How to Use a Colorimeter for Accurate Color Calibration
01. Buy a Decent Colorimeter
When you buy one of the best 4K monitors or the best drawing tablets, that can include pen displays, you’ll want to make sure it is calibrated correctly. This is especially true for those working specifically with color, including video color graders, digital artists, and graphic designers.
As with any product, the more money you spend, usually the better product you receive. That is especially true with colorimeters. Because their primary purpose is to accurately test your monitor’s colors, you want to make sure you buy a device that can do that well. Otherwise, you’ll inadvertently be incorrectly appraising your monitor, which completely defeats the object.
02. Try to Get a Colorimeter with Software Included
To make use of a colorimeter, you’ll also need a compatible piece of software. They fulfill a range of different purposes, with one of the foremost being to analyze the color properties of a display. The software achieves this by analyzing the input data and using algorithms to determine its accuracy. It can also provide information including spectral data, light transmission, and light absorption using graphs.
03. Color Calibrate Your Monitor in a Dimly Lit Room
Before running color calibration, you’ll want to turn off most light sources in the room. This includes desk and overhead lighting. The problem with running calibration with too much lighting is that they can skew the readings and therefore affect the resulting calibrated brightness levels.
04. Use a Suitable Picture Mode
Monitors and displays ship with a variety of different picture modes. These are designed to provide users with different levels of brightness, contrast, and color temperatures. These have a significant effect upon a colorimeter’s results.
05. Overcome Inconsistent Readings with Averaging
Color calibration works best when color readings are consistent. If they’re not, then it can be difficult to tell which are the most reliable. One of the best solutions to this happening is to use an average of the readings. It doesn’t guarantee accuracy but it certainly increases your chances of working with a nicely calibrated display.
Conclusion
Accurate color calibration is essential for creatives who work with color, including video color graders, digital artists, and graphic designers. A colorimeter is a small device that attaches to your display and compares its colors against industry standards, creating a color profile that can be used to re-calibrate the output. By following these five tips, you can ensure that your colorimeter is used correctly and accurately, providing you with the best possible results.
FAQs
Q: What is a colorimeter?
A: A colorimeter is a small device that attaches to your display and compares its colors against industry standards, creating a color profile that can be used to re-calibrate the output.
Q: Why is color calibration important?
A: Color calibration is important for creatives who work with color, including video color graders, digital artists, and graphic designers, as it ensures that colors are accurately represented and consistent across different devices and environments.
Q: How do I use a colorimeter?
A: To use a colorimeter, you need to attach it to your display, run a calibration process, and use the resulting color profile to re-calibrate your display.
