How to Calibrate Color for the Web | Webdesigner Depot
Monday, April 26th, 2010Tips to Prepare a Room for Color Work
What kind of light are you using right now? If you’re reading this in your primary workspace, and if accurate color is important to you, then you can take steps to improve your workspace right now.
* Ten seconds per half hour
Take a quick break and stare at an 18% gray card. Looking at the same card under the same lighting conditions is a good way to “reset” your eyes. (Note: purists recommend 12% gray cards. They’re fine, too, as long as you use the same card every time. The point is to look at something consistent and neutral.)
* Ten minutes
Move your monitor out of direct light. Never let a light source directly hit the screen.
* Fifteen minutes
Remove colored desk accessories (calendars, markers, photos, folders—anything not gray) from your line of sight. If your monitor is reflective, do not keep colorful items directly behind you.
* Ten minutes per day
Let your eyes adjust to the environment before starting work. Give your eyes time to adapt to the workspace, especially if you’ve just come in from sunlight or exterior night lighting. If necessary, use a timer.
* Ten minutes per week
Clean your monitor. Use a lint-free cloth to gently remove dust and fingerprint smudges, or refer to your owner’s manual for cleaning instructions. Do the same to your eyeglasses, if you wear them.
* A day or so
Cover nearby windows with thick screens or curtains. The primary benefits of natural light are accuracy—it’s hard to get more natural than sunlight—and availability. But natural light varies. It changes throughout the day, with the weather and with the seasons.
* A weekend
Surround your workspace with neutral gray. Paint the walls, and replace dark furniture with something bland. Ideally, your desktop should reflect only about 60% of the light that strikes it. GTI Munsell Neutral Gray Paint is popular among photographers for creating neutral backgrounds.
* A weekend or shipping time
If you’re not able to adjust your office lighting, purchase or assemble a monitor hood to prevent glare and changing conditions.
illustration of a workspace ready for accurate color work
Tips to Calibrate Your Monitor
The purpose of calibration is to eliminate color shifts and optimize the tonal range of your monitor. Shadows should be rich but still show detail. The brightest highlights should be neither too warm nor too cool. In the long run, this makes for accurate, consistent color.
Here are the general steps:
1. Warm your monitor up for at least 30 minutes.
2. Select gamma (5000–9500° K, gamma 1.8–2.2).
3. Find the best white and black points.
4. Balance red, green and blue to prevent color casts.
5. Repeat this process monthly.
Many programs will walk you through this process. Adobe Gamma is a popular quick solution for calibrating CRT displays. Aside from being easy to use, it’s free with the purchase of Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. Other solutions are QuickGamma (Windows) andDatacolor’s Spyder hardware calibrator.