Color calibration of your monitor and why it is important

A quality digital photograph will look no better than the calibration of your monitor and printer. Our photography is delivered on CD, or by ftp, in TIF format, in  the Adobe RGB 1998 color space. The files are best opened in this same color space and can be easily converted to other color spaces, using PhotoShop or other programs, if required. If PhotoShop is set up incorrectly, the program may open the photograph in a color space other than Adobe RGB 1998. This can significantly alter the colors of the photograph as they appear on your monitor, resulting in poor color.

For proper photographic color the monitor must be color balanced. Several computer manufacturers and software companies offer options to balance the monitor visually. Mere visual calibration is not adequate for serious digital photography work. At the very least you will need software with a hardware device which hangs on the front of your monitor to “read” the sample colors displayed. From these readings the software will calibrate your monitor so the colors you see are correct. This will help not only with our photographs, but with all color work done on your computer. It is important to recalibrate your monitor every 30 days or so to maintain proper calibration. A good choice for monitor calibration is the ColorVision Spyder2 Express Monitor Calibration Software which is available for about $80. This quick and inexpensive calibration tool will save you a great deal of time in making certain the color you see on your monitor is the color it is intended to be. Remember that the ambient light at your computer work area will also affect how the screen “looks”. For a more sophisticated monitor balancing tool, the Spyder 3Pro Display Calibrator also measures ambient light and calibrates the monitor accordingly.