Image Integrity Index (I³)

Building trust through transparency in digital photography

Calculate and declare the extent of your photo edits with our free, browser-based I³ calculator. No installation required - get instant transparency scores and build trust with your audience.

Live Calculator
🌐 Browser-Based
🔬 Real Analysis

Live I³ Score Example

I³: G88/S96

G88: Moderate color/tone adjustments
S96: Original structural content preserved

Real calculation from actual images

Your Photography Transparency Declaration

The I³ score is your standardized artist's statement - a clear, honest declaration of your editing process that builds trust with your audience.

Global Adjustment (G)

Measures "darkroom-style" edits like color correction, exposure, contrast, white balance, and tone adjustments that enhance without altering reality.

G0 (Heavy color edits) G100 (Natural processing)
Color histogram analysis with Earth Mover's Distance

Structural Manipulation (S)

Measures content changes like object removal, additions, sky replacement, composites, and AI-generated elements that alter the original scene.

S0 (Heavy manipulation) S100 (Original content)
Perceptual hashing + edge detection + feature analysis

How It Works

Four simple steps to calculate and share your I³ score

1

Secure Your Source File

After copying photos from your memory card, select the original, untouched file (RAW or JPEG) as your Source File.

.CR3 .NEF .DNG .JPEG
2

Edit Your Masterpiece

Use your preferred software (Lightroom, Photoshop, Capture One, etc.) to edit your photo and export the final image.

Lightroom Photoshop Capture One
3

Calculate the I³ Score

Upload both files to our live browser-based calculator below. Get instant results with detailed explanations - no installation or registration required!

Instant Results Privacy Protected Works on Mobile
4

Share Your Transparency

Copy your I³ score and paste it into your photo descriptions on social media, portfolios, or blogs to show your commitment to transparency.

🔬 Live I³ Calculator

Calculate your real Image Integrity Index score instantly in your browser. Our advanced algorithms analyze your images pixel-by-pixel for accurate transparency scoring.

Source File

Upload your original RAW or JPEG file

Final Image

Upload your edited final image

🚀 Live & Ready to Use!

Our I³ Calculator is live and working now! Advanced browser-based image processing with real-time analysis.

Current Implementation

  • Canvas API: Browser-native image processing
  • JavaScript: Advanced color histogram analysis
  • Real-time: Instant results without server uploads
  • Privacy First: Images never leave your device
  • Open Source: Community-verified algorithms
Works on mobile & desktop
No installation required
Supports RAW & JPEG files
View Source Code

Real-World Transparency Examples

See how different editing approaches result in different I³ scores

Portrait Retoucher

I³: G88/S96

Edits: Skin smoothing, eye brightening, color warming, minor blemish removal

Interpretation: Professional retouching with natural-looking results. Original features preserved.

Perfect for: Wedding, portrait, beauty photography

Digital Artist

I³: G70/S35

Edits: Sky replacement, AI-generated elements, dramatic color grading

Interpretation: Heavy artistic composite. Clearly not a direct photograph of reality.

Perfect for: Creative art, fantasy imagery, composites

Documentary Photographer

I³: G95/S100

Edits: Minimal exposure correction, white balance adjustment, basic RAW processing

Interpretation: Authentic, unmanipulated documentation. What you see is what was there.

Perfect for: Photojournalism, documentary, street photography

Ready to Calculate Your Score?

Upload your images above and get your transparency score in seconds!

Try the Calculator

🎯 The Greater Vision: Industry-Wide Adoption

While our current browser-based calculator demonstrates the concept, the ultimate goal is to establish the Image Integrity Index as a universal standard implemented directly by camera manufacturers (Canon, Nikon, Sony, etc.) at the hardware and firmware level.

📋 Technical Proposal for OEM Implementation

The I³ Standard Definition

The index consists of two scores stored in the format I³: G[value]/S[value]:

  • Global Adjustment Score (GAS): Score from 100 (identical) to 0 (highly dissimilar) measuring changes in overall tonal and color distribution
  • Structural Manipulation Score (SMS): Score from 100 (identical) to 0 (highly dissimilar) measuring changes to underlying content and composition

🔧 In-Camera Trust Anchor

For security and verifiability, camera manufacturers would implement:

  1. RAW File Generation: Capture and save full RAW data
  2. Authenticity Hash: Calculate SHA-256 hash of unmodified RAW
  3. Perceptual Baseline: Generate 512x512 reference image from sensor center
  4. Trust Anchor Embedding: Store hash and baseline in protected metadata

💻 Software Integration

Professional editing software would integrate I³ calculation:

  • Verification: Validate Trust Anchor integrity on import
  • Calculation: Compare edited image against baseline
  • Export: Embed final GAS and SMS scores in XMP metadata
Namespace: i3
Property: i3:Index
Example: G92/S95

🗺️ Industry Implementation Roadmap

1

Specification & Standards

Current
  • ✅ Open Source Proof of Concept (Our current calculator)
  • 📋 Technical Specification Development
  • 🤝 Industry Working Group Formation
  • 📜 Standardization Body Submission (ISO, IEEE)
2

Pilot Integration

6-12 months
  • 🔧 SDK Development for camera manufacturers
  • 🧪 Pilot Programs with forward-thinking camera brands
  • 📱 Mobile Implementation in smartphone cameras
  • 🏆 Professional Market Validation
3

Widespread Adoption

1-3 years
  • 📷 Major Camera Manufacturer Integration
  • 💻 Editing Software Support (Adobe, Capture One, etc.)
  • 🌐 Platform Integration (Instagram, Flickr, news sites)
  • 📊 Consumer Awareness Campaigns
4

Universal Standard

3-5 years
  • 🌍 Global Industry Standard
  • 📺 Regulatory Recognition for journalism/legal evidence
  • 🎓 Educational Integration in photography courses
  • 🔒 Trust Infrastructure for digital media

🏆 Benefits for Camera Manufacturers

Competitive Advantage

  • First-mover advantage in transparency technology
  • Professional market differentiation
  • Trust building with serious photographers
  • Future-proofing against deepfakes and AI manipulation

Technical Benefits

  • Minimal firmware impact - lightweight implementation
  • Backward compatibility with existing RAW formats
  • Open standard - no proprietary lock-in
  • Incremental rollout starting with flagship models

📞 Call to Action

For Camera Manufacturers

  • 📧 Contact us to discuss pilot implementation
  • 🔬 Review our algorithms and provide feedback
  • 🤝 Join the working group to shape the standard
  • 💡 Contribute engineering expertise to refinement

For Software Developers

  • 🛠️ Integrate I³ calculation into editing workflows
  • 📊 Support XMP metadata reading/writing
  • 🔌 Build API integrations for platform support
  • 🧪 Test with our reference implementation

For Photography Community

  • 📢 Advocate with your preferred camera brands
  • 📝 Provide feedback on algorithm accuracy
  • 🌟 Use and share I³ scores in your work
  • 🗣️ Spread awareness about transparency benefits

Join the Transparency Movement

Help us build a more transparent photography community

🌐
Live Calculator
🔬
Real Analysis
📱
Mobile Ready
🔓
Open Source

Contribute Code

Improve our algorithms, add features, or enhance the user experience. All skill levels welcome!

View Repository

Spread the Word

Share your I³ scores, advocate for transparency, and educate others about honest photography.

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Give Feedback

Test the calculator, suggest improvements, and help us refine the scoring algorithms.

Join Discussions

🚀 Start Using I³ Today

Join photographers worldwide who are embracing transparency. Calculate your first score now!