A standard colour checker target, such as that seen in the image below, is an essential piece of equipment for many serious photographers. Its accurate colour patches can be used not only to the calibration of a camera but also included in an image to make colour correction much easier. Just place the card somewhere in a picture and use the small patches to correct the final image. The colour target can then be edited out of the image.

Colour tagets are relatively expensive because their colours must be precise. The targets also have a short life because the coloured patches change with time and environmental conditions. It is therefore important to store colour checker targets in accordance with manufacturer's instructions. For the best results, manufacturers tend to suggest replacing a colour checker every two years.

The colours of a standard colour checker target, such as the GretagMacbeth product, are listed in the table on the right.