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Dan Rodney/1 min read

Monitor Calibration

Hardware Monitor Calibration

1

Buy or Borrow a Spectrophotometer

ColorVision, X-Rite (formerly Gretag/Macbeth) sell calibrators in the $70–$300 range.

2

Install the Calibrator's Software

Comes with the device — naked-eye + software calibration is unreliable.

3

Plug In the USB Calibrator

Most calibrators connect via USB and sit on the screen during measurement.

4

Run the Software

Follow on-screen prompts; calibrate before doing color-critical work.

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Calibrating a monitor to achieve accurate color representation can be a challenging but necessary task, accomplished by utilizing a hardware calibrator, which eliminates the guesswork.

Exercise Overview

To calibrate a monitor you can use your naked eye and software, but this method is often unreliable and can make your monitor color worse and less accurate!

The best solution is to use a hardware calibrator. Purchasing or borrowing a spectrophotometer eliminates the guesswork. Companies like ColorVision, X-Rite (formerly Gretag/Macbeth), and others sell calibrators that typically cost around $70–$300.

  1. The calibrator will come with instructions, but the general workflow is:

    • Install the software.
    • Plug in the USB hardware calibrator.
    • Run the software that was installed, following the on-screen prompts.
    • Enjoy your calibrated monitor.

  2. For best results, calibrate your monitor before doing the exercises in this workbook.