How to Calibrate Your Monitor for Accurate Colors

Out of the box, most monitors aren't calibrated for accurate colors. Whether you're editing photos, designing graphics, or just want your content to look its best, proper calibration makes a significant difference.

What You'll Need

While professional colorimeters like the Datacolor SpyderX or Calibrite ColorChecker provide the best results, you can achieve decent calibration using built-in Windows or macOS tools for free.

Step 1: Warm Up Your Monitor

Let your monitor run for at least 30 minutes before calibrating. This ensures the backlight and panel have reached their stable operating temperature.

Step 2: Reset to Factory Settings

Before calibrating, reset your monitor to its factory defaults. This gives you a clean starting point and removes any previous adjustments that might interfere.

Step 3: Adjust Brightness and Contrast

Set brightness so that a black image appears truly black but you can still distinguish between very dark grays. For contrast, ensure white appears bright without losing detail in highlights.

Step 4: Use Your OS Calibration Tool

On Windows, search for "Calibrate display color" in Settings. On macOS, go to System Preferences > Displays > Color and click "Calibrate." Follow the on-screen wizard to adjust gamma, white point, and color balance.