How to Calibrate Your Monitor

One of the most common questions asked by our clients is - "These prints don't look exactly like they do on my monitor, why is that?"

The reason for that is that every single monitor is different from computer to computer. So, the way the image looks on your monitor has no bearing what-so-ever on how the final image will turn out. Only when a monitor is calibrated correctly will the monitor reflect exactly what the image will look like after it's printed. The paper also does play a part. The ultrasmooth paper, along with a couple of our other fine art papers will tend to darken the image just a little bit. But it's nothing that can't be fixed with a little Photoshop. This is the main reason that we always suggest getting a proof print done. At Faville Photo, we offer 6"x8" proofs at $4 each, so it might be cost effective to pay the extra $4 to make sure you get exactly what you're looking for. And usually if you place a large order, we will waive the cost of the proofs anyway.

"In order to see images the way they were intended to be seen, your monitor might need to be calibrated. If you're a web designer, digital photographer, or graphic designer, this is especially important. You don't want to spend hours choosing the perfect subtle color scheme only to see a mis-matched mess on someone else's monitor or coming out of a printer. Here's how to calibrate your monitor so that what you see is what you get.

1. Check the screen resolution. Choose the highest resolution available unless the text is too small. If you are using an LCD monitor, check the manual or box for the "native" resolution. Set your computer to this resolution.

2. Verify that your computer monitor is in high color or 24-bit mode. In Windows, check this by right clicking on your desktop and choosing Graphic Properties. On Mac, go to Preferences, then click on Displays and then choose Colors:Millions. If your display is in 16-bit color, there won't be enough color depth for the calibration process.

3. Let your monitor warm up for at least 15 (preferably 30) minutes before beginning the calibration.

4. Make sure that no reflections, glare or strong, direct light reaches your screen. The room doesn't have to be dark, but ambient light shouldn't interfere with how you see what's on the screen.

5. Print a test photo on a professional quality printer. Choose a daylight photo with a person who has natural skin tone and print it using the highest quality settings and top-quality glossy photo paper. Let it dry away from direct sunlight for a few hours so that the colors can set permanently.

6. Adjust your contrast and brightness controls. They are located either on the front of your monitor or in an on screen menu. Find a calibration test screen online by conducting a search. A free basic calibration tool can be found here.

7. Open the image file that you just printed.

8. Place the printed photo right next to the original image on the screen and compare.

9. Adjust the brightness, contrast, and color levels (red, green, blue) on your monitor until the image on the screen resembles the printed photo as closely as possible. This takes time and a good eye for color. Continue to the next step if you'd like to use software to calibrate your monitor.

10. Use basic software such as Adobe Gamma (if you have Adobe Photoshop 7 or below installed), QuickGamma (which is free), Apple ColorSync, or Monica for Linux to calibrate your monitor. To access Adobe Gamma, click "Start," "Settings" and "Control Panel." For all the software, follow the step by step instructions to perform the calibration. These will provide a basic calibration for, say, casual Photoshop users who don't print a lot of photographs.

11. Purchase specialized software used in conjunction with a colorimeter (a device that reads the actual color values produced by your monitor) if color accuracy is vital to your profession. Some calibration systems worth looking into are ColorVision Spyder 3 Pro, the ColorVision Color Plus (great for home systems), Monaco Systems MonacoOPTIX, and Gretag Macbeth Eye-One Display.

12. Calibrate your monitor every 2 to 4 weeks for optimum visual accuracy."

Source: http://www.wikihow.com/Calibrate-Your-Monitor