# Looking for greyscale testcards



## James Kirk (Feb 27, 2021)

Hello, I'm new and it's great to be here. This is a question for the purpose of understanding actual hues represented in old  monochrome photos. Is there a website from where one can download greyscale testcards for RGB tones, both for orthochromatic and panchromatic films? Or if not a website, can someone point the way to how one may be able to find these. Also I'm interested in the same for early 19th century 'blue sensitive' monochrome photography. Thank you.


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## 480sparky (Feb 27, 2021)

You can't download and print them.... you have to buy one.


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## James Kirk (Feb 27, 2021)

Thank you. Any idea from where?


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## 480sparky (Feb 27, 2021)

I use a Digital Gray Card.  Solid chunk of homogeneous plastic. But I don't think they're made any more. I reckon you could order one from Adorama, KEH, B&H etc.


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## James Kirk (Feb 27, 2021)

Sorry, I think I didn't explain myself clearly. I am attempting to work out the hues in old vintage monochrome photographs


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## 480sparky (Feb 27, 2021)

I gray card can't help you with that.

Even if a gray card were included in the original image, it won't tell you what colors were what in the original scene.  Some things you can assume, like a blue sky.  Others you can guess at, like red brick.  But there's no way to know whether someone's shirt was blue or red.


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## webestang64 (Feb 27, 2021)

I doubt this will help but.......


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## James Kirk (Feb 27, 2021)

480sparky said:


> I gray card can't help you with that.
> 
> Even if a gray card were included in the original image, it won't tell you what colors were what in the original scene.  Some things you can assume, like a blue sky.  Others you can guess at, like red brick.  But there's no way to know whether someone's shirt was blue or red.


Yes, that is true but I am only trying to guage a mean average, not a precise measurement, hence the request - for example, depending on the type of orthochromatic film, green is usually darkish in early 20th century photos (just check the leaves on trees etc), beaches are sometimes bleached out which gives a clue to the inverse (bluish?) - red wasn't captured so accurately but you can still get a clue from flags or such things etc


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## James Kirk (Feb 27, 2021)

webestang64 said:


> I doubt this will help but.......


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## James Kirk (Feb 27, 2021)

Thanks Webestang64 - do you know what sort of film is it meant for? I've got a similar one (but with different grey tones of course) for orthochromatic film.


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## Original katomi (Feb 27, 2021)

Re post 7
Wow now that is interesting never thought of that. However,it is something I have learnt
For the OP
This may sound stupid, I will explain
Do you have any colour blind friends
A long time ago a friend of mine who like me did film photography was colour blind
I once asked how did he get on, he knew that some things were a certain colour oranges for example
Uk post boxes and phone boxes were red.  And so on from these he knew , don’t ask me how, which shades of grey were what colours.... 
could you make your own version of the post 7 idea, photo things that are in your images if they still exist or go onto  places like face book that have old images of  the same location bu5 in colour
Otherwise I have no ideas of how you are going to translate old b&w tones into colour there are just so many variables temp, colour of original light source the difference on how film recorded the shades I know from past experience and working in digital not all film recorded images the same
Can just wish you the best of luck


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## webestang64 (Feb 27, 2021)

James Kirk said:


> Sorry, I think I didn't explain myself clearly. I am attempting to work out the hues in old vintage monochrome photographs



Here.......  ColorChecker - Wikipedia


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## Original katomi (Feb 27, 2021)

Colorize Black and White Photos
I found the above site they use some sort of computer code no idea if this of help


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## James Kirk (Feb 28, 2021)

Original katomi said:


> Re post 7
> Wow now that is interesting never thought of that. However,it is something I have learnt
> For the OP
> This may sound stupid, I will explain
> ...


Hello Original katomi,
thanks for your idea - yes, that is certainly one way to go about it I suppose. I'm sort of trying to build up a guide, if you will, for the various ortho and pantochromatic films in order to be able to read them like words on a page. I don't know if any one has done it before but a compilation like that would certainly be useful for any one that colorises old photos. Regarding the AI deep learning version of colorising, I am not a big fan of that, I must admit. lol But thank you all the same.


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## photoflyer (Feb 28, 2021)

The David Taylor book I have for one my bodies had a gray card as the inset. I tore it off and keep it in the bag.


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## James Kirk (Feb 28, 2021)

webestang64 said:


> James Kirk said:
> 
> 
> > Sorry, I think I didn't explain myself clearly. I am attempting to work out the hues in old vintage monochrome photographs





photoflyer said:


> The David Taylor book I have for one my bodies had a gray card as the inset. I tore it off and keep it in the bag.



Thank you photoflyer. I will look for that book.


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