Monitor Calibration

For anyone doing serious work on a computer, accurate color from your monitor is critical. If you are not aware, there are devices that can calibrate your display to a correct color standard. This process is called "monitor profiling." Sometimes the color correction is subtle, but other times it can cure a monitor that is completely out of whack. Either way, it is the FIRST step in accurate color.

The way they work is simple. You plug in the device to a USB port, attach it to your screen, and run the profiling software. What happens is that patches of color show beneath the device and it reads them and then corrects your monitor so that the colors are standardized.

I have my own device that I've been using for some time now. I use a "Spyder2" from ColorVision. It's very simple and easy to use. At Georgetown, we purchased an "eye-one display 2" from gretagmacbeth for the Mac lab. It's an excellent profiling system. (NOTE: the eye-one display 2 is part of MAC-On-Campus' student purchasing program!!!) A third option is a new, inexpensive one from Pantone called the hueyPRO. Imaging Resource just posted a review of the device (that's what got me writing this post).

So, if you're not calibrating your monitor, I STRONGLY suggest that you look into it. It can make a world of difference, and most importantly, it can give you confidence in knowing the images your see on your screen are accurate and correct!