How To: Monitor Calibration
In order to view images as accurately as possible, you should adjust your monitor's brightness and contrast so that you can easily see each of the grayscale steps in the strip below. You should be able to barely detect the difference in brightness between the two sections on the far right. In addition, if the overall strip appears to have a color tint, you should also adjust your monitor's color composition.
This is only intended as a simple guide. For accurate colour reproduction you should consider a full colour management solution such as the Spyder calibrator from Colorvision or the Pantone Huey.
The following image has been designed so that when viewed at a distance, the central square should appear to have the same shade as the grey background, whereas the leftmost and rightmost squares will appear slightly darker and lighter than the background, respectively.
If this is not the case, then your screen will display images much lighter or darker than at which they are intended to be viewed. To correct for this, set your display to maximum contrast (if possible), and then adjust the brightness setting until the central square blends in completely. This is best verified by taking several steps back from your display, closing one eye, and partially opening the other so that you are seeing the screen slightly out of focus.
