How to set up your monitor for correct color reproduction using software? Correct monitor screen settings. Reducing eye strain

15-12-2013, 23:39

Description

So, let's assume that you are the proud owner of a brand new monitor. Everything was observed when purchasing necessary measures precautions: the monitor was purchased from a well-known company, before purchase it was tested with a special program, more computer experienced friends helped you choose a monitor, etc. However, for the monitor to work successfully, it is not enough to simply plug it into the network and connect it to the computer: the device must be correctly tune.

ATTENTION

If you purchased the monitor in the cold season, then after delivery from the street you need to let it stand in a warm room for at least two hours. If this is not done, the monitor may fail, and warranty replacement or warranty repairs in in this case You probably won't have to count.

Setting up a monitor can be divided into two stages: hardware and software. Let's take a closer look at each of them.

Hardware level

To configure the monitor at the hardware level, there are buttons, which in the vast majority of monitors are located on the front panel. To call up the setup menu, most often press Menu button. The contents of this menu may vary depending on specific monitor. By the way, on very old monitors there is no setup menu at all.

NOTE

On some monitors, the setup menu disappears automatically after 10 seconds of inactivity.

I will list the items that are most often found in the monitor settings menu.

Some of them correspond to TV settings.

  • ? Brightness and Contrast - these parameters are present in almost all modern monitors. It is difficult to recommend a specific level of brightness and contrast: these indicators are determined individually for each monitor. However, in any case, it is not recommended to set the maximum brightness and contrast (unless, of course, your monitor’s cathode ray tube begins to “shrink”).
  • ? Horizontal position and Vertical position - here you set the centering of the image placement on the screen horizontally and vertically. For example, if an empty vertical bar appears on the left side of the screen, and the image on the right side extends beyond the visible area of ​​the screen, then you need to adjust the horizontal position of the image.
  • ? Horizontal Size and Vertical Size - using these menu items you set the required horizontal and vertical size of the image. In other words, here you can “stretch” or “compress” the image horizontally or vertically, respectively.
  • ? Cushioning - this menu item allows you to adjust the convexity or concavity of the image on the sides. Many users install for this parameter value 40.
  • ? Geometric distortion - this menu item consists of several submenus, which include: Keystone, Parallelogram, Rotation, Balancing and Linearity. Each of these submenus is designed to configure a corresponding image parameter: for example, using the Trapezoid parameter, you can change the image into a trapezoid shape, etc.
  • ? Language - in this menu item, select the language in which the contents of the monitor settings menu will be displayed.
  • ? Special Features- this menu item contains several submenus designed to configure specific parameters, for example, horizontal and vertical moire, video signal level, etc. It is not recommended to change the values ​​of these parameters unless absolutely necessary.
  • ? Magnification - by setting this parameter you can enlarge or reduce the image.
  • ? Degaussing is a function designed to demagnetize the monitor. Periodic demagnetization helps to increase the service life of the device.

It should be noted that many monitor hardware settings have default values ​​that are acceptable for use.

Screen settings configured in the operating system

In addition to the built-in menu, there are some operating system parameters for setting up the monitor.

As noted above, to enter the screen settings mode, click on any free space Desktop and select Properties in the context menu that opens. In this case, a screen settings window will appear on the screen, consisting of the following tabs: Themes, Desktop, Screensaver, Appearance and Options. Let's look at the order of operation on each tab.

The contents of the Themes tab are shown in Fig. 2.9.

This tab is intended for selecting a desktop theme and interface elements. U inexperienced user The question may arise: what is a “topic” and why choose it?

The concept of “topic” includes the totality of all visual settings systems: window color design, icon appearance, taskbar, Start button menu, fonts used, mouse pointer appearance, etc. As part of a theme, these settings represent a single whole and determine general style design of the operating system interface.

Select the desired theme from the Subject drop-down list. Windows XP Professional comes with two themes out of the box: Windows XP (which is installed by default) and Classic (you can select this theme to return to the interface used in previous versions). Windows versions). If you want to use any other theme, select Browse from the drop-down list and in the Open theme window that opens, specify the path to the required theme file (the theme file has the THEME extension).

On the Internet you can find a wide variety of operating system interface themes (not only Windows XP, but also other systems). To reduce eye strain, it is recommended to choose a calmer theme, avoiding too bright designs, as well as animation, cartoon and similar effects.

The Sample field displays an example of the interface with the selected theme (for example, Fig. 2.9 shows the interface design with the Windows XP theme).

Using the Delete button you can delete the selected topic. I note that deleting themes that were originally installed in the operating system is impossible.

One of the most important elements of the operating system interface is the Desktop. We can say that this is the face of the operating system. The first thing we see on the screen after loading Windows is the Desktop, so setting it up should be taken seriously.

To switch to the Desktop settings mode, in the Properties: Screen window, go to the Desktop tab (Fig. 2.10).

As you know, the design of the Desktop largely depends on its background image, which is used as a kind of decoration. Background image The desktop is selected in the Background picture field, after which it is displayed on the sample (in Fig. 2.10, the Azure background picture is selected). After selecting the desired pattern, click Apply or OK.

The system's capabilities provide for the choice of a non-standard desktop background image. To do this, click the Browse button and in the window that opens, according to the usual Windows rules, specify the path to the picture file. You can use files of various types (BMP, GIF, JPG, etc.) as desktop background images.

If necessary, you can fine-tune the Desktop. To switch to the appropriate mode, click the Desktop Settings button, which is located under the Wallpaper field. OKI Yu Desktop Elements will appear on the screen, shown in Fig. 2.11.

