Zone System Reference Charts


Modified Zone System Chart (artistic/creative use)

Zone System Digital Reference Chart created by Marc Blake

Ansel Adams' taught his implementation of the Zone System based on producing black and white silver halide gelatin prints. In this study, his information has been migrated for use with digital media. This reference chart shows Adams' original Zone placement descriptions. Ansel Adams film-based application:
	Ansel Adams' Original Teachings	Marc Blake's Zone System Modifications for Digital Application
Zone 0	Total black in the print. No useful density in the negative other than film base-plus-fog.	Total black in the image file. In post production the zero level of tonality might be raised to accommodate the printable density of (visually) pure black with gallery quality ink jet printers.
Zone I	Effective threshold. First step above complete black in the print, with slight tonality but no texture.
Zone II	First suggestion of texture. Deep tonalities, representing the darkest part of the image in which some detail is required.
Zone III	Average dark materials and low values showing adequate texture.
Zone IV	Average dark foliage, dark stone, or landscape shadow. Normal shadow value for Caucasian skin portraits in sunlight.
Zone V	Middle gray (18% reflectance). Clear north sky as rendered by panchromatic film, dark skin, gray stone, average weathered wood.	Clear north sky (panchromatic rendering). Dark skin. Gray stone. Average weathered wood. Middle gray (18% reflectance).
Zone VI	Average Caucasian skin value in sunlight, diffuse skylight or artificial light. Light stone, shadows on snow in sunlit landscapes, clear north sky on panchromatic film with light blue filter.
Zone VII	Very light skin, light gray objects; average snow with acute side lighting.
Zone VIII	Whites with texture and delicate values; textured snow; highlights on Caucasian skin.	(not blank whites). Snow in full shade. Highlights on Caucasian skin.
Zone IX	White without texture approaching pure white, thus comparable to Zone I in its slight tonality without true texture. Snow in flat sunlight. With small-format negatives printed with condenser enlarger, Zone IX may print as pure white not distinguishable from Zone X.	Glaring white surfaces. Snow in flat sunlight. White without texture. (The only subjects higher than Zone IX would be light sources; they would be rendered as the maximum white value of the paper surface.)
Zone X	Pure white of the printing paper base; specular glare or light sources in the picture area.

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