Calibrate Guide

Images on screen look different from the same image in print. Calibrating your monitor provides a screen display that simulates what you would see on paper.

The simplest calibration methods involve adjustments to the Contrast and Brightness settings of your monitor. An intermediate method uses special software to calibrate your monitor as well as calibrate your printer, scanner, and other devices so that what you see on-screen, what you scan, and what you print all look the same - as much as is possible. For high-end use, even more precise hardware-based calibration methods exist.

For basic Web viewing and non-critical printing, the simple calibration methods described below may be sufficient. However, serious design work and accurate color-matching calls for software or hardware calibration methods.

Monitor calibration is simply one part of a complete Color Management System (CMS) for desktop publishing.

Simple Calibration

Make sure your monitor is in 24-bit or high-color mode. Use your normal room lighting but avoid reflections or glare from lights or windows. Locate the Contrast and Brightness controls for your monitor. These may be buttons right on the front of the monitor or you may have to pull up an on-screen menu to make these adjustments.

If your monitor is already calibrated using software or hardware methods, don't do the following adjustments. It could mess up your carefully achieved calibration.

Follow the steps below to calibrate your monitor. This test involves looking at several squares of color ranging from white to black. Using the Contrast and Brightness controls on your monitor you'll adjust your monitor so that you can see colors and various shades of gray plus bright white and black.

Adjust Brightness and Contrast

When your monitor is properly adjusted, you will see 11 distinct zones in the image below, from pure black to pure white. If you do not see all 11 zones, use your monitors contrast and brightness controls to make any necessary adjustments.

Set White Point

The grayscale below presents 24 shades of gray from pure white to solid black. The pure white block at the far left should merge with the pure white bar along the top, while the second block of very light gray should display a bit darker than pure white. The solid black block at the far right should merge with the solid black bar along the bottom, while the block just to the left should display a bit lighter than solid black.

Adjust Color

Examine the graph below. Under the 0% column, there should be NO color, just plain bright white. If it is gray or dingy or has a color cast, adjust your monitor until that area is plain white. Under the 100% column, the colors should be recognizable, with a full rich representation. If they appear washed out, your monitor is probably set too bright.

The best way to set this is to adjust your gamma curve up or down until the 10% shade difference between the 90% bars and the 100% bars can just be seen. If you adjust it too dark, you will not be able to see a difference between 90% and 100%. As you lighten them up, just at the moment you start to see the difference between the 90% bars and the 100% bards, STOP. The cyan bar will always appear correct first, but keep going until you start to see the 90% tint in the magenta and black bars as well. The yellow bar may never come in correctly, but don't worry about it. The magenta and black bars are the most important. Once your white point is set and your tint bars look correct, you should be ready to view the images on this site, with the assurance you are seeing them as the photographer intended them to be seen.

Refer to your monitor's instructions for adjusting contrast, brightness, and setting gamma values. Most any monitor should have brightness and contrast controls, either adjustable wheels or buttons that allow up or down increments to be made. Gamma is probably set by selecting a color temperature value. If your monitor permits this, start with a white point value of 6500K (degrees Kelvin).

Reference: http://pages.prodigy.net/ecmorris/tips/monitor.htm