# Take your first fabric colour reading, step by step - URL: https://abdohoo.app/help/shadecard/first-capture - Product: Shadecard (https://sc.abdohoo.app) - Section: Getting started - Updated: 2026-09-30 > Tap Capture dress color, keep White paper selected, lay the paper in the small dashed box and fill the big box with flat fabric, then tap the shutter once and hold still. To take a reading, open Shadecard, tap **Capture dress color**, keep **White paper** selected, put a sheet of plain white paper in the small dashed box and plain fabric in the big box, then tap the shutter once and hold still for a couple of seconds. The app takes three photos by itself and opens the result. ## Before you start You need: - The garment or swatch, laid **flat** with an area of plain colour (no print, seam or fold). - A sheet of **plain white printer paper**. An 18% grey card or a 24-patch colour chart also work – see [White paper, grey card or colour chart?](https://abdohoo.app/help/shadecard/white-paper-grey-card-colour-chart). - **Soft daylight**, for example near a window but out of direct sun, with one light source only. The first time you open the capture screen, Android asks for camera access. Shadecard needs it to measure; frames are analysed in memory and not saved to your gallery. ## Take the reading 1. On the home screen, tap **Capture dress color**. ![Shadecard home screen with the Capture dress color button and the 3 scans left counter](https://abdohoo.app/media/library/shadecard/android-home.webp)Start from Capture dress color on the home screen2. At the top of **Capture ×3**, check that **White paper** is selected (it is the default). The line underneath reminds you to lay plain white paper flat in the small box. 3. Place the paper so it sits inside the small dashed box marked **CARD**, touching the fabric and in the same light. 4. Move the phone until plain fabric fills the big box marked **FABRIC — FILL THE BOX**. Hold the phone about 15 cm away and tilt it slightly so the lens does not see its own reflection. ![Capture ×3 screen with White paper selected, the fabric box, the dashed card box and the round shutter button](https://abdohoo.app/media/library/shadecard/android-capture-white-paper.webp)The capture screen, photographed on a test device, so the preview shows a test pattern instead of cloth5. Watch the pill at the top of the preview. It reads **light looks good** when the scene is fine, or warns **too shiny — tilt a little** or **shadow on the fabric**. 6. Tap the round shutter button **once**. The status shows **Setting up the camera…**, then **Photo 1 of 3 — hold steady** up to **Photo 3 of 3**, then **Reading the color…**. Keep still until the result opens. ![Capture in progress with Photo 3 of 3 — hold steady and the shutter showing 3/3](https://abdohoo.app/media/library/shadecard/android-capture-shooting.webp)One tap takes three photos – keep the phone and the cloth still (test device, so the preview is a test pattern)If a dialog titled **Couldn't get a clean reading** appears, nothing is wrong with the app: it has spotted moving light, glare or an overexposed card. Tap **Retake** and follow the advice it names. See [Fix a rejected capture](https://abdohoo.app/help/shadecard/capture-rejected). ## Not sure where the paper goes? Tap **What's this?** next to the reference line. The sheet that opens explains each reference option and ends with **HOW TO DO IT**: lay the garment near a window, put the paper or card in the small dashed box touching the fabric, fill the big box with plain fabric, then hold steady and tap once. ![The reference card help sheet with the HOW TO DO IT steps and the GET IT RIGHT tips](https://abdohoo.app/media/library/shadecard/android-card-help-how-to.webp)What's this? explains the reference card and the four set-up steps## What you get The result screen shows your fabric next to the matched shade, how close the match is (ΔE00), the capture quality, and a **Starting recipe** with a Y · R · B ratio and a suggested depth in % owf. Choose your fibre under **Fiber & dye type**, then tap **Work out the amounts** to open the calculator with the recipe filled in. Everything on that screen is explained in [Read your result](https://abdohoo.app/help/shadecard/reading-your-result). Tap **Save measurement** before you leave the result. It goes into **My workspace**, where you can reopen it later, log the lab dip and keep a record of what worked. ## Your first three scans A new install has three free scans, shown as **3 scans left** on the home screen. One scan is used each time a fresh capture produces a result. More about scans in [Android app, website and scan packs](https://abdohoo.app/help/shadecard/android-app-website-and-scans). ## Frequently asked questions ### Why does the app take three photos? Averaging three frames reduces camera noise, and comparing them shows whether the light or your hand moved. Their disagreement is reported as the spread, the reading's error bar. ### Do I need a grey card for my first reading? No. Plain white printer paper is the default reference and unlocks the full result: shade plus recipe. A grey card or colour chart can give a more reliable correction. ### Does a rejected capture use up one of my scans? No. A scan is only counted when a fresh capture produces a result. Rejected captures and the torch light check do not count. ### How far should I hold the phone from the fabric? The app's blur warning suggests about 15 cm. Hold it slightly tilted (about 30–45°) so the lens does not catch its own reflection.