This window contains two tabs: General and Web. On the General tab, in the Desktop Icons area, select Windows elements, icons of which should be displayed on the Desktop (to do this, check the appropriate boxes). You can control the display of the following icons: My Documents, My Computer, My Network Places, and Internet Explorer. In any case, it is recommended to enable the display of the My Computer icon.

If necessary, you can change the icons of items on the Desktop. To do this, in the field located under the Desktop icons area, you must select the required icon and click the Change icon button. As a result, the Change icon window will appear on the screen, in which in the Search for icons in field next file You should specify the path to the icon file and the file name. The Select icon from the following list drop-down list contains a selection of available icons (there can be multiple icons in one file). To select an icon, you must enter its path in the Look for icons in the following file field or select an icon from the Select an icon from the following list drop-down list, and then click OK (if the file contains multiple icons, you must do both). You can also use the Browse button to specify the path to the icon file.

At the bottom of the General tab is a checkbox next to Clean your desktop every 60 days. When this box is checked, the mode for automatically cleaning the Desktop from unused elements is enabled. To do this, use the Desktop Cleanup Wizard, which runs automatically every 60 days along with operating system. If necessary, you can use this wizard at any time by clicking the Clear desktop button.

On the Web tab, a list of web content on the Desktop is formed (the display of web elements can be enabled by checking the appropriate boxes). New elements can be added to the list using the Create button, and selected ones can be deleted using the Delete button. To switch to the mode of viewing and editing the properties of the selected element, click the Properties button. Use the Synchronize button to immediately update your Desktop web content. If you want to prevent web elements from moving on the Desktop, select the Lock desktop elements check box.

On the Screensaver tab (Fig. 2.12), select an image (usually moving), which is launched by the system automatically after the computer has been idle for some time. This interval is specified in the Interval field.

ATTENTION

The Interval field is editable only if any value other than None is selected in the Screensaver drop-down list.

The required image is selected from the Screensaver drop-down list. Like the Desktop tab, the selected image is shown at the top of this tab. If necessary, you can view the selected screensaver in full screen mode using the View button.

By clicking the Options button located to the right of the Screensaver field, you can switch to the mode for viewing and editing the properties of the selected screensaver. The appearance and composition of this window depend on the specific screen saver. For the Windows XP screensaver, which is selected in Fig. 2.13, there are no customizable parameters, and when you press the Parameters button, the system will display a corresponding message. This button is only available if the Screen Saver field is set to anything other than None.

Using the Power button, you can enter the mode for adjusting the monitor's power settings. At the same time, the Properties window will appear on the screen: Power Options, in which you select a power management scheme, set the time intervals after which the computer turns off the monitor and hard disks from power in the absence of activity, and also determine the values ​​of other parameters.

As already noted, the user selects a specific theme to design the Desktop and interface elements. However, there is often a need to fine-tune the design, for which a separate tab is provided (Fig. 2.13).

At the top of the tab, a sample design is displayed in accordance with the current settings (titles of the active and inactive windows, text in the window, etc.).

From the Windows and buttons drop-down list, select the desired window and button design style. The contents of this list depend on the theme selected on the Themes tab (see Figure 2.9). For example, for Windows themes XP from of this list You can select one of the following values: Classic style or Windows XP style.

From the Color scheme drop-down list, select a design color scheme. The contents of this list depend on the style selected in the Windows and Buttons list. For example, for Windows style The XP can be selected from Olive, Silver or Standard (blue) color schemes. The default color scheme is Standard.

The Font Size drop-down list contains options for the font size that can be applied to the selected color scheme. For example, for the Standard color scheme, this list contains the following values: Normal, Large font and Huge font, and for the Pumpkin color scheme (which can be selected if the Windows and Buttons option is set to Classic style) only one font is set - Large.

If necessary, you can configure certain display effects of interface elements, as well as other additional parameters. In order to switch to the appropriate modes, you should use the Effects and Advanced buttons located at the bottom right of the tab. Let's consider these modes in more detail.

For settings additional effects Click the Effects button, which opens the window of the same name (Fig. 2.14).

In this window, configure the following parameters.

  • ? Once you select the Apply the following transition effect for menus and tooltips check box, a drop-down list is available from which you can choose whether to dim or expand menus and tooltips.
  • ? The Use the following screen font smoothing method checkbox is only available if your video adapter and monitor support at least 256 colors. When you check this box, you can select one of the following values ​​from the drop-down list: Normal (this method is recommended for stationary desktop monitors) or Clear Type (designed for laptop computers).
  • ? By checking the Use large icons checkbox, you enable the mode of using large icons for folders, files and shortcuts on the Desktop. This is convenient for people with low vision, but when this mode is turned on, fewer icons and shortcuts fit on the Desktop than usual.
  • ? By checking the Show shadows checkbox, dropped menus enable the display of transparent shadows, giving the menu a three-dimensional appearance.?
  • ? If the Show window contents when dragging check box is selected, the contents of the window will be displayed when you move or resize the window. If this check box is cleared, then when performing the specified actions, only the outline (borders) of the window will be displayed.
  • ? When the Hide call indicators from the keyboard until pressed check box is selected designations of active objects (interface elements) will be hidden until actual movement through the system begins (usually using the Alt, Tab or cursor keys). I note that in most cases such designations represent a rectangle of dots that surrounds the active object (interface element).

Most effects, of course, improve the ergonomics of the interface and have other advantages, but the following must be taken into account: the fewer effects are enabled, the less strain on the user’s vision. To paraphrase a well-known saying, in this case we can say: “Simplicity is the key to health.”

