Calibration is the process of adjusting the color rendition, brightness and contrast of the image of a monitor or other visualization device (for example, a projector or TV) in order to achieve the most complete match of tone, colors and shades on the screen and when printing. In everyday life, calibration has the goal of simply making the image natural and pleasing to the eye.
Almost everyone has encountered the need to calibrate a monitor - when they brought it home from the store and turned it on for the first time. For those who don't work in graphic editors and is not involved in photography, it is enough to do it “by eye”, using the adjustment buttons on the monitor itself or using Windows. Great accuracy is not important here - the main thing is that the image is without obvious color distortions, moderately bright and moderately contrasting.
Artists, designers and photographers need deeper - professional calibration, which is done either using programs or special devices - calibrators.
The first option is available to everyone - the majority of such applications are free and not too difficult to use. However, to achieve good result You also need a diamond eye. The second option provides maximum accuracy, but few people use it. The reason is the high cost of calibrators. Even a budget device costs as much as good smartphone, but some artists and photographers rent them or use the services of calibration specialists, fortunately this is not required to be done often.
Since we don’t have a calibrator, let’s talk about ways to configure the monitor using programs.
Easy monitor calibration using Windows
The tool we are interested in is called “Color Calibration”. In Windows 10, it is called through the “Settings” application - section “System” - “Display” - “ Extra options screen."
In Windows 7 and 8.1 - through the Control Panel and the “Display” section. Or through "Display Settings" in context menu desktop.
After launching the utility, follow the suggested operations step by step. But before doing this, be sure to expand the window to full screen and sit directly in front of it, otherwise the result may not be accurate. The distance from your eyes to the screen should be the same as during normal work.
The first step is to set the basic color parameters
Open your monitor's menu by clicking the button on its panel and set the default color settings. If you have a laptop, continue to the next step.
Second step - adjusting the gamma
Here is an image of a square with dark spots inside and a settings slider. There is a dot in the center of each spot. Your task is to make the dots invisible (merge in brightness with the background).
Third step - adjust brightness
Open the monitor menu again or the “Power Options” section in the Windows Control Panel - now we will need the brightness adjustment slider. Instead, you can use the “Brightness-” and “Brightness+” buttons on the monitor panel or laptop keyboard.
Move the slider to adjust the brightness so that the suit details and shirt of the person in the picture are moderately visible, and the X on the wall behind him does not blend into the background, but is barely noticeable.
Fourth step - adjusting contrast
By controlling the contrast adjustment slider, make sure that all the folds and buttons on the white shirt are clearly visible, and the shirt does not blend into the wall.
Fifth step - color balance
Move the sliders of the three colors - red green and blue - until the stripes in the center of the screen are neutral gray.
Sixth step - saving calibration
Compare the current (new) calibration with the previous one. If you are satisfied with it, click "Done". If you next want to proceed to setting up text display, first check the “Launch ClearType tool...” checkbox.
Setting the display of text
Here you should select an example where the pangram (text that includes all the letters of the alphabet) is read best and apply the setting.
The Windows Calibrator is sufficient to properly set up your monitor for work other than graphics editing and fine art printing.
To check the quality of calibration, you can use specially created wallpaper from the website RealColor.ru. Select a set of wallpapers according to your screen resolution so that the picture does not change in size.
Calibrating your monitor for photo printing and graphics work
How to get the best results
To really get good picture, where black is black (not dark gray), white is white, and color does not depend on the angle of rotation of the screen, you need a professional monitor. Photographers and graphic artists prefer screens with IPS matrix (best option- with S-IPS).
On budget monitors with TN-type matrices, it is, alas, impossible to achieve high accuracy of shades and colors. And the point is not that the programs do not allow this, but in the qualities of the screen itself. But we will work with what we have.
So, let's start with preparing the workplace:
- The monitor should be placed where you usually use it.
- The room must be sufficiently lit. It is better to carry out calibration in the lighting in which you are working. If you work in both natural and artificial light, it is optimal to create two color profiles. Directional light sources should be removed from the screen during calibration.
