AlbumArt.com Monitor Calibration

ALBUMART.COM HOMEPAGE | SITEMAP | BOOK ALBUMS HOMEPAGE

Calibrating Your Monitor: (updated 04-01-06)

Black Background Color helps define below test targets....

If doing your album design you need to calibrate your monitor so what you see on your monitor is what you get on your album/reprints. (WYSIWYG)

Why? You want the lab prints to match color, density and contrast that you see on your monitor.

Otherwise what you are seeing will have no relation to final output giving you off color, density (brightness) and contrast. Less than perfect results.

Do it again and produce still awful results. The frustration will continue until you do a ......

VERY IMPORTANT: One thing I have forgot to mention that we found from practical experience. The room your computer is in will have a profound influence on your work. We use to have our network of computers in rooms with side windows on left and right sides. We found the work looked different coming back to it. We finally figured out that window light brightness and color temperature of sunlight varies greatly from sunny to rainy days to at night.

So if your computer room has alot of windows if will be best to do your serious digital work at night with consistent room light. No fluorescent please. Also wear black or neutral colors for your shirt as it reflects on the monitor. We all look New York now! or like Photographers!

Our Digital room is now painted neutral gray with 35 watt light bulb with closed windows (no light). Back in the darkroom again!

Basic Calibration: This section will show you how to adjust the brightness and contrast on your monitor to rid yourself of any "Gross Overall Bias."

Step 1: Lab Printers use a Gamma setting of 2.2 and 6500 Kelvin. The Internet is also set up for 2.2 Gamma. Most monitors are configured to display at 1.8 gamma.
Mac Monitors included.

A quick way to check your monitors gamma is to step away from the picture below and squint your eyes.
One of the gray boxes should merge into the background--that box is your gamma current setting.

Using your computers color controls (or Adobe Gamma) try to set your Gamma to 2.2. Many monitors allow you to adjust the temperature of the display. Out of the box Monitors are set up for Office Software usually at much brighter settings. If your monitor is capable, you should adjust your display temperature to 6500 Kelvin or D65 setting.

Look in Control Panel to see if you have Adobe Gamma on your PC.

: Start>Control Panel>Adobe Gamma

How to Use Adobe Gamma To calibrate your monitor and create an ICC profile in Adobe Gamma:

1. Choose Start > Settings > Control Panel.
2. Double-click Adobe Gamma.
3. Select Step By Step Wizard, and then click Next.
4. In the Description text box, type a name for the profile. Type a name you will easily identify, such as the monitor name and the date. (When you save the profile at the end of the wizard, you need retype the name.)
5. Click Next, and then follow the on-screen instructions. Before you save the settings, you can use the Before and After buttons to see how the changes you made affect the monitor's display. After you create the ICC profile, Adobe Gamma saves it in the following folder (along with all other ICC profiles): -- Windows/System/Color folder (Windows Me and 98) -- Windows/System32/Spool/Drivers/Color folder (Windows XP) -- Winnt/System32/Spool/Drivers/Color folder (Windows 2000)

Don't have it? Then download this QuickGamma Freeware and run the wizard: Free Download Center Directions included. We have no connection to this link other than providing a source for you!

Step 2: Adjust Brightness and Contrast

Look at the Grayscale Bar Chart below to check the brightness and contrast of your monitor to make sure that you have a full tonal range.
Adjust your monitor to 100% contrast first.
If any of the gray bars blend into the adjacent bars, you should adjust the overall brightness settings of your monitor so you can see a difference in each bar of the scale. The white bar is your highlights...(white dress) and the black bars is the shadows (tuxes). Contrast and Brightness controls are generally controlled with buttons on the front of the monitor. Better monitors have a control panel.
If you can clearly see each of the shades of gray in the image, then you have an adequate tonal range.

CRT Monitors are more accurate in matching prints than LED Monitors.

GRAY SCALE REFERENCE CHART

Seeing separation in all steps is ideal for 2.2 Gamma Display that matches USA Labs Output.

It is common to lose y/z separation in cheaper monitors.

Step 3: Check for Overall Color Bias. The image below is a Fuji Reference Image with correct color, density and contrast. Adjust your monitor so that there is no overall color bias to the image. Means of controlling monitor settings vary widely by computer. With a PC, controls are usually located by going to Control Panel, clicking on Display then selecting the Settings tab and clicking on Advanced . Better Monitors have control buttons on the monitor front panel to control such settings. You will have to play with the buttons to see how and what they control.