To switch to the mode for setting additional design parameters, click the Advanced button on the Design tab (see Fig. 2.13). As a result, the Additional Design window will appear on the screen, shown in Fig. 2.15.

In this window, you can fine-tune the design of each individual interface element.

The Element drop-down list contains interface elements whose design parameters can be changed. These parameters are configured in the Size, Font fields and using the Color 1, Color 2 buttons. These parameters are available depending on what value is selected in the Element list. For example, for the Active Window Title element, you can configure all of the listed parameters. If in the Element list you select the Desktop value, then only the Color 1 button will be available (see Fig. 2.15), etc. To save the settings you have made, click OK in this window. Using the Cancel button you can exit this mode without saving changes.

Many important parameters are located on the Options tab (see Figure 2.7). First of all, the screen resolution and refresh rate are set here. How to configure these parameters is described above, in the subsection “The most important technical characteristics of the monitor.”

From the Color rendering quality drop-down list, select the desired monitor color rendering quality. In most cases it is appropriate to use the default value.

If there are malfunctions in the monitor's operation, you should use the Diagnostics button to troubleshoot possible problems. When you click this button, the Help and Support Center window will appear on the screen, where you can find the necessary information on the problem that has arisen.

To switch to the mode for setting additional parameters of the monitor and video adapter, use the Advanced button. When you press this button, the window shown in Fig. 1 will appear on the screen. 2.16.

This window consists of several tabs: General, Adapter, Monitor, Diagnostics and Color Management. In the Compatibility area of ​​the tab

General (it is open in Fig. 2.16) there is a switch that can take the following positions:

  • ? Restart the computer with the new display settings - changes to the monitor settings take effect only after the computer is restarted;
  • ? Apply new display settings without rebooting - changes in monitor settings take effect immediately after clicking the Apply or OK button on the Settings tab (see Fig. 2.7);
  • ? Ask before applying new display settings - after changing monitor settings, the system will ask you to confirm the reboot.

Please note that some programs may not work correctly if you do not restart your computer after changing your monitor settings.

Please note that we will be talking about an approach for ordinary users; the article is not intended for professionals who have completely different requirements and costs for monitors.

Why set up a monitor?

The monitor is our eyes in the electronic world. It can be bad or good, in addition, the monitor can be configured incorrectly, which is usually the case. Have you seen the difference in color rendering between your TV and the TVs of your friends and relatives? If your TV/monitor is configured correctly and you pay attention to the colors in the monitors of your friends, you will immediately notice a difference in color saturation, increased contrast, and so on. On a properly configured monitor, you can see a maximum of color shades and brightness differences

Monitor settings, system defaults, stock cords, incorrect color profiles, stock drivers, and even monitor placement all play a role in setting up your monitor correctly. That is why, when looking at someone’s photograph on some monitor, you should not count on its correct color rendition - after all, photographers’ monitors may not be configured correctly. Achieving correct color rendering On an incorrectly configured monitor, the colors of the photo can be distorted. If you want to check how lying this or that monitor is, print out the photos.

Where to start setting up your monitor correctly?

First, remove anything that may interfere with the normal perception of color and color reproduction of the monitor. Place the monitor where no external lighting. It is advisable that there are no windows behind you, so that the light from the lamp does not fall into your monitor, either directly or at an angle. Professionals even have curtains that protect against light and glare; you hardly need curtains, but position your monitor so that no light falls on it.

How is the monitor connected? The monitor can be connected using a standard analog port VGA(blue plug and port) or via digital ports: DVI, HDMI DisplayPort or USB. If your computer and monitor have a digital port, connect through it. The transmission of digital data does not entail unnecessary interference, there is no conversion, it gives enough good difference contrast.

Setting up your monitor and video card- your computer will show the picture without installing any drivers for the monitor and video card, but it will be more correct if you install their “native” ones, fresh drivers(they are on the disks that came with your equipment or on official websites)

Monitor profiling - adjusting monitor color. If we already go to the monitor manufacturer’s website, then at the same time, download and install the color profile for the monitor. The color profile has a significant impact on color rendering.

The steps described above are not mandatory; individually they provide a small advantage, but together they will give a significant result.

Setting up the monitor

If you want to take this issue more seriously, you can rent a calibrator.

It is also worth knowing that once a correctly configured profile does not solve this issue forever, you need to monitor the correct color rendition of the monitor, since it may change over the course of its life.

There are also programs or websites (such as Lagom LCD) that you can use to test your monitor.

With their help you can configure your monitor. For example, to correctly adjust the brightness and contrast, look at the color plate above - we are interested in the bottom band with a gradation of gray. Ideally, you will see 32 rectangles with distinguishable edges between adjacent rectangles (and even the one on the far left should be different from the background). An excellent result will be if 32 gradations of all stripes are visible on your monitor, but if you can’t set it up like this, don’t worry, most likely you have a TFT TN matrix, that is, an inexpensive monitor for which this is normal.

So, adjusting brightness and contrast it happens like this:

  • if the rectangles merge at both edges of the strip, reduce the contrast
  • if the rectangles merge only on the left side of the strip, you need to increase the brightness; if on the right, reduce the brightness.
  • if the rectangles merge only on one side, but after changing the brightness they begin to merge on the other side - increase the contrast
  • Well, at the last stage, achieve a better result by gradually changing the brightness and contrast

Merging 1-3 rectangles is not critical if nothing better works out.

