Ever notice that the colors on one computer screen never seem to look quite the same on another one? This inconsistency can be quite a problem for photographers, designers, prepress, and printing professionals. Computer monitor calibration and profiling is key to previewing documents correctly and the first step to getting professional results.
How do I calibrate and profile my monitor?
You will first need a colorimeter or a spectrophotometer to measure the colors being displayed on your screen. Purchase monitor calibration bundles. Visual calibration methods are subjective. Consistent repeatable results are not possible with visual calibration methods
Launch the software that came with your colorimeter or spectrophotometer and follow the instruction to configure the computer display's hardware settings.
Rest the colorimeter/spectrophotometer puck against the screen where directed.
Depending on which package you're using, the software may calibrate your screen automatically for you. If not, the software will walk you through simple steps to adjust the screen settings yourself.
When the software has finished calibrating your screen, it will instruct you to remove the puck and show you the results of your calibration. The software will then instruct you to save the custom monitor profile. Name the profile something unique to easily locate in a list of other ICC profiles. Do not adjust your monitor's color settings or the profile will no longer be valid.
