?

Even if people seem willing to I could use my printer and post out swatches from an identical batch (although not sure on how many people care enough)?

Or am I getting too in depth here?


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## Daren (Jan 16, 2012)

I thought the main benefit of comparing pictures of roasts is to highlight how uniform the roast is?


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

Have a look at this thread Ron did a while ago.

http://coffeeforums.co.uk/showthread.php?12500-A-few-Roasting-Aids


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## GS11 (Feb 20, 2013)

Lots of variables with photography:

Lighting conditions/ different cameras/ flash photography/ ability of photographer

Lots of variables viewing images:

Are you viewing on a 42inch lcd/ pc/ laptop/ smartphone. Is your device calibrated?

I take a few pics and the one that looks as close to what I have produced on my panel gets uploaded. Even the few pics I take can vary wildly off what I have produced if i happen to take the shot wrong or badly lit.

I seem to get best results with pictures under a halogen light source.


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

The Agtron sets are too expensive, but something like the automotive paint industry colour swatches might work quite well, but you would all have to buy the same one and it becomes the forum recommended one to use when comparing roast levels, you all simply agree on the various browns you will use for comparison. They can cost as little at £10 delivered

http://technicalpaintservices.co.uk/381.php

the British Standard 381c paint colour chart might do the job? There might be others that are better and perhaps cheaper....but you get the idea. this whole area is something I bought up a few months ago on this site. If you use standard paint colour charts, you know they will always be fairly consistent, especially if it's a BSI chart. Perhaps BSI4800 will be better...but you all have to decide. Then cut out the various browns that you then make your standard colour swatches from.


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## froggystyle (Oct 30, 2013)

Beans are there to be drunk, not photographed!


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## sjenner (Nov 8, 2012)

DavecUK said:


> The Agtron sets are too expensive, but something like the automotive paint industry colour swatches might work quite well, but you would all have to buy the same one and it becomes the forum recommended one to use when comparing roast levels, you all simply agree on the various browns you will use for comparison. They can cost as little at £10 delivered
> 
> http://technicalpaintservices.co.uk/381.php
> 
> the British Standard 381c paint colour chart might do the job? There might be others that are better and perhaps cheaper....but you get the idea. this whole area is something I bought up a few months ago on this site. If you use standard paint colour charts, you know they will always be fairly consistent, especially if it's a BSI chart. Perhaps BSI4800 will be better...but you all have to decide. Then cut out the various browns that you then make your standard colour swatches from.


How about an open source device?

http://my-tonino.com/index.html


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