Adjust the buttons or settings in the Control Panel until the image on your monitor looks neutral. The gray background should look gray. Watch for peach blouse and contrast in the B+W. Do Not DeGaus your Monitor if asked.

FUJI FRONTIER COLOR-DENSITY-CONTRAST REFERENCE IMAGE

Screen Image above is a Low Res Image not suitable for printing.
No need to try to download. See Below For Hi Res Edition.

If you obtain a match Fuji Reference Print from AlbumArt with Images on CD (read more below) try to match the image on the Monitor to the Print. Pay attention to brightness first. Then Color. Play with the Monitor Controls until the image matches the print EXACTLY.

Step 4: Color and brightness can affect one another so make sure that the adjustments you make result in the image appearing neutral with no color bias (gray = gray) and brightness is accurate.

Additional Calibration
AlbumArt can send you a Reference Print & Image on CD in 4x6, 5x7 and 8x10 print formats for printing at your lab of choice.

Use to tighten up the WYSIWYG from Monitor to real lab output.
Nominal fee of $10.00.
To receive Fuji Frontier Color-Density-Contrast Reference Print please use our Order Form
Request 8x10 Fuji Reference Print and matching Image Files on CD in 4x6, 5x7, and 8x10 print sizes.
Fill out and fax in. Safe to put Credit Card on Fax. DO NOT E-MAIL CREDIT CARD INFORMATION*.
When you receive the CD, copy the three files to your hard drive in a new folder created called REFERENCE PRINTS or the like.
NEVER CORRECT THESE FILES. They are masters.
Upload to your lab of choice or www.mpix.com and have a print made in each size.
Doing so will let you know that all print sizes match EXACTLY. Labs use at least two size papers so often an average lab will have off color on one size or both!
Compare all three prints. They should look EXACTLY the same. If not, contact lab and ask them to balance the sizes or move on to another lab.
Print these any time your color starts to look less then perfect. A pro lab should maintain consistent color forever. (Ideally).
Monitors change over time. Most say to recalibrate your monitor every month. I have found to recalibrate your Monitor when the lab prints don't match your Reference Print.
So include the 4x6 Reference Target occasionally when you order prints so you can keep tabs on your color match. Make notes on prints with lab and date to compare over time. After awhile you will have many prints, and /or from different print outlets (labs).
By placing the perfect print next to your monitor, you can further tweak your monitor to match Fuji Frontier's printing capabilities used in most labs today.
Doing this will save hours of frustration, tons of money so that your prints have perfect/near perfect color, density and contrast.

NOTE: The results will be as good as your technique. Certainly better than hoping, or blissful ignorance.

Now that your monitor matches your Reference Fuji Target Print. Print a few prints that are real pictures. If the images appear dark on your monitor, the resulting prints should look dark too. If the color is too Red, you get red prints. If you have an Image Editor like PhotoShop or Photo Elements you can now adjust the images to make them appear perfect. The lab will be in sync with your monitor so WYSIWYG! When saving the file use SAVE AS and put in a new folder ALBUMPRINTS. NEVER use save and overwrite your original file.

Folder structure: Using sub folders will keep you organized if you use a matted album. Not as many needed for digital book albums since all the pages are one size...or perhaps two....solo page prints and spread prints. I make the folders as needed for the prints sizes I am using.

Oh oh....time for Adobe Photo Elements! You need a Image Editor to adjust color, density, contrast of your original image files.

I have seen Photo Elements on sale for about $52.USD This software is made for non pros so is easy to learn. For people with money buying PhotoShop 6, 7, or latest PhotoShop CSII is the best, ($600+) but has steep learning curve. Even some Photographers don't know anything about PhotoShop, or spend years learning, so why should you?

Also check out for PC users: ACDsee software With Image Editor:

MAC USERS IMAGE EDITOR REPORT AND LEADS: http://aroundcny.com/technofile/texts/tec082502.html

DISCLAIMER
NOTE: We only offer ideas and solutions that help you with as little learning and problems as possible.
We are not connected with any software company, lab or album company.
New exception: We are direct importer of Signature Albums. 03/06
Use/Purchase at your own discretion. We are not liable for any problems you might encounter doing so.

Use at your own risk. - Rick Taylor/AlbumArt

TIP: E-mailing Credit Card Information is like sending a Postcard with your information on the back for all to read.

TOP | HOMEPAGE | SITEMAP | BOOK ALBUMS HOMEPAGE