- Before calibration begins, the monitor must be operated for some time. CRT monitor - at least an hour, for others 30 minutes is enough.
- Background image should be set neutral, preferably in gray tones.
Adobe Gamma
Using Adobe Gamma, monitors are calibrated for working in Photoshop. Since the applications were created by a single developer, they are optimal for sharing - profiles created in Gamma are displayed in the Photoshop menu, and the user can quickly switch between them.
The utility is included with Photoshop, but if desired, it can be downloaded separately, although not from the official website (it is not there), but from third-party resources. It does not require installation, you just need to run it.
If you are calibrating for the first time, select the Step by Step version.
Next, we’ll create a description of the new profile (in Latin letters).
Next we move on to the calibration process. Using the monitor settings menu, we will adjust the brightness and contrast so that the gray square in the center of the window almost merges with the black one, but is distinguishable against its background. The frame should remain white.
The next step is to determine the type of glow (color of the phosphor). The required value can be taken from the monitor’s factory profile (it will be set by default if you have not previously changed anything in the settings). If you are at a loss, leave “Native” or “HDTV (CCIR 709)”.
Now let's set up the gamma for correct color rendering (the ratio of red, green and blue channels). Using the slider, we will align the brightness of the gray square against the background of black and white stripes, or set one of the default values. For an LCD monitor it is better to choose 1.8, for a CRT - 2.2.
If you uncheck the "Consider one gamut" checkbox, instead of a gray square there will be three - red, green and blue, with separate adjustment tools. With their help, you can remove the color tint of the screen, if any. If not, it’s better not to touch them.
After adjusting the gamma, we will determine the color temperature of the monitor’s white point. This setting depends on the ambient lighting. To work in daylight, it is optimal to set 6500° K, with artificial heat (incandescent lamps) - 5000° K, with artificial white ( fluorescent lamps) — 9300° K.
To determine the color temperature visually, click the “Change” button.
Three light squares will be displayed against a dark background. Your task is to choose the most neutral gray.
On final stage set the white point display as a hardware value and save the profile.
To quickly edit existing profiles, it is more convenient to open the program as a control panel. Here all the settings are in one window.
Assessing calibration quality using web services
Online monitor testing services are convenient to use as an addition to calibration programs. With their help, you can evaluate and adjust not only brightness, contrast and color, but also sharpness, geometry, presence dead pixels, flicker level, etc. This is important if you use the monitor for photo editing or professional work with graphics.
There are no settings elements in the services, so if you need to fix something, you will have to use third-party tools - monitor buttons and menus, Windows tools or programs.
Monteon.ru
The Monteon.ru service allows you to evaluate the following:
- Color accuracy.
- Presence of dead pixels.
- Smooth gradient transitions.
- Flicker (phase synchronization on VGA monitors) and moire (stains in the form of a wave-like pattern, which should not normally exist).
- Sharpness of boundaries.
- Brightness and contrast.
- Zonal brightness (the difference in brightness in the center and on the periphery of the screen).
- Geometry and grids (clipping of image edges, peripheral distortion on a widescreen screen with an aspect ratio of 16:9).
Online Monitor Test
Online Monitor Test is an English-language service. There are 4 testing options to choose from:
- Simplified - for Smart TV, tablets and smartphones.
- In a browser window format (it is recommended to run in full screen mode).
- In windowed format with a resolution of 1920X1080 (resolution can be reduced).
- In the form of an application that runs outside the browser. Works without installation.
Online and offline versions of the program (except for the simplified version) contain the same set of tests.
Those who use two monitors can also check for image output delay on one of them (Input lag).
Using the Online Monitor Test you can evaluate:
- Displays similar shades of gray.
- Accuracy of seven primary colors and smooth color gradient.
- Matrix response time (6 different tests).
- Uniform lighting and color fill (5 colors).
- Presence of dead pixels.
- Flicker and moire.
- Readability of text written in several small fonts. The color of the text and background can be changed using sliders.
Each test is accompanied by a hint English language, but it’s not difficult to figure out what’s what without it.
This is how quickly and easily every user can calibrate their monitor at home. To maintain image quality, monitor manufacturers recommend repeating calibration every 3-4 months.
