Calibrating your Monitor

How do you know that the color recorded by your camera is the same as you see on your monitor and in the picture you print?

It is a complex subject, books have been written about it, PHD's won, and you can spend lots of money for equipment to ensure colour accuracy.

We'll try and keep it simple. The answer is Color Profiling.

Observe the chart below

On the top bar at the left,
If you cannot see different shades of black at positions 0, 1 and 2...
and
at the bottom right...
different shades of white at 2, 1 and 0

It's time to calibrate your monitor!!!

For starters... At least do this (tip from jasc.com)
Dim the ambient lighting in your computer "room."
Turn the contrast control, usually a half black/half white circle, all the way up.
Adjust the brightness control, usually a sun symbol, until you can differentiate the dark squares.
If necessary, adjust the contrast control to differentiate the light squares.
Mark the control positions and tape the controls in place.

Here are three Monitor Calibration Tests from Dry Creek Photo

If you see an obvious color cast consider the following

CRT Monitor Users

Adobe Gamma

Adobe Gamma was part of the Adobe's Photoshop and PS Elements installation up to PS version CS2 and PSE V 5.0

On a PC you'll find Adobe Gamma in the control panel "Appearance & Themes" if you use Windows XP and in "Settings" if you use Windows '98.

If you use Mac OS 9 it's in the Control Panel folder Preferences/Display/Color. Click on Calibrate

In Mac OS X Adobe's Gamma was never installed, however there is an Mac program to replace Adobe's Gamma. It is in the Utilities File folder and it's called "ColorSync". Here's a tutorial to help you out. The link takes you to khulsey.com

LCD Monitor Users

Note: Here's what Adobe says

Adobe Gamma does not support LCD monitors. To create a profile for an LCD monitor, use a color calibration tool from companies such as Chromix, ColorVision, Gretag/Macbeth, or X-Rite.

also else where Adobe States...

"Do one of the following to calibrate and profile your monitor: In Windows, install and use a monitor calibration utility. In Mac OS, use the Calibrate utility, located on the System Preferences/Displays/Color tab. For the best results, use third-party software and measuring devices. In general, using a measuring device such as a colorimeter along with software can create more accurate profiles because an instrument can measure the colors displayed on a monitor far more accurately than the human eye."

What to do? Adobe Gamma Replacements

CS3 PC Users with CRT and/or LCD Monitors
Use the free programs Quick Gamma and Quick Monitor Profile
http://www.quickgamma.de/indexen.html
http://quickgamma.de/QuickMonitorProfile/indexen.html

For details on how to use quick gamma and quick monitor profile
read this article by Norman Koren

Check out this set of articles from Portland's Tom Niemann at ePaperPress.com

If you are serious about your photography and are interested in purchasing a calibration tool, that continuously monitors the lighting in the room and changes your monitor accordingly, check out the comparison chart at colourconfidence.com and check out the reviews in the right column.

Monitors

If and when you are in the market for a new monitor, here's what to look for..."

A TN (regular monitor) has a color gamut of aproximately 72% Not good.
All monitors are converging to wide screen format with an aspect ratio of 16:9 (16:10) HDTV
Optimum Size... for computers... use a 24" Wide Screen
Back lighting? LED or LCD, LED is the latest Technology. Apple has already shifted to LED lit panels.

Panel Technology
- PVA and S-PVA (Super (S) - Pattern Vertical Alignment)
- S-IPS (Super - In Plane Switching)
- P-MVA and S-MVA (Premium (P) and Super (S) Multidomain Vertical Alignment)
Check out the links on the right top under "Monitors"

Photoshop for Photographers 2