IdeaWell

Project ideas from Hacker News discussions.

The ColorChecker, photography's most important 24 squares, turns 50

Original Article

Hacker News Discussion

📝 Discussion Summary (Click to expand)

1. Practical value and limitations of physical color references
Users praise color charts (e.g., ColorChecker) for improving workflow and preventing later headaches, while noting they fade and need periodic replacement.
- “These are great, even for manually‑adjusted color workflows.” – isomorphic
- “You have to replace them every couple of years (or sooner) because no pigment/dye is stable, especially if exposed to bright light.” – isomorphic
- “Having a test shot with one of these in it saves you untold amounts of pain later.” – isomorphic
- “Many of them … have a space to write date of first‑use.” – Wistar

2. Desire for deeper technical data and DIY generation
Commenters want precise color specifications (CIE XYZ, spectra) and discuss creating custom charts or measuring them with high‑end equipment.
- “What are the CIE XYZ coordinates of each colored square? What is the spectral distribution of each square? How were the colors chosen?” – nayuki
- “You sound like you actually want to just generate them yourself using ArgyllCMS targen and printtarg.” – jey
- “Ok great, now I'm in the market for a $20k Barbieri LFP auto‑spectrophotometer. Thanks.” – jey
- “I don't know about him but yes yes I do and you should want to, too! :^)” – rustcleaner

3. Preference for alternative sources and annoyance with ads
Several participants find the discussed article lacking and point to Wikipedia or criticize ad‑laden pages.
- “The Wikipedia article is far more informative, though I'm uncertain if [I] read the full dpreview article due to ad‑induced nausea.” – willtemperley
- “I didn't learn much from reading this article.” – nayuki
- “These aren't appropriate questions for the birthday party.” – eviks (dismissing overly technical queries in a casual context)

🚀 Project Ideas

Generating project ideas…

OpenSpectralTarget Generator

Summary

  • A desktop/web tool that uses ArgyllCMS targen and printtarg to create printable ColorChecker‑style targets with embedded CIE XYZ coordinates and measured spectral reflectance for each patch.
  • Core value: lets photographers and designers generate their own calibration targets on demand, avoiding pigment degradation and expensive pre‑printed charts.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Photographers, videographers, color scientists, DIY labs
Core Feature Generate PDF/SVG targets with XYZ and spectral data per patch, configurable size and patch count
Tech Stack Python (ArgyllCMS bindings), Flask/Django for web UI, Electron for desktop, SVG/PdfKit for output
Difficulty Medium
Monetization Revenue-ready: Subscription $5/mo for cloud batch generation & storage, free tier for local CLI use

Notes

  • HN users expressed desire to “generate them yourself using ArgyllCMS targen” and frustration over having to replace targets every couple of years due to pigment fade (isomorphic, jey).
  • Provides a practical way to keep calibration data up‑to‑date and share spectral libraries, sparking discussion on open‑source color standards.

ColorChecker Tracker

Summary

  • A cross‑platform mobile/web app that logs each ColorChecker’s first‑use date, tracks cumulative light exposure (via user‑entered hours or optional Bluetooth light sensor), and predicts when the target’s color fidelity degrades beyond a usable threshold.
  • Core value: eliminates guesswork about when to replace a target, saving time and costly re‑shoots.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience Professional photographers, studios, color labs
Core Feature Usage log, exposure calculator, replacement alerts, exportable usage report
Tech Stack React Native (mobile) + Node.js/Express backend, PostgreSQL, optional BLE sensor SDK
Difficulty Low
Monetization Hobby (open‑source core) with optional premium features $3/mo for cloud sync and advanced analytics

Notes

  • Commenters noted that “many of them… have a space to write date of first‑use” (Wistar) and that targets need replacement every couple of years (isomorphic); this automates that tracking.
  • Encourages community sharing of exposure models, leading to better empirical degradation curves.

PhoneSpec DIY Spectrophotometer

Summary

  • An open‑source hardware attachment and smartphone app that turns a phone’s camera into a low‑cost reflectance spectrophotometer using a diffraction grating and LED source, enabling users to measure the actual spectral response of any ColorChecker patch.
  • Core value: gives users the ability to verify target integrity, generate custom spectral data, and avoid the $20k+ cost of lab‑grade devices.

Details

Key Value
Target Audience DIY enthusiasts, small studios, educators, color researchers
Core Feature Capture spectrum of a target patch, compute XYZ, compare to reference, store results
Tech Stack Android/iOS app (Kotlin/Swift), 3D‑printable mount, open‑source spectral processing (Python via Pyodide or native), Bluetooth for optional external grating
Difficulty High (hardware + optics)
Monetization Hobby (free plans, kits sold at cost) – revenue‑ready: Sell kits $49, app free

Notes

  • HN thread highlighted the high price of a “Barbieri LFP auto‑spectrophotometer” (jey) and the wish to measure spectral distribution (nayuki); PhoneSpec directly addresses that gap.
  • Enables discussion on affordable metrology and crowdsourced spectral libraries, increasing utility for the color‑management community.

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