Improving image quality using the side buttons on the monitor is not always enough to ensure that the indicator is at the peak of good display. The built-in calibration tool in Windows 10 will allow you to make sure that your monitor can show much better. For content producers, the main thing is to make sure that the work appears on other devices with the same standard quality. For ordinary users, viewing of movies and photos will be improved. Before calibrating your monitor in Windows 10, reset your monitor settings to factory settings and turn off the lights in the room to avoid glare.
Where are the monitor calibration settings?
1 way. Since Windows 10 is updated and the location of the settings changes all the time, I decided to add two ways to enter the Monica calibration parameters.
- Open " Options"and just write in the search" Monitor color calibration".
- After opening a new window, proceed to the bottom method "How to adjust colors using the color calibration tool".
Method 2. Click right click mouse on the desktop and select "Display Settings".
In the window that appears, click "Advanced display options."
Here we come to the two parameters that we need: “Color Management”, “Color Calibration”. Let's look at these two parameters in detail below.
How to use color management in Windows 10
To calibrate your monitor in Windows 10, you need to use "color management", which shows preset profiles for your monitor. The "Devices" line shows the profiles of all connected devices to the computer and associated profiles. The "All Profiles" tab displays all available profiles. Select several options to see how they appear. For truly accurate results, you can create a color profile using the Color Calibration feature.
How to Adjust Colors Using the Color Calibration Tool
To adjust colors and calibrate your monitor in windows 10, you need to use the monitor buttons to adjust specific color aspects. Drag the welcome window onto the calibration monitor. Even if you have several monitors of the same brand and model, you need to configure them individually. Click Next.
The wizard shows that gamma controls the amount of light emitted from a particular color. By clicking "next" you can use the slider to make adjustments.
Achieve minimal visibility of small dots in the center of each circle, as the master tells us.
Brightness and contrast will be adjusted from your buttons on the monitor. Some monitors have buttons that immediately adjust the brightness and contrast, while on others you will need to go into the menu on the monitor and select these two options there. To start setting up, click next.
Adjust the brightness level so that the shirt does not blend into the suit, and the X is barely visible, as the master suggests.
Adjust the contrast according to the middle pattern as recommended.
With color balance, colors should not "bleed" into gray tones. Click next to adjust.
Drag the sliders to calibrate the colors.
You can now switch between the previous calibration and the current one. If everything is satisfactory, click done, otherwise click cancel to cancel.
Troubleshooting problems that may arise
If the colors still don't look right, then most likely your video card has failed or your monitor needs to be replaced. Try connecting another monitor to your computer and check. If the problem persists, you will need to replace the video card or check it by replacing it with another one. Correctly calibrating your monitor in Windows 10 will significantly improve the quality of work for photographers, videographers, graphic designers and creative individuals. Improves the quality of images and computer games.
Correct calibration of the monitor is one of the main factors for accurately transmitting the final image to the user. There are a lot of professional tools that allow you to calibrate a monitor, but they are designed, first of all, for high-quality matrices, behind which specialists work. For simpler people who also want to get the most plausible picture possible, but at the same time do not have the desire to have a strong understanding of professional programs or purchase a spectrophotometer to adjust the image, Microsoft company provides built-in tools in Windows 10. They allow you to calibrate your monitor quickly and easily.
Table of contents:Please note: Not all monitors require calibration. It should be carried out only if the colors displayed on the screen for one reason or another do not suit you. Using the tools discussed below, you can calibrate your computer monitor by adjusting only the basic parameters.
How to calibrate your monitor with a special tool in Windows 10
In the operating room Windows system 10 provides a special tool for calibrating the monitor. To launch it, you can go in two ways:
Important: To calibrate the monitor, you must have computer administrator rights.
Once you launch the calibration option, you can proceed directly to setting up the ideal image. Click on the “Next” button, and then “Next” again (after reading all the information messages) to proceed to setting the first parameter - “Gamma”. 
