Monitor Calibration: Free Photoshop Tutorial

Calibrating a monitor to achieve accurate color representation can be a challenging but necessary task, accomplished by utilizing a hardware calibrator, which eliminates the guesswork.

This exercise is excerpted from Noble Desktop’s past Photoshop color managment training materials and is compatible with Photoshop updates through 2018. To learn current skills in Photoshop, check out our Photoshop Bootcamp and graphic design classes in NYC and live online.

Exercise Overview

To calibrate a monitor you can use your naked eye and software, but this method is often unreliable and can make your monitor color worse and less accurate!

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The best solution is to use a hardware calibrator. Purchasing or borrowing a spectrophotometer eliminates the guesswork. Companies like ColorVision, X-Rite (formerly Gretag/Macbeth), and others sell calibrators that typically cost around $70–$300.

  1. The calibrator will come with instructions, but the general workflow is:

    • Install the software.
    • Plug in the USB hardware calibrator.
    • Run the software that was installed, following the on-screen prompts.
    • Enjoy your calibrated monitor.
  2. For best results, calibrate your monitor before doing the exercises in this workbook.

photo of Dan Rodney

Dan Rodney

Dan Rodney has been a designer and web developer for over 20 years. He creates coursework for Noble Desktop and teaches classes. In his spare time Dan also writes scripts for InDesign (Make Book JacketProper Fraction Pro, and more). Dan teaches just about anything web, video, or print related: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Figma, Adobe XD, After Effects, Premiere Pro, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and more.

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