CALIBRATE AND PROFILE your monitor for accurate editing

All the work you do in Photoshop is based on what you see on the screen, so the color accuracy of your monitor is very important. Because each monitor displays color differently and because a monitor’s characteristics change over time, you should calibrate and profile your monitor regularly to make sure that you are viewing the colors that are actually in your files.

Calibration is the process of setting your monitor to an established color standard. Profiling is the process of creating a data file describing how your monitor reproduces color. 

The software-only methods included with the operating system are subjective and vary greatly with each user. 

Using a hardware calibration device called a colorimeter or spectrophotometer is the most accurate way of adjusting your monitor. A colorimeter measures and adjusts the colors as they are displayed on-screen or projected. A spectrophotometer can also create profiles for other peripherals such as your printer. 

The following steps are those used with an X-Rite ColorMunki Display. You can follow similar steps for an X-Rite i1Display, the ColorMunki Photo, ColorMunki Design, or another device. Various manufacturers make devices with different options and in various price ranges.

 

1 Install the software for the device, plug the device into a USB port, and launch the application.

2 Click Profile My Display or click the monitor image.

Note: Some calibration software gives you a choice of Easy or Advanced settings in the next screen. Selecting Easy the first time you use the tool generally gives you good results. You can select the one that you prefer.

3 Click Next when it appears.

The Measure Ambient Lighting screen appears.

4 Follow the instructions to set up the ColorMunki Display.

5 Click Measure.

A The device measures the ambient room light.

6 Click Next.

 

 

7 Place the device directly on the screen on the indicated target.

8 Click Next.

9 Click Measure in the next screen.

The screen fills with a specific sequence of colors as the device automatically measures the color presentation

capabilities of your monitor.

Note: The measuring can take several minutes to complete.

A new screen appears, showing the name of the monitor profile created by the device. 

Note: Add the date to the profile name to make it easy to know when the profile was created. 

10 Click Save. 

The Profile is applied and saved to the appropriate location on your computer. 

11 Click a reminder for the next calibration. 

12 Click Next. 

13 Follow the on-screen directions to enable the device to monitor and correct for changes in the ambient light in the room, and click Finish when it appears. 

TIPS

Did You Know?

As monitors age, they lose their color accuracy more quickly. Calibrate and profile regularly — monthly if your monitor is new or weekly if your monitor is over two years old. CRT monitors need to warm up for 30 minutes before you calibrate and create a profile. 

Important! 

LCD and LED monitors are often set to the maximum brightness at the factory. When you first calibrate and profile a new monitor, it may appear dark by comparison; however, after calibrating and profiling, the monitor displays a more accurate representation of the colors in your images. 

More Options! 

When you use X-Rite’s calibration tools, you can launch a video with step-by-step instruction from most windows. The videos explain each step as you proceed, and they can also help you increase your understanding of color calibration and profiling