Naturally, after reconfiguring your monitor, it will seem to you that the contrast has weakened and the colors have faded. This Fine. You just got used to the previous setting, give your eyes time to readjust too, it will soon pass. Well, don’t forget, then, to set up the TV too, since you already know how to set up a monitor

Welcome to real world, Neo...

via: focused.ru/articles/monitor-adjustment/

Even the outstanding technical characteristics of a monitor do not guarantee that the image on the screen will be perfect. The quality of the picture depends on the display settings no less than on its electronic “stuffing”.

Factory settings in most cases do not allow the monitor to reach its full potential. There are three reasons for this.

1. Saving. The cheaper the display, the less attention the manufacturer pays to setting it up. And even enough expensive models(10–15 thousand rubles) are often configured far from ideally.

2. Individual differences between displays of the same model. At the design stage, the monitor components - matrix, backlight, control electronics - are adjusted to each other: backlight lamps are selected according to the emission spectrum and transmittance of the matrix subpixels, the control electronics sets the shape of the gamma curves, etc. However, the parameters of the components of a single monitor are always slightly different from the nameplate ones, and as a result, the image characteristics also “float”.

3. Background lighting. Factory settings are aimed at operating the display when certain color and brightness of background lighting. However, users have to work at the computer during the day when sunlight makes it difficult to see anything on the screen, then late in the evening, straining from the excessive brightness of the image. Yes, and the color of external lighting can change from bluish in lamps daylight to red at the “Ilyich light bulb”. As a result, the shades on the screen will also be perceived differently (the explanation for this is
see below for this phenomenon).

Incorrect settings lead to “crooked” color rendering. Most users don't notice how unrealistic the colors are on the screens they use every day. The human sensory system adapts to color distortions, and over time he ceases to see them. But if you put a “lying” monitor next to another, high-quality and correctly configured one, the difference in the image will be shocking: you may unexpectedly see that the faces in the photographs have an unhealthy blue tint, the grass is acid green, etc. In addition, when processing photographs on a monitor with incorrect color reproduction, the following unpleasant effect may occur: the user adjusts the colors in the photo, unknowingly compensating for the display's deficiencies, and as a result, the image is reproduced correctly only on this device. For example, if the monitor displays a picture with a blue tint, the user will turn down the brightness of this color in Photoshop and the photo will appear yellowish on other displays.

The second blow is taken by the perceived contrast: adjusting the electronics with incorrectly specified gamma curves makes the image faded and faded, or, conversely, too dark.

Fortunately, these shortcomings can be corrected. Most monitors allow you to customize image parameters within a wide range, and even with cheap models, color reproduction and contrast can be significantly improved. As for expensive displays, they can be adjusted with pinpoint precision, which allows them to be used even for professional color work.

At the same time, a well-tuned monitor is important not only for design, digital graphics and printing specialists. The pleasure of playing games or watching movies, as well as comfort when working with text and even the health of the user, depend on the correct settings. We owe chronic eye fatigue not only to constant sitting in front of a monitor, but also low quality Images.

Preparatory actions

Before you begin setting up your monitor, you need to let it run for about 15–20 minutes. During this time, it will have time to warm up, the backlights will go into regular mode work. In addition, you should clean the screen from dust and traces of touch. Use special ones for this wet wipes impregnated with an alcohol-based composition. They do not leave streaks and not only remove dirt well, but also provide antistatic protection for some time, protecting the screen from dust. It is helpful to read the manual that came with your monitor to understand the controls and available adjustments. Pay attention to the ability to move the menu from the center of the screen to its peripheral part– this may be needed during setup.

IN Display options Windows needs to set the correct values basic settings Images. IN Vista versions To access these parameters, right-click on Desktop, select “Personalization” from the drop-down list and in the window that opens, click on the “Display Settings” link. In Windows XP the same is enough context menu select “Properties”.

1. Move the slider in the “Resolution” section, setting the value corresponding to the “native” resolution of the display (in most cases, this is the maximum). Otherwise the image will be very blurry.

2. In the “Color Quality” menu, set the value to “Highest (32 bits)”.

3. Click on the “Advanced” button and in the window that opens, go to the “Monitor” tab. Select the maximum value from the drop-down list.

4. Close all open previous steps window by clicking the “Ok” button.

Setting up your monitor using the OSD menu

The easiest way to set up a monitor is to tinker with its on-screen menu. Unlike “ancient” displays on cathode ray tubes, the best models of which have a “wide” range of options, modern LCD monitors have an order of magnitude fewer adjustments available to the user (first of all, the image geometry settings have disappeared). Three of them are found in the menu of the vast majority of models and allow you to adjust the picture by eye, without using auxiliary “software” or additional hardware devices, although it is impossible to achieve a significant improvement in image quality in such a simple way.

1. Brightness . This parameter sets the overall backlight intensity of the image.

and equally affects both its darkest elements, up to black, and light ones, including pure white. Insufficient brightness makes the picture too dark, the difference between shades of similar intensity in the shadows becomes almost invisible (“shadows” and “highlights” are terms from professional photography, indicating the dark and light areas of the image), they merge with the black color. And too much brightness on displays with low contrast emphasizes “unreliable” black color. By increasing the brightness using the menu, it is necessary to achieve optimal reproduction of black on the screen, in which it remains quite dense, but shades close to it will be clearly visible. A photograph with a night scene taken with flash is perfect for this purpose.

