monitor calibration kit
There are literally entire books dedicated to the art of color management, and while there is no substitute for a hardware color calibrator, here are some helpful hints and tools to get your monitor in the ballpark for accurate photographic colors. Please note, however, that due to the very nature of color management workflows, Horn Photo cannot guarantee a perfect match between your monitor's color (which is projected light) and what is printed (which is reflected light). The purpose of this guide is to help eliminate some variables.
Set your monitor's color to sRGB or 6500k
Set your monitor's gamma to 2.2
From there, it's time to dial in your monitor's brightness and contrast to match what our lab produces on paper.
Fine Tuning
Obtain a printed copy of our monitor calibration target from our store.
Save this image and open it in your graphic editing software (do not calibrate based on what your web browser is doing).
Hold the printed copy of the image next to your monitor and compare it to the version displayed in your graphic editing software.
Adjust the brightness, contrast, and color settings on your monitor to match the printed version as closely as possible.
final tips
Be sure that your monitor has had a chance to warm up for at least 30 minutes before calibrating
Avoid wearing bright colors or reflective material as this can contaminate the light being reflected off of your monitor
Be sure to hold the printed version of the calibration image beside the monitor, not in front of it. The back-lighting from the monitor will change the luminosity of the print.
Consult your monitor's user manual or manufacturer website for instructions on how to adjust color temperature, brightness, contrast, etc.
Questions? We would love to hear from you.