If you’ve ever wondered why your printed photographs look different than the images on your screen or why your photos look different from one screen to the next, you should invest in a monitor color-calibration device.
Why Should You Use a Monitor Color Calibration Device?
Every monitor arrives from the factory with different color calibration settings. Whether you’re using a laptop screen or an expensive external monitor to edit your photos, you can’t accurately predict the final look of your work without calibrating your monitor for color cast, contrast, and vibrance. You can take control of the finished look of your photographs by regularly calibrating all of your monitors and projectors.
How Often Should You Use a Monitor Color Calibrator?
Once calibrated, some monitors are more stable than others at maintaining color. For the best results, calibrate your monitor once per month. Newer monitors may be more stable, so you can safely calibrate every other month.
Calibration Components and Kits
Monitor calibration systems usually include a USB-powered calibration device, software, and color-checker cards for use while taking photographs. Consider investing in a complete kit to ensure your calibration gear works together seamlessly.
Color Calibration Devices
Color-calibration devices are usually about the size of your computer mouse. While there’s some variation by brand, setting up your color calibrator is as easy as hanging the device on the top of your monitor.
Some devices are designed to calibrate a single monitor, while others can calibrate and color-match up to four displays connected to your computer.
Color Calibration Software
Color-calibration software simplifies the calibration process for photographers so all you have to do is set up your device and start the software. For best results, use the software designed to work with your particular device.
Color-Checker Cards
Ensure color accuracy from the moment you click the shutter by taking a reference photo with a color-checker card. Calibrate your camera’s white balance perfectly every time and you’ll always have predictable results for your images.
Quality Counts for Monitor Color Calibration
X-Rite, Datacolor, and Calibrite are the leading brands in the photography and videography industries, and they help artists produce accurate color results. They also lead the charge in new technology for calibrating monitors, projectors, and cameras. Whether you’re an avid photography hobbyist or a professional photographer, you can elevate every image’s color accuracy with gear from these companies.