2. Contrast. This setting should not be confused with contrast as a display characteristic.

Editing the corresponding OSD option will not deepen the blacks on the screen, but will only change the shape of the gamma curves. When too high contrast the picture looks too bright, “it hits the eyes”, which is especially noticeable when working with standard text (absolutely black letters on a bright white background). Because of this, the user quickly gets tired, general fatigue increases, and irreversible consequences for vision are possible in the future. Therefore, for everyday work not related to computer graphics, it is recommended to lower the contrast slightly. The picture will not be as rich as with the maximum value, but the strain on vision will be reduced. For viewing photographs and videos, amateur work with graphics programs and computer games contrast should be increased to the required level, focusing on high-quality reproduction the brightest areas of the picture: if you “sort out”, then the details in the highlights will disappear.


In addition, the contrast can be adjusted to the external lighting conditions, increasing during the day, especially in bright sun, and decreasing in the evening.

3. Colorful temperature. This term, familiar to amateur photographers, will also be found in the monitor settings menu.

In this case, this parameter sets the ratio of brightness of red, green and blue colors in the image on the monitor. It is measured in degrees Kelvin and is called temperature because it corresponds to the radiation spectrum of a completely black body heated to the appropriate temperature. The higher the color temperature, the cooler (paradox of perception) the hue of the image.

To a person, the colors of objects look the same regardless of the lighting, although in fact they change noticeably - this is clearly visible in photographs. When the lighting changes, the brain finds environment familiar objects and sets “white balance” based on them. At the same time, the colors of objects in which he is less “confident” (including on the monitor screen) are adjusted accordingly. This phenomenon is easy to check at home: paper sheets look white in the light of an incandescent lamp, but the document field in Microsoft Word has a bluish tint (unless, of course, the color rendering is shifted towards warm tones; in addition, the strength of this effect depends on the size of the screen - the brain “trusts” the color of a large object more strongly and begins to take it into account when setting its “white balance”).

By adjusting the color temperature of the display, the user can adjust the hue of the picture to the spectrum of background lighting - then the difference in perception will disappear. The menu of LCD monitors usually offers several options to choose from. fixed values color temperature. Smaller numbers give the image a warmer feel. pink tint, high values make the gamma colder, bluish. Standard color temperature values ​​correspond to several types of lighting: 2000K – household lamp incandescent, 3000K – fluorescent lamp with a “warm” phosphor, 4000K – fluorescent lamp with a “cool” phosphor, 5500K – bright daylight, 6500K – medium-brightness daylight (aka D65, is the standard value for most displays), from 7500K to 8100K – cloudy “weather” and 9300K – shadow. When changing the nature of the backlight, you must select the appropriate option on the display, but not all monitors have such wide range color temperature settings. In this regard, outdated CRT displays are more convenient: good models allow you to set any custom parameter value. On LCD monitors, for this you have to “conjure” with separate sliders for red, green and blue colors.

Using them, only a color correction specialist can set the correct color temperature.

Monitor software setup

The OSD menu allows you to only rough tuning display (although even such “processing with a file” in some cases will significantly increase the quality of the picture). You can more carefully adjust the image parameters using specialized programs. The principle of their operation is simple: specially selected images are displayed on the screen, and the user changes the parameters of the picture until it takes the form specified by the program instructions. The accuracy of display calibration using such applications directly depends on the visual acuity and meticulousness of the user.

In simple calibrator programs, settings are made using the monitor's on-screen menu. As a result, quickly changing settings is only possible if the monitor allows you to save user profiles. In addition, when you change the color intensity using the OSD menu, the brightness of the color will decrease proportionally in both light and dark areas. Moreover, if the corresponding gamma curve of the display has dips or “humps,” simple linear color compensation can only smooth them out, but not completely eliminate them.

More complex utilities require the user to " feedback» in the form of selecting certain items in test tasks, and “at the output” they record the so-called ICC profile of the monitor, which contains compensating gamma curves, which, when superimposed on the display curves, give uniform color rendition over the entire brightness range (of course, with strong errors, but this option is still better than simple linear compensation).

Most utilities for subjective monitor calibration are universal and allow you to adjust all image parameters in one pass. However, we recommend using two different programs to adjust the display: one is more suitable for adjusting brightness and contrast, the other is better at color correction.

Adjusting Brightness and Contrast Using EIZO MonitorTest

To adjust the brightness and contrast of the image, you can use the free EIZO MonitorTest utility. The purpose of using this and similar programs– set the brightness and contrast values ​​so that the brightness transitions are clearly visible in dark areas of lighting, but the black color remains deep enough. After downloading the archive with the utility to your hard drive, follow these steps.

1. Unpack the archive and run the .exe file in the program's welcome window

Click the forward button to move to the test pictures.2. At the bottom of the screen, an information banner of the program is displayed indicating the serial number and purpose of the open test picture.

Of all the tests contained in the program, we need option number 14/24.

Press the forward button until you reach it. Did you miss it? No problem – go back by pressing the “back” button.

3. Call up the monitor's OSD menu and, if possible, move it to the side so that it does not cover the scale located in the center of the test picture,

which contains a “palette” of eight dark shades on a black background and eight light shades on a white background.

4. Set the contrast control in the monitor OSD to maximum and the brightness control to minimum.

5. Increase the brightness until the background and everything are visible dark rectangles at the top of the scale. Now gradually reduce the brightness until only rectangles numbered 6 to 24 remain distinct, and the leftmost one, corresponding to a hue with an intensity of 1.2%, merges with the black background.

Remember that if you set the menu too high brightness, the monitor will not be able to display blacks correctly, and excessively low brightness will lead to loss of shades in dark parts of the image.