Gamma determines the ratio of primary colors (red, green, blue), as well as the intensity of their radiation. The image calibration utility will show 3 pictures that indicate the difference between low gamma and high gamma. Click Next to begin setup. 
To adjust the gamma, it is suggested to use the slider on the left side of the window. By moving it up and down, you can make the gamma higher or lower. The gamma is considered to be adjusted to convey the most realistic colors if the dots displayed in the center of the screen of the adjustment utility are minimally visible. If you want to return to the original value, you can use the Reset button. When the setup is complete, click Next to move on to brightness and contrast calibration. 
will appear Announcement that brightness and contrast adjustments must be made in manual mode, adjusting monitor settings. That is, you will need to use the instructions for the custom screen to understand which buttons respond to adjusting the specified parameters. Click Next again to move on to adjusting the contrast. 
An information window will open with information about what the contrast and brightness of dark colors are, and which of the settings can be considered optimal and which are overexposed or darkened. Click "Next" to proceed to setup. 
A picture will appear with a man in a black shirt against a black wall. Using the brightness settings of the monitor, you need to set the brightness and contrast levels so that the shirt does not merge with the wall, and the letter “X” displayed in the background is barely visible. When the setup is complete, click Next. 
A page will open with information about the contrast and brightness of light colors. Review it and click “Next” again. 
Using the contrast settings, you need to adjust the new test image so that the buttons and folds on the man's white shirt remain visible. Once you've completed the setup, click Next. 
The next screen explains what color balance is and how to set it correctly. Settings can be made using Windows tools, which are available on the next screen. Click "Next" to proceed to them. 
Please note: Almost all monitors allow you to adjust the color balance through the screen settings.
To adjust the color balance, it is required that there are no color highlights on the gray stripes. To remove them, you can move the red, green, and blue color sliders at the bottom of the window. Having adjusted the ideal color balance, click “Next”. 
That's all, the screen calibration utility in Windows 10 will offer to compare the old calibration and the new one. Click Previous Calibration to see how much new option different from before. 
Please note: At the bottom of the final screen, it is recommended to check the “Run ClearType Configuration Tool” checkbox. Below we discuss how to work with it.
Click "Done" to apply the new calibration. If the previous option is better, click Cancel.
Setting ClearType for Screen Calibration
After calibrating the screen, it is also recommended to use the ClearType utility. This Windows tool allows you to adjust the quality of fonts. If you did not use the option to open the ClearType utility through the calibration utility, you can open the ClearType setting by searching for it. 
Once the ClearType utility is open, click Next to go to Settings. 
On the first screen there will be a resolution check. If the resolution is set correctly - it corresponds to the basic one, the system will report this. Click Next. 
On the next screen you need to select one of the texts, indicating which one looks better on your monitor. Select the best one and click “Next”. 
The next screen will offer 6 text options. The task is the same - select the best one and click “Next”. 
The next screen offers 3 text options. Select the best one again and click “Next”. 
The fourth setting again offers 6 text options. Select the best one and click “Next”. 
The final fifth stage also offers 6 text options. Select the best one and click “Next”. 
That's it, the ClearType setup is complete. Click "Done" to apply your changes. 
After performing screen calibration and ClearType settings, the screen image should better suit your needs and expectations.
Included in standard Windows tools 10 includes a utility for calibrating the image on the monitor (display) screen of your computer or laptop. It allows you to adjust the color, brightness and contrast of the screen for the most comfortable work in your conditions.
Note: in this article we will not delve into the professional intricacies of screen calibration using a special software or equipment. This manual describes how to set up your monitor standard means Windows, no download required additional programs. It is perfect for beginners who have noticed any deviations in the quality of the laptop screen picture or desktop computer, or they just want to slightly adjust the image to suit themselves. The perception of color/contrast/brightness is purely individual, so you should be guided by your own instincts, but not go too far.
One more note: All procedures must be performed using an administrator account. Otherwise you will need an administrator password.
Calibrate your monitor or display in Windows 10
You can go directly to the monitor or display calibration interface in Windows 10 by entering the command in the window Execute. Click Win+ R and enter dccw.
