Graphics Programs Reference
In-Depth Information
Setting up a calibrated workflow so that your
computer knows how your printer and moni-
tor render each color is key to getting consis-
tent prints of your photos. This process
involves two key steps: calibrating your moni-
tor and calibrating your printer. Although set-
ting up a calibrated workflow might sound
very complex, it's actually rather easy.
Adobe RGB 1998
sRGB
Calibrating your
monitor
The first part of setting up a calibrated work-
flow is to figure out how your monitor renders
colors. For example, a shade of red could look
darker or bluer or more orange, and so forth,
on your monitor than on another monitor.
Calibrating your monitor lets your computer
(and Aperture) know that it needs to correct
this shade of red so that it matches the red
standard.
7.1
The larger Adobe RGB 1998 and the smaller
sRGB color spaces on top of a CIE 1931 diagram
with all colors.
To calibrate your monitor, you need a special device called a colorimeter. This device reads the
light coming out of your monitor and uses it to build a color profile for your monitor. A color pro-
file is a file that describes a device's color space. At the time of writing, there are three devices that
we suggest checking out. The X-Rite Pantone Huey is a low-cost tool that can give reasonable
results, although its results are not as accurate as other tools. The Datacolor Spyder 3 is a great
midrange tool that generates very good profiles. The X-Rite ColorMunki (see Figure 7.2) is a very
high-quality spectrophotometer that is capable of calibrating your monitor, projector, and printer.
Although more expensive than the other two devices, the ColorMunki is our currently recom-
mended calibration device.
Although these devices have very impressive names, they're fairly easy to use. Follow the direc-
tