Should I calibrate my monitor?

Calibrating is a process of attaching an external spectrometer to your computer and running a program that measure the brightness and colour of your screen.  These devices are readily available online and one of the most popular is the SpyderX by Datacolour.  They usually cost around $200-$400 and come with everything you need to ensure your monitor is calibrated correctly.  In this post we are not going into the steps on how to use a spectrometer, but they are easy to understand so just follow the instructions once you have it installed the software.

So, what exactly does the spectrometer do?  In simplest terms, it adjusts your screen so that it is displaying colour and tone based on known ICC standards (International Color Consortium in case you wondered).  By calibrating your monitor, you can be confident that what you see on your screen is the same as what your printer is seeing on their screen, assuming of course, they have it calibrated (and if they are a fine art printer they better!)

There is a lot more to discuss on this subject including soft proofing and icc profiles for paper and ink combinations but let's leave it at monitor calibration for now as this will make the most significant difference for how your prints turn out.  The most common printing issue we hear is that my prints are too dark, well most likely your prints are just fine and printed exactly as the file was supposed print however the usual cause is that your monitor is set too bright.  A bright monitor will produce prints that are too dark because you will not have lightened them enough onscreen.  Calibrate your monitor and you will have a truer representation of how your prints will turn out.

To calibrate your monitor for photo printing, you can follow these general steps:

1. Use a hardware calibration device: A hardware calibration device, such as a colorimeter or spectrophotometer, can accurately measure and adjust the colors on your monitor. You can purchase one of these devices online or rent one from a local photography shop.
2. Install and run calibration software: Once you have a hardware calibration device, you'll need to install and run calibration software on your computer. Some popular options include X-Rite i1Profiler, Datacolor Spyder, and DisplayCAL.
3. Adjust monitor settings: Follow the instructions provided by the calibration software to adjust the settings on your monitor, including brightness, contrast, and color temperature.
4. Repeat the calibration process periodically: Monitor calibration should be done periodically, especially if you use your monitor for professional photography work. A good rule of thumb is to calibrate your monitor every month or so.
5. Print a test photo: After calibrating your monitor, print a test photo to see if the colors match what you see on the screen. If the photo still looks off, you may need to adjust the printer settings or make additional tweaks to your monitor calibration.