witbalanskaart

A witbalanskaart is a photography and videography calibration tool used to establish a reference for white balance and color accuracy under a given lighting condition. By providing a known neutral or standardized color, it helps render colors consistently across images and in post-production.

Common forms include neutral gray cards, typically around 18% reflectance, and color reference cards containing swatches with known values. Gray cards are used for white balance and exposure, while color reference cards enable more precise color profiling and cross-shot consistency.

Usage involves placing the card in the scene with even lighting, capturing a reference shot, and then applying the reference in-camera or in processing. In many workflows, a camera’s custom white balance is set by sampling the gray patch, or software uses the color patches to build a color profile.

Practical tips include ensuring the card fills a reasonable portion of the frame, avoiding glare on glossy surfaces, and matching lighting conditions between the card and the subject. The witbalanskaart is a reference tool and does not replace proper lighting control or color management throughout the workflow.

See also gray card; color checker; white balance.