If you are not looking for easy ways, then you can find the screen calibration menu using the following path:
- Open Settings – System – Screen. Go down a little and find the item Graphics adapter properties.
- In the window that opens, find the tab Color management.
- A larger window will open. On it you need a tab Details. Open it and then click the button Calibrate screen at the bottom of the window.
- This will open the screen color calibration wizard.
- The first step is to adjust the gamma. Before directly Windows setup will show you examples of incorrect and correct calibration.
- Try to adjust so that the picture complies with the standard, but no one forbids you to set the parameters that suit you.
- If you don't like the setting, use the button Reset.
- The next step is to adjust the brightness and contrast. If you do not need to configure these settings, click Skip brightness and contrast settings.
- At this stage, you will need to use the image controls of the monitor itself. Each manufacturer has menus and control buttons made differently. How to change the brightness and contrast of your monitor should be indicated in the instructions for the screen - contact it for help, or google it. At this step, Windows will only show sample images for precise calibration.
- Click Further and start experimenting.
- Adjusting the contrast will help you set the values to properly display the brightness of the highlights. Again, follow the on-screen prompts and sample images, and then adjust the picture in the menu the monitor itself.
- Next is adjusting the color balance. Here calibration is already done using the system (although almost every monitor has the ability to change the color balance in the menu - try playing with these parameters too.
- You want to make sure that the large bars on the screen remain as gray as possible. If you notice impurities of other colors, eliminate them with the red, green or blue sliders.
- At the final stage, you can compare the color settings you created with the previous preset. To do this, click on Previous calibration. Button Current calibration will display the parameters you created.
- To save the new settings, click Ready. Button Cancel will return everything to its previous state.
How to set up ClearType
Please also note the point Launch the setup tool ClearTypeafter clicking the "Done" button. With it, you can adjust the quality of font display on the screen. We recommend that you spend another three minutes to fine-tune the monitor's operation as accurately as possible.
In these two screenshots above, you can see the difference between ClearType enabled (top) and disabled (bottom). It’s unlikely that anyone will want to voluntarily turn it off, but someone will definitely need more precise settings.
If you want to configure ClearType without calibrating the screen, then you can do this in the following ways:
After this, configure the fonts as described above. Spend a few minutes fine-tuning your screens. The result of your work will be a more pleasing picture to the eye, which will have an extremely positive impact on your experience of using your device.
Windows 10 users have the option to change standard settings screens that the system selects by default. Sometimes problems may arise during the process of setting up or using the monitor, but they are very easy to solve.
Screen settings
Personalizing screen settings helps you customize any screen so that it is as convenient for the user to use it as possible. Remember the settings that were specified before your intervention, so that if unsuccessful changes are made, you can quickly restore everything.
Brightness control
There are several ways to change the brightness: through changing system settings or using the functions of the screen itself.
Through screen capabilities
Look for the brightness control buttons on your monitor and use them to turn the light up or down. But keep in mind that these buttons are not present on all monitor models. If they are not there, use the methods described below.
Use the monitor buttons to adjust brightness
Via keyboard buttons
Having studied the shortcut keys, that is, F1 to F12, you can find the button responsible for adjusting the brightness. Click or hold it to get the result.
This button may sometimes be missing or not work. In this case, use the methods described below.
Use shortcut keys to adjust brightness
Fast way
By clicking on the battery icon or message icon, you will see the “Brightness” block. Use it to select the brightness level you need.
Click on the battery icon and change the brightness
Through system parameters
- Expand system settings.
Open System Settings
- Go to the "System" block.
Click on the “System” block
- In the “Screen” tab, find the “Brightness level” item and move the slider. Click on the “Apply” button.
Move the slider to change brightness
Video: how to adjust brightness and other screen parameters
Via power settings
- In the system search bar, enter “Power Supplies” and open the proposed page.
Open the Power Options tab
- Open the settings for the plan you are using.
Click on the “Configure power plan” button
- In the list of parameters, find the line “Brightness” and move the slider to the appropriate value.
Adjust brightness in power options
What to do if brightness options are not available
Your screen may not support brightness changes, but this problem only occurs on older devices. Most often, the reason lies in the absence of the necessary driver:
- Go to Device Manager.