6. After adjusting the brightness, select the appropriate contrast for the ambient lighting conditions. As you decrease it, stop at the value at which large rectangles around the central scale will remain clear and will differ sharply from each other in intensity. You can control how the monitor displays the lightest shades close to white using the lower half of the central scale. It’s not scary if the rightmost rectangles with numbers 252 and 249 merge with the white background - this is how it should be if the contrast of the picture is normal.


7. To exit the program, double-click the “turn off” icon on the test screen and in the splash window.

You won't have to change the brightness settings later as you work, since your monitor is already adjusted to display dark shades correctly. You will have to use the contrast regulator to achieve comfortable viewing images according to external lighting.

Color settings

You can improve the color fidelity of your monitor's images by using a small free program called Monitor Calibration Wizard. The utility supports gamma curve compensation and will allow you to save the ICC profile of the monitor after passing all tests. To get a profile, follow these steps:

1. Run the program installer. If your computer has OS installed Windows Vista, you will need administrator rights to install the program. Right-click on the file name, select “Run as administrator” from the menu that opens and confirm the Windows security prompt.

2. After the installation window appears, click on the “Next” button four times, wait until the file copying process is completed and close the installation window by successively clicking on the “Finish” and “Ok” buttons.

3. Monitor Calibration Wizard will launch automatically. Click the “Run Wizard” button in the program window, then click “Start” to start setting up.

4. Before calibration, the utility will ask you to adjust the contrast and brightness of the monitor. She suggests doing this using white and black rectangles in the window.

which is not very clear and convenient. If you have already adjusted the brightness and contrast using EIZO MonitorTest, click "Continue".
5. Now you have to work with red, green and blue colors in turn. The red adjustment window will appear first. The first thing you need to do is move the slider from left to right and ensure that the top square is barely noticeably divided into bright and slightly darkened halves.

Achieve a similar result with the bottom square: moving the slider under it from right to left, divide it into a black half and a dark red half that is barely noticeably different from it. Using these manipulations, the maximum and minimum levels intensity of red color.

6. Alternately moving the sliders under the remaining seven targets left or right, try to reach as many as possible exact match reference ( outer part square, composed of alternating colored and black pixels) and adjustable brightness the central part of the square. To make this easier, we recommend looking at the custom target using your peripheral vision - focusing on the text above the target block or on the button below it.

7. Once you have dealt with all the target squares in this window, evaluate the results and, if necessary, try to complete more precise settings(the program, alas, does not allow you to go back). Click on the "Continue" button. You will be taken to a similar green setting window, and then of blue color. Repeat the procedures described in steps 5 and 6. When you have finished adjusting the blue, click “Continue” again.

8. Charts in the next window show compensating gamma curves before and after calibration. Assess the differences. To test the new settings in action, click on the “15 Second Test” button and then “Ok”. Over the next 15 seconds, the picture on the monitor will be displayed using the created profile (we recommend checking the effect on some color photo by first opening it in the viewer).


9 The program also recommends checking how picture brightness correction in combination with the ICC profile affects the image: move the Brightness slider and click on the “15 Second Test” and “Ok” buttons.

10 If you are satisfied with the calibration results, click on the “Apply” button.

The created color profile will be used in the system. Otherwise, you can click “Cancel” to continue without installing a profile.

11 The program returns us to the original window. For what? First, you should save the current (just created and activated) profile to a file - to do this, you need to type its name in the “Profile Name” field and click on the “Save” button. In addition, using the “Load Profile” section, you can load another profile and test it by clicking the “Test” button (selecting the default option allows you to return to the original system settings).

By checking the “Load at Windows Startup” checkbox, you will tell the Monitor Calibration Wizard utility to load the profile every time Windows startup. The checkbox in the “Persistent profile, don’t let the current profile change” checkbox ensures that the utility is loaded into the system tray and restores the effect of the color profile after some other program tries to cancel it (this is what games often do). The “Apply fix to override driver level color correction” option helps to cope with situations where color management for one reason or another is carried out not at the Windows profile level, but in the graphics card driver. However, you can check this box only if it is really necessary, since enabling this mode will increase the load on the computer processor

Almost all users computer systems while working, they want to see a clear, rich picture on the screen. Color is one of the components that greatly influences the image and also does not tire the eyes. But not everyone knows how to properly set up a monitor for correct color reproduction and check the settings made. Of course, in each specific case it all depends on personal preferences, but several general advice you can still give it. Let's look at some basic tools.

Setting color rendering: related parameters and factors

So, the user was faced with the problem of checking the set parameters for correct color rendering. What to do first? First, you need to clearly understand that adjusting just these parameters may not give much improvement.

The fact is that in this case many related factors play a role. For example, before calibrating colors, you need to decide on the place where the monitor itself is constantly located, what the illumination is in this place, whether it changes during the day, whether direct sunlight or electric light falls on the screen, etc. Depending on this, the settings can be completely different.

In addition, it is worth considering that big influence Brightness, contrast, and many other factors influence color settings. In addition to all this, the question of how to configure the monitor for correct color reproduction on a laptop or perform similar actions on a stationary device or television panel to which it may be connected may have completely different solutions. computer terminal. More on this later.

Dependence on the type of matrix and graphics adapter

Another challenge in deciding how to set up a monitor for correct color reproduction is the variety of modern types of matrices. Setting the same parameters on monitors with CRT, TN or IPS matrices is not the same in terms of the resulting image.

