Manual Monitor Adjustment

In most cases, color temperature, brightness, etc. of a newly purchased monitor are not adjusted. If the color tone of a photo is adjusted on an unadjusted monitor, the color tone displayed on the monitor will differ from that of the printed photo. To avoid such trouble, monitor adjustment is required.

There are two main methods for monitor adjustment. One is manual adjustment; the other is adjustment using a measuring instrument.

The following explains the manual adjustment.

Use the monitor's adjustment function for manual adjustment.

Items that can be adjusted and adjustment methods vary by model. For details, refer to the monitor's manual or contact the manufacturer.

1. Gamma

   Changing the value changes saturation (contrast) accordingly. The standard for Mac OS is 2.2.

2. Color Temperature

   In the setting for specifying the monitor's white point, values around D50 (5000 K) to D65 (6500 K) are generally recommended in terms of color management.

   The color tones of the printed photos will be affected by the color temperature of ambient light. Therefore, the monitor's color temperature needs to be set according to the color temperature of the ambient light.

   When using a neutral fluorescent lamp or D50 fluorescent lamp designed for color evaluation, set the monitor's color temperature to around 5000 K (kelvin).

3. Brightness

   It is also called luminance, brilliance, etc., depending on the manufacturer.

   Generally, around 120 cd (candelas) is recommended. 120 cd is equivalent to the brightness of approximately 100 W (watts).

For even higher adjustment accuracy, make adjustments using a measuring instrument.

See "Monitor Adjustment Using a Measuring Instrument" for details on adjustments.