Open Device Manager
- Find the "Monitors" section and expand it. If you have the “Universal PnP Monitor” sub-item, right-click on it and use the “Enable” function. Done, restart your computer, go to the instructions above and try changing the brightness again.
Select the monitor and use the "Engage" function
- If there is a sub-item “Universal Non-PnP Monitor” or an icon indicating that there are no drivers, manually find and install them. To do this, find the monitor manufacturer’s website, download drivers for your model from it, return to the “Device Manager”, right-click on the monitor and select the “Update Drivers” function.
Download and update your monitor drivers
- Select "Search for driver software on this computer" and finish the procedure, and then return to the instructions above and change the brightness. You may need to restart your computer first.
Select manual search and specify the path to the drivers
Video: how to update drivers in Windows 10
Contrast settings
The easiest way to change the color ratio is using automatic adjustment, which can be started by the following steps:
- While in the system parameters, select the “System” block. In the "Display" tab, go to additional options.
Click on the "More display options" button
- Click on the “Color Calibration” button.
Open the “Screen calibration” section
- Read several pages of instructions, each time clicking the “Next” button.
- Go through the screen gamma adjustment process.
Perform gamma calibration
- Go through the brightness adjustment process.
Adjust the brightness
- Go through the contrast adjustment process.
Adjust the contrast
- Go through the color balancing process.
Customize color display
- Save or discard your changes.
Save your screen customization results
Video: how to calibrate your monitor in Windows 10
Changing the resolution
The number and density of pixels involved in displaying the image depends on the screen resolution. Each monitor model has its own recommended resolution value; you can find it in the instructions for the monitor or by searching through all the resolutions offered by the system:
Video: how to change screen resolution in Windows 10
Changing orientation, scale, adding multiple monitors
By going to the screen settings (the first step of the previous subparagraph), you can change not only the resolution, but also the scale, due to which all fonts and icons will become either larger or smaller.
Adjust screen scale
The orientation immediately changes from landscape to portrait or portrait and vice versa. This feature is only useful if you have a monitor with a non-standard aspect ratio, for example, one that is tall rather than wide.
Select the appropriate orientation
If several monitors are connected to the computer, each of them will be configured separately. But first you need to recognize them by clicking on the “Detect” button. Once the search is complete, the options for each monitor will be available.
Click on the “Detect” button to recognize the new screen
Troubleshooting monitor problems
If you encounter problems while setting up or using your monitor, you should try to fix them yourself.
Blinking screen
If the screen starts to flicker only in a certain application or game, this means that the program is incompatible with your build and the problem is there. If the monitor blinks constantly, then there may be two reasons: a problem with the cable or drivers.
First, check that the cable connecting the monitor and the computer unit is not pinched or coming loose. Usually this is VGA or HDMI cable. Unplug it from both connectors, plug it in again and check if the problem goes away. If possible, test the monitor using a different cable.
Check if the unit and monitor are well connected
Secondly, if you are convinced that the problem is not with the cable, update the drivers:
Games don't open full screen
Some games may default to opening in a window instead of full screen. If you want to fix this, there are two ways. The first is to use the Alt + Enter combination, which gives the command to stretch the active window to the entire screen, the second is to go to the settings of the game itself and set the value to “Open in full screen mode”. Usually the second method works 100%; the game either opens full screen immediately or does so after a restart.
Turn on full screen mode in the game settings
Screen calibration
Tablet users Windows control 10 or digital pen may experience that the system does not respond correctly to finger or pen touches. In this case, you need to resort to screen calibration:
Deactivating sleep mode and turning off the monitor
By default, if the user does not perform any activity for 15 minutes, the computer turns off the monitor. After another 15 minutes of inactivity, the system goes to sleep. This is necessary to save energy. But the power saving function can be deactivated or configured:
So, a computer monitor can be customized by changing its extension, format, brightness, contrast and scale. If there are problems with the screen, it is worth updating the drivers, checking the cable, or performing calibration. You can also configure the computer to go into sleep mode or disable it altogether.