For example, IPS matrices can be easily configured without using software methods, because they are made using such technology that when looking at the screen at an angle, the image practically does not change. But other screens may produce glare or change colors.

In the same way, screens can be configured differently depending on what video card is installed. Manufacturers usually supply them with special utilities The settings are already pre-installed, so color calibration is best done using them. In addition, it is precisely these utilities that allow you to change parameters in relation to normal operation or for playing computer games. As a rule, access to color settings and other parameters is carried out from a menu called up by clicking on the adapter icon in the system tray. And, I must say, they can make installations automatically.

Visual determination of image quality

Finally, before you start directly deciding how to configure the monitor for correct color rendering (use software or limit yourself to system tools), you need to evaluate how feasible this is.

The most important scourge of all screens is a change in color or contrast when viewed from the side. First, you should move a few meters away from the screen and see how the image changes. At the same time, it is worth paying attention to the presence horizontal stripes, changing in the vertical direction. If they are visible too clearly, you will have to do some adjustments (this can be done in the adapter properties on the “Monitor” tab). The higher the frequency, the better. As a rule, the optimal setting is initially applied by default, but separately standing monitor a computer or laptop screen can support higher parameters. Therefore, you need to test each of them by selecting the appropriate frequencies in the drop-down menu.

How to set up your monitor for correct color reproduction: desktop devices

Now about the setup itself. As a rule, most modern computer monitors(not laptop screens) are already equipped during manufacturing with their own means for setting the necessary parameters.

To solve the question of how to set up the monitor for correct color reproduction, in the most simple case need to press special button menu on the front panel or side to enter the corresponding menu. When you select the desired section using two buttons, you can adjust all parameters. But, as is already clear, such settings are primitive, and the monitors themselves are clearly limited in their ability to fine-tune all the necessary parameters.

How to properly adjust monitor color rendering using Windows?

Although you can access color adjustments on Windows systems through personalization or screen settings (both sections can be accessed from the right-click menu on an empty space of the Desktop), it is still better to use a special calibration tool. The easiest way to call it is through the search bar of the Start menu, where the word “calibration” is written. You can also access this tool, for example, in Windows 10 through the screen options, where you select additional settings. You should first set it to optimal (recommended) or use higher settings if supported.

Next, you will need to follow the recommendations of the “Wizard,” changing certain settings along the way. Special attention You need to pay attention to setting the number of displayed colors and depth. You don’t have to experiment with the quantity, but the color depth for the displayed graphic objects for almost everyone modern devices must be set to 32 bits.

Testing and configuration using RealColor

It is considered that one of the most optimal solutions The problem with how to set up your monitor for correct color reproduction is the use of a special wallpaper called RealColor, which is vaguely reminiscent of the adjustment grid that used to be used on TVs.

You just need to download the wallpaper with a resolution corresponding to that installed on your computer monitor or laptop screen, and then open it in full. Next, you should look at the screen from a normal distance. But it is better to use a special picture, in which, with optimal color settings, a smooth gray gradient should be visible. If streaking is visible or other colors are mixed in, the monitor is not calibrated. A similar result should be observed for images with colored letters and circles on a gray background.

In most cases, the result will not live up to your hopes, so you will have to use special utilities. One could, of course, recommend the special Atrise Lutcurve application, but the program is paid ($25), and most users simply cannot afford it.

Image calibration in Adobe Gamma

Thus, if you decide how to set up your monitor for correct color rendering using software, you can use Adobe Gamma as a testing utility, however, this program is basically designed for color calibration when working in Photoshop (so that the image on the screen does not differ depending on what will be printed).

When starting the application, it is better to select a special “Wizard” (step by step) and create a description of the new profile. Next, as in the case of calibration in Windows, you need to follow the instructions and recommendations, changing the parameters manually.

We set the glow type to HDTV (CCIR 709) or our own, leave only one checkbox for consideration and determine the so-called color temperature of the white point (for daylight the value is set to 6500K). Next, three light squares will be shown, from which you will need to choose the most neutral gray. At the last stage, all that remains is to set the point display as hardware and save the profile. If you need to make changes, editing the profile or launching a new test can be done from the system tray.

Using online services

In principle, you can evaluate the correctness of the set color rendering parameters using special web services like monteon.ru, however, they do not have their own configuration tools, but in the test results they give enough detailed descriptions problems and recommendations for eliminating them.

conclusions

As a conclusion, we can only note that fine-tuning color rendering is quite a difficult task, especially since these parameters depend on huge amount third party factors and conditions. Therefore in different situations and the settings used may differ sharply from each other.

But many will ask, what should I use? In the simplest case, you can limit yourself to using Windows. Well, in programmatically It is better to configure the settings through the utilities supplied with the graphics adapters (if such programs exist). In most cases, they save the user from changing settings manually and can optimize all parameters based on the selected operating mode.

How to calibrate your monitor | Two Reasons to Calibrate Your Monitor

If you have already gone through all the stages described, it means that a lot has already been done. If your monitor does not have a color management system, or you want to create ICC profile– you are welcome to the next section, where we will explain in detail how it works.

How to calibrate your monitor | Application: How to adjust color

In monitor reviews, we always measure the color gamut and brightness of the signal, even if in most cases these parameters are not adjustable. This requires a color management system (CMS), which is not available on most monitors. In particular, our experience with this feature is based on only a couple of expensive TVs and projectors. If your monitor settings include color gamut presets, you can use them to improve color accuracy. You should choose the one that is best suited for necessary for the user tasks (sRGB/Rec. 709 for most applications or Adobe RGB 1998 for image editing). A measurement must then be carried out to ensure that the preset meets the standard requirements.

