Installation, licensing, and troubleshooting

Install and update Tone Caliper, activate your license, and resolve common issues.

Install Tone Caliper

Windows

Download the installer from the Tone Caliper website and run it.

If Windows SmartScreen displays a warning, check that you downloaded the installer from the official site before choosing More info → Run anyway.

Tone Caliper supports 64-bit Windows 10 and 11.

macOS

Download and open the disk image, then drag Tone Caliper into Applications.

Tone Caliper requires macOS 26 (Tahoe) or later on an Apple Silicon Mac.

Updates

Tone Caliper checks for updates when it starts and asks before installing them. In the Update available dialog, choose Install & restart to update.

Start your free trial

The 7-day trial includes all editing tools and full-resolution export.

An internet connection is required to start the trial. After activation, you can work offline.

When the trial ends, saving edits and all export options require a license. Use Buy a license in the app or visit the pricing page.

Activate a license

A one-time license activates Tone Caliper on up to three computers.

Click the gear icon at the top right and open Settings → License.
Paste the license key from your purchase email. Keys begin with TCAL-.
Click Activate.

Move a license to another computer

On the old computer, open Settings → License and choose Deactivate on this machine. Then activate the license on the new computer.

If the old computer is unavailable, contact support@tonecaliper.com to free the activation.

Files missing or not opening

Unsupported RAW files

Some RAW formats are skipped during scanning and do not appear in the Library:

Samsung .srw
Sigma .x3f
Nikon Coolpix .nrw
Nikon High Efficiency (HE/HE*) compressed .nef

A folder containing only unsupported files may appear empty. See Exporting and supported files for supported formats.

HEIF on Windows

HEIF images, including .heic and .hif files, require Microsoft's HEIF and HEVC extensions on Windows.

If Tone Caliper reports that the required extensions are missing, install them from the Microsoft Store and try opening the photo again.

On macOS, HEIF support is built in.

Video clips missing or not opening

Clips in an unsupported format, including HDR clips, are skipped and don't appear in the Library. See Supported formats.

On Windows, HEVC clips require Microsoft's HEVC Video Extensions. If a clip has no thumbnail and won't open, install them from the Microsoft Store.

Files opened from another app

The external-editor workflow accepts TIFF, JPEG, and PNG. Open RAW and HEIF files through the Library instead.

See Edit a photo from another app.

A black or slow preview

If the photo area is black but the color wheel still works, check the message on the photo area. It may report that GPU rendering could not start.

On Windows, try updating your graphics drivers and restarting Tone Caliper. Driver updates may also help with slow rendering.

If the problem continues, send a bug report using Feedback.

Reset an edit

Open the ⋯ menu beside the Editor tabs and choose Reset all to clear the current photo's adjustments. Press Ctrl+Z to undo the reset.

Many individual controls also reset when double-clicked.

Resetting a Library edit leaves the original image unchanged. For files opened from another app, resetting adjustments cannot restore a file you have already overwritten with Save and return.

Recover a missing catalog

If Tone Caliper reports Catalog not found, it cannot locate the file containing your edits and Library information.

Retry — check the existing location again.
Locate… — select the catalog if it has moved.
Start a new catalog — create an empty catalog.

To recover your existing edits, locate the original catalog rather than starting a new one.

Useful settings

Open Settings using the gear icon at the top right.

Section	Options
Accessibility	Set UI scale from 90% to 150%, enlarge Pins & handles, or enable Show input keys to display editing keys and gestures.
Library → Catalog	Use Back up… to copy the catalog containing your edits, tags, and ratings, or Move… to relocate it.
General	Change Share anonymous usage data at any time. Usage data does not include your photos or file names.

Report a bug or contact support

Click Feedback at the top right of the window. Choose Bug, Idea, or Other, describe the issue, and optionally include an email address for a reply.

You can review the attached information before sending. Feedback reports do not upload your photos.

You can also email support@tonecaliper.com.

Try this with your own photo — Tone Caliper is a free trial on Windows and macOS.

Download free trial