Monitor Calibration

If you view photographs on a computer professionally, you'll want to able to correctly judge your screen for contrast, colour and brightness. Hardware calibration is your only option. Even the cheapest device will show a dramatic improvement in the way your monitor renders colours. X-Rite and Datacolor offer colorimeters from around €100,-, so cost should not be an obstacle for any one.

The NIDF (Netherlands Institute for Digital Photography) has an excellent tutorial on colour management (PDF, Dutch only) . Topics include colour calibration, colour settings in Photoshop, and setup and lighting standards for the workplace. A must for every photographer, picture editor, art director or graphic designer!

Contrast, brightness & colour

If you don't have a hardware calibrated monitor, you can use the grayscale below to adjust your monitor. You should be able to see difference between X, Y and Z, and ideally also between A, B and C. The grayscale should be completely neutral without any colour cast.

Screen ratio

Not every screen displays Length x Width in the right proportions. The image below should appear square. Measure it with a ruler, or cover your monitor with a sheet of paper on which you mark lenght and width. You should adjust your monitor if the values are more than 5-10% off.