Let's carry out small lesson"anatomy".


Chromaticity of AOC Q2963PM after calibration

You will find a diagram like this in all of our monitor reviews. This particular one belongs to the monitor AOC Q2963PM. At the top is the color saturation field. Color saturation level is simply the distance from the white point on the CIE chart. The reference dots can be seen running in a straight line from the white dot towards each primary and secondary color. The further the point is from the center, the greater the saturation until the measurement reaches 100% at the top of the gamut triangle. Instead of measuring only the 100% saturation level, we also measure stops at 20, 40, 60 and 80%. If you only measure saturation at 100%, many monitors can generate nice-looking charts. Measurements different levels give more accurate color gamut results.

The middle part of the chart shows the brightness of the color gamut. This is the third dimension of color that is missing from the CIE chart. We believe it has a greater impact on perceived color accuracy than the points on the gamut triangle. The shorter the columns, the higher the quality. U of this monitor it's excellent.

The bottom chart contains Delta E error data. It also shows values ​​below three to the naked eye invisible. Our chart shows the errors for each color at each saturation level.

If you have one of the very rare displays with a color management system, this may come in handy quick guide by setting it up. Please remember that no two systems are alike and some may not work correctly. You should use the CMS carefully, using the necessary tools and understanding that your actions may not improve the quality of the image.

Traditional CMSs have three adjustments for each primary and secondary color: Hue, Saturation, and Lightness. Obviously, each has certain effects. Let's take another look at the blank CIE chart.

For example, if you adjust the tone to green, the color point will shift towards cyan or yellow. If you adjust the tone of a secondary color, its point will move towards one of the primary colors that it is composed of. For example, purple moves between blue and red.

Adjusting saturation moves a color closer and further from the gamut triangle. As with the grayscale adjustment chart (bullseye), you can manipulate hue and saturation adjustments to bring the color point into the target square.

Now let's look at adjusting the brightness.

In CMS, brightness is simply another term for signal brightness. To configure it, you first need to set the color points on the CIE chart. Then, starting with red, adjust the lightness until the bars shown above are as close to zero as possible. It sounds simple, and maybe it is. There is a chance that all three settings will influence each other, and you will have to tinker a lot to get the best result. Setting up a CMS can take a long time. However, the basic procedure involves adjusting the hue and saturation for each color, and then you need to go back to adjusting the lightness.

Creating an ICC profile

Most monitors have chromaticity data built into the firmware, but this assumes it was measured correctly at the factory. And, based on our experience, we know that no two monitors are identical. It is best to create an ICC profile by measuring the primary colors yourself. We use the free QuickMonitorProfile program for this.

After collecting the CIE coordinates for each primary color, you have everything you need to create a profile. All you have to do is select Custom from the Chromaticity drop-down menu, and then enter the X and Y values ​​for each color. You can then save them so that you can return to them later if necessary.

How to calibrate your monitor | Calibrate your monitors to improve image quality

Since the calibration steps are well-diluted with theoretical information, we decided to combine them into one compact list of recommendations:

  1. Warm up the monitor for at least 30 minutes before taking any measurements. It's better to be sure that the backlight is completely stable.
  2. Select a picture mode that allows you to access all possible settings, including points for levels, gamma, grayscale, and chroma.
  3. Customize your levels with PLUGE and templates. Try to prevent clipping of the darkest and lightest areas of the brightness scale. It may be worth using a meter to determine the maximum light level. We always use 200 cd/sq.m.
  4. Set the gamma control to 2.2, if available. To unlock the RGB sliders, the color temperature setting must be set to custom or custom.
  5. Make sure the gamma is close to 2.2. If not, change the preset.
  6. Using the 80% white template as an example, adjust the RGB sliders using a meter and appropriate software. We like the bar and bull's-eye charts, but you can use whatever method you prefer and use to set the white point to 6500K or D65.
  7. Measure color gamut using window templates. Record CIE coordinates to create an ICC profile. Some software packages will do this for you. If your monitor offers a choice of color gamuts, choose one that the best way suitable for your needs. sRGB/Rec. 709 are great for gaming, watching videos and working on a PC. Adobe RGB 1998 is suitable for photo editors if the camera has the same color gamut.
  8. Check the results with a final series of measurements. Now everything is ready!

The main advantage of this method over a software compatibility table is related to stability. With LUTs, it's very easy to start chasing color settings after each other, especially when you add an additional ICC profile variable. Each application performs its functions slightly differently, and a slight change in color on your monitor can mean a big inconvenience later when you're printing an image, for example. When the display is properly configured with its own adjustments, there is no need for a LUT and you can use a single ICC profile that is turned on or off depending on the application. For example, when creating graphs for reviews, we do not use profiles, since everything is created for the Internet.

If you want to figure out which monitor to buy, it's fairly easy to create your own benchmarks based on the steps above. Then you will know exactly the weaknesses or strengths of the display. Similar to how we look at brightness, gamma, grayscale and color, you can test these parameters to find a model that suits your needs.

If after reading this material you still have or have new questions, we would like to warn you that a new article on this topic is coming. Next time we'll focus on the CalMAN CalPC package. SpectraCal has several kits with inexpensive meters and a template-generating client module for about $300. If you already have a measuring device, you can additionally buy the program online for $149.

We hope you now have a better understanding of monitor calibration and how the built-in adjustments work to improve image quality. By following the steps given in this article, which we use in our reviews, anyone with necessary tools, can achieve the same results.