Reference image files for monitor calibration?

[Chris3000]

Is there a known accurate reference image file or files I can use to calibrate my monitor that anyone knows about? I just need to ballpark black, white, and color, and I can do it by eye.

[davescm]

Don't confuse monitor adjustment by eye with calibration. Manual adjustment will invalidate the monitor profile in your operating system (see below) which means that the colour management system will be using a profile that no longer describes the behaviour of your monitor.

You can download test images to check a calibrated and profiled monitor from sites such as  https://www.colourmanagement.net/downloads_listing

Calibration is bringing a monitor to a known standard and is carried out in conjunction with profiling. Profiling creates the file uploaded to your operating system which describes exactly how your monitor behaves in the state of adjustment when it is profiled. That file is then used by colour managed applications (including Photoshop) to convert document colour values to those required by the monitor in order to display those document colours correctly. Any manual adjustment after the profile is made invalidates that profile. So a manual adjustment requires a new calibration and profile to be prepared. This can only be done with a hardware device and associated software such as the Calibrite Display.

Dave

[Rob_Cullen]

One example (Printer Test File) found at-

http://www.digitaldog.net/tips/

The 'eye' can be easily fooled with color. Only a calibration device can be relied upon for the best color management.

[D Fosse]

I can do it by eye.

By @Chris3000

You think you can, but you can't. And anyway - that's not the real point. Calibration is just ballpark anyway, it's not necessarily very accurate and it doesn't have to be. The main purpose of calibration is to set the white point brightness and color.

The real accuracy provided by a calibrator is the second operation it performs: measuring the calibrated monitor and making an icc profile that describes it, in detail. This profile has a much higher precision level than any adjustment you can do to the monitor itself.

Using this profile in a standard profile conversion, Photoshop sends fully corrected numbers to the monitor, so that the file is accurately represented on screen.

Once you've used a calibrator, you'll never look back. That's because you suddenly have something you didn't have before - confidence in your work. The value of that is something you don't fully realize until you're there, and you wonder how you ever managed before. No more guesswork. You can send files away knowing they're right.

A calibrator isn't expensive. You pay more for an SSD drive, and people don't complain about that.

[Chris3000]

I've worked off of monitors set up by myself, processing thousands of images for web and print use and never had a problem. As long as I can SEE pure black and it's zero, pure white that's 255, a full range of grey and accurate colors, that's all that matters. 

[davescm]

'As long as I can SEE pure black and it's zero, pure white that's 255, a full range of grey and accurate colors, that's all that matters.'

That is part of the point we are making - you are not seeing accurate colours or shaades of grey. You can see all shades of grey even when the transfer curve (which describes how bright each point on the scale should be) is completely different to that described in the monitor profile. You can see colours even though the actual colour of red, green and blue primaries can be different to those described in your monitor profile and used by the sytem and Photoshop to translate values sent to the monitor, in other words they are not accurate. You are seeing something that is acceptable to you on your closed system through a monitor profile that is inaccurate and a monitor adjusted by eye to compensate somewhat for that inaccuracy. You will then adjust your images to work with that inaccuracy on your closed system. In isolation that is fine and works for you.

The other part of the issue happens when you send those images onward. If I adjust images on my calibrated and profiled system and send them to D Fosse, or anyone else with a properly colour managed system, they will see them as I intended. If you send your images to me, D Fosse, or anyone else with a color managed system, we will not see them as you intended. ICC colour management was created to get consistent colour across devices, and across users, from monitors to print. It relies on all those devices having accurate ICC colour profiles, something which can only be done with a hardware profiling device.

In short, you can choose to set up your monitor by eye and accept that the monitor profile no longer describes your monitor, but don't be mislead into thinking that it is either accurate on any system, including yours, or consistent when sending images to others, it is not.

Dave

[Stephen Marsh · Accepted solution]

To visually verify calibration, some options include:

http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/

https://drpp-ny.org/calibration-references/

[Chris3000]

That's exactly what I needed, thanks. 

[NB, colourmanagement]

@Chris3000 I think you need a printed reference as well as the onscreen image.

I guess you're aware that the modern way (for many years) to set up a display properly is to calibrate and profile it using a hardware sensor. I seriously doubt you'd be able to use your eye to balance black, white, and color and get anywhere near a p[properly calibrated display. More here

However if you want a reference please check out the test image, instruction manual and certified proof kit that can be purchased here

I hope this helps

neil barstow - adobe forum volunteer,

colourmanagement consultant & co-author of 'getting colour right'

See my free articles on colour management online

Help others by clicking "Correct Answer" if the question is answered.

Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here. "Upvote" is for useful posts

[Chris3000]

I've never used a hardware sensor or anything other that my eyes to set up video monitors and computer monitors. I've post produced more broadcast commercials and more ecomm and print catalog images than I can even remember, and never had any issues. 

[NB, colourmanagement]

@Chris3000 good luck then, I hope it continues to work for you 

neil barstow - adobe forum volunteer

[NB, colourmanagement]

@Chris3000 your post just popped up again! I can't work out why - anyhow I use this: 

please go here and download the Adobe RGB testimage: https://www.colourmanagement.net/downloads_listing/

It has memory colours so its somewhat obvious if ther display is way off.

I hope this helps

neil barstow colourmanagement - adobe forum volunteer,

colourmanagement consultant & co-author of 'getting colour right'

See my free articles on colourmanagement online

Help others by clicking "Correct Answer" if the question is answered.

Found the answer elsewhere? Share it here. "Upvote" is for useful posts