How do I colour calibrate my computer monitor?
Most people don’t have an "output calibrated" monitor. If your monitor was supplied with calibration software, one of the best options is to calibrate it to the type of output you are likely to require. To accomplish this, follow these steps:
1. Scan an image. Don’t colour correct the image, although you can sharpen it if you like.
2. Convert the image to CMYK.
3. Output the image to a four-colour negative with a colour key (also known as an overlay proof).
4. Compare the colour key with the image on your monitor. It’s very likely there will be a significant difference between the two images. The colour key reflects the quality of the image that your scanner provides.
5. Use the calibration software to adjust the colour/brightness/contrast of the monitor until the image on your screen approximates (or, ideally, matches) the output on the colour key. This will provide you with a "safe zone" for your images. You will know that the images you are working with will be close approximations of what you will receive as a four-colour output.
If you don’t have a scanner and you want to check the colour of your monitor, try this workaround. It does require having a service bureau output the file to four-colour film and produce a colour key from the negatives.
The CMYK values on the colour key will be 100 per cent of each colour. If they don’t match what the file looks like on your monitor, follow these steps to adjust the monitor accordingly:
1. In a page make-up program such as Quark, Freehand or PageMaker, build four boxes on a page.
2. Fill them individually with 100 per cent cyan, 100 per cent magenta, 100 per cent yellow, and 100 per cent black. You should end up with four differently coloured boxes.
3. Have the file outputted to film and a colour key. Compare the colour key to the same file on your monitor.
