How to Share GrainGleam Film Settings With a Code

To share GrainGleam film settings, save a recipe in Darkroom, copy its CAM- code, then paste it into Darkroom on the receiving installation and tap Load code. You do not need a recipe account, but Darkroom requires GrainGleam Pro. The code carries the recipe’s name, base camera, and film adjustments; it does not transfer your photos, subscription, or every camera setting.

Film simulation recipes without a recipe account

A GrainGleam recipe travels as text rather than as a link to an online recipe library. The CAM- code contains the information needed to reconstruct it, so there is no recipe profile to create, follow, or sign into. Copying and loading the recipe itself does not require a recipe server. Sending that text through a messaging service is a separate step. Before arranging a transfer, check that the receiving installation can open Darkroom: having the code does not grant Pro access. This is a way to move a look between GrainGleam installations, not an account sync feature.

1. Save the look in Darkroom

Select the camera you want to build on, then tap the sliders icon at the top right to open Settings and choose Darkroom. Change at least one Darkroom slider, such as Warmth or Grain. Enter a distinct name in Name your recipe, then tap Save. The recipe joins your camera shelf, and the app attempts to copy its CAM- code to the clipboard. A successful copy produces a message beginning with ‘Saved, code copied’. If copying fails, the app still displays the code with the save message, so check the result before switching apps.

2. Copy an existing recipe and send the complete code

For a recipe you already saved, open Darkroom and find its row in the saved recipe list. Tap Code beside that recipe; tapping the recipe name applies it instead. Paste the copied text into a note or message, keeping the entire CAM- code intact. Send the code as text, with any explanation in a separate paragraph, so the recipient can copy only the code. You do not need to send the original photo. An example image can help someone judge the intended look, but the image alone cannot load the settings.

3. Load it on the receiving installation

Open GrainGleam on the receiving device, enter Settings, and choose Darkroom. Paste the complete code into the field showing CAM-..., then tap Load code. On success, a message shows the recipe name followed by ‘loaded’. The app applies the recipe and adds it to the local recipe list and camera shelf; you do not need to tap Save again to complete that import. Close Darkroom to check the preview. Loading selects the recipe’s base camera, so it can also change the camera mode, aspect ratio, and border to that body’s defaults.

What the code includes—and what to record separately

The code identifies the base camera and stores the Darkroom adjustments you changed. Those adjustments include controls for color, grain, halation, and other film characteristics. Settings you did not change come from the base camera. The table distinguishes this recipe from a complete snapshot of your shooting setup. If the sender adjusted Character, the separate Settings Grain or Halation sliders, or push/pull, note those values alongside the code. They are separate from the Darkroom controls, even where the labels are similar. A copied recipe therefore does not guarantee a matching preview until those settings also match.

Choose a name that survives the transfer

Recipe names are limited to 24 characters, and saving converts them to uppercase. Use a short, distinct name such as WINDOW WARM A. Avoid the vertical bar character ‘|’: GrainGleam can save a recipe containing it but then fail to read the resulting share code. If that happens, apply the original saved recipe on the sending device and save it under a new name without that character. Saving or importing another recipe with the same name replaces the existing local entry without an overwrite prompt. Use a different name for each variation you want to keep.

If the code will not load

If you see ‘Could not read that code’, first copy the original code again. Paste only the code into the CAM- field, leaving out the surrounding message, quotation marks, and any added spaces or line breaks within it. If a freshly copied code still fails, ask the sender to check the recipe name for a vertical bar and save a renamed version if needed. A Pro screen is a different issue: Darkroom requires Pro access. A message saying ‘That recipe’s body is Pro’ concerns access to the base camera rather than a copying mistake.

Check the look after importing

Compare the same source image on both installations where possible. Check the selected recipe, then compare the separate Settings sliders and any custom border or crop choices. Loading restores the base camera’s default lens and flash choices rather than transferring custom selections from the sender. Use codes from people you trust. If an imported recipe gives an unexpected result, switch back to a familiar built-in camera and ask the sender for a fresh code. Keep the original text while troubleshooting so you can distinguish a transfer problem from settings changed after loading.

Keep a copy before replacing or clearing anything

Saved recipes are stored locally; GrainGleam does not provide a recipe account that synchronizes your collection. Keep each important code in a separate note before changing devices, clearing app data, or replacing a same-name recipe. The save message does not report every local storage failure, so confirm that an important recipe remains available after reopening the app. For a device move, load and check your saved codes on the destination before clearing the source installation. Keep any separate shooting settings with the code if you want to reconstruct the whole setup later.