1. Access the Capture Inspector: Start by navigating to the Capture Inspector tool within the ChromaChecker web interface. You can find it at this address: https://chromachecker.com/controlstrips/en/add.

2. Add a New Control Strip: Once in Capture Inspector, use the "Add Control Strip" function to begin creating your custom strip.

3. Define Patches: You have several options for adding and defining the patches in your control strip:

   • Upload: If you have a measurement file (CGATS format) from a previous strip, you can upload it to recreate the patch arrangement. This is the easiest way to recreate an existing and previously measured file. If it is in another supported format, it can be loaded into Print Inspector and then exported to the CGATS format.
   • Add Library: This allows you to select and load color standards from your existing color library within ChromaChecker. Please note that very specific names will be permanently assigned to this patch.
   • Add Substrate: You can add a standard substrate patch, or use "Printed White" as an alternative.
   • Add CMYK: Define a patch with specific CMYK process color values. Suppose you're using an extended color gamut (ECG) or nCLR setup. In that case, you can connect an appropriate ICC profile in the settings, and the system will automatically load the primary color names.
   • Add Spot: Place a spot color placeholder without assigning a specific color at this stage. ChromaChecker supports up to 12 different placeholders, making the control strip very versatile for different projects. This solution is especially useful for Projects because the Template created in this way is very universal and can be easily adapted to different projects with the same number of special colors.
   • Add RGB: Define colors using RGB values. The ChromaChecker system allows you to use the CMYK and RGB spaces simultaneously - this gives you the possibility of, for example, checking whether the Color Management system is working correctly.
   • Add Lab: Add a color patch by specifying its Lab colorimetric values.
   • Add DUD: This allows you to place a patch that is to be ignored. If, for some reason, there is an object of the same size in the strip and it is not intended for measurement, you can use this function.

4. Customize and Arrange: As you add patches, you can change their order, delete them, rotate them, or mirror their arrangement.

5. Scramble (Optional): Use the "Scramble" function to arrange the patches for maximum contrast automatically. However, avoid using this with placeholders or "DUD" patches, as their actual color may vary. For CMYK or RGB strips only, this function allows you to omit separators.

6. Save Your Control Strip: Once you've defined all the patches and arranged them to your liking, save the control strip. Please give it a short, easy-to-remember name and place it in an appropriate subdirectory.

7. Scanning Template (Important Note): When working with Projects, the system automatically creates Scanning Templates for you, so you don’t need to create them manually. However, you will need to declare the instrument assigned to the printing device. If you're working in Print Inspector, you'll need to connect your instrument to the Scanning Template yourself.

By following these steps, you can create custom control strips tailored to your specific needs within ChromaChecker.