Is Your Monitor Calibrated?

Many realize that when you get into Photography, there is actually quite a bit that goes into accurately capturing light. You may know the basics, fast shutter for sports, large aperture for more light, etc. But what about focus points and exposure modes? What about fill flash? When you get into printing, you will notice the same thing.

Printing has been around, well, since before printers. It was known as developing. When you process and develop film, you vary aperture, timing and filters etc, to get the image you want. The method of calibrating is a similar process. We may not all have the tools to calibrate our monitors accurately, but what is most important is to know how our screens translate onto paper.

How do I know if my monitor is calibrated?
The easiest way to know if your monitor is calibrated is simply to do a test print. Print out an un-edited image and compare it to on screen. Try the same thing with an edited image. Pay special attention to your whites and shadow detail. Even if you are not printing it is still a good idea to have a calibrated monitor. If a client isn't satisfied with an image, you will want to know that it's not due to a technicality and can be properly addressed. You will also be safe in the event prints are requested down the road.

For now you can use these handy charts provided by Imaging Resource to test your whites. On a perfectly calibrated monitor, each # will show a different shade of white, with the center line being pure white.



Here are your darks, with the center line being pure black.



On a "good" monitor, you should be able to see at least one variance in shade on the bottom rows.

How do I calibrate monitor?
Glad you asked! It actually isn't all that scary. A company called ColorVision makes the Spyder2 Express tool which can now be had for about $50. However, if you have a little more you can grab the smaller, faster more accurate Spyder3 Express for just under $100. Those with wide gamut displays seem to prefer X-Rite or similar brands, however much more pricey.

*Tip: be sure to check your monitors optimum viewing angle