To calibrate a monitor, start by putting it in a neutral preset (often called sRGB, Standard, or Movie off/Game off), then adjust brightness, contrast, and color using either built‑in OS tools or a hardware calibrator for the most accurate result. The basic steps are similar on Windows, macOS, and most displays, with the main differences in where you find the settings.
Prepare your setup
- Let the monitor warm up for 20–30 minutes so brightness and colors stabilize.
- Work in a dim, consistent light (no direct sunlight on the screen) and disable any dynamic contrast/eco/“eye care” modes that change brightness automatically.
- Reset the monitor picture settings or choose a neutral preset like sRGB/Standard as a starting point.
Use system calibration tools
- On Windows 10/11, open the Start menu, type “Calibrate display color,” and follow the wizard to adjust gamma, brightness, contrast, and color balance; Windows 11 also offers a separate HDR calibration app for HDR screens.
- On macOS, go to System Settings (or System Preferences) → Displays → Color → Calibrate and run the display calibrator assistant to create a color profile.
- After finishing, make sure the new profile is selected as the default for that display.
Adjust brightness, contrast, and gamma
- Set brightness so whites are bright but not glaring and you can still see detail in dark areas; many guides recommend around 80–120 cd/m² in a dim room, which usually corresponds to roughly 20–50% on the monitor slider.
- Increase contrast until white areas are crisp but not “blown out”; if text halos or light shades merge together, lower it slightly.
- Use built‑in patterns (in the OS wizard) or sites like Lagom LCD tests to fine‑tune gamma so mid‑tones look correct and gray ramps are smooth.
Correct color and white balance
- If your monitor offers RGB gain/offset controls, use gray test images to make neutral grays truly neutral (no red, green, or blue tint).
- Select a color temperature of 6500K (often labeled “Normal” or “Warm”) for general use and photo/video work, which matches standard daylight‑like white.
- Avoid copying someone else’s ICC profile for your exact model, because each unit varies and this can actually worsen accuracy.
For professional accuracy (optional)
- For color‑critical work, use a hardware colorimeter (e.g., X‑Rite/Calibrite or Datacolor Spyder) with calibration software such as ccProfiler or DisplayCAL to create a custom ICC profile per monitor.
- Recalibrate every few months because panels drift over time, especially if you use them many hours per day.
If you share your operating system and what you use the monitor for (gaming, movies, photo editing, etc.), more specific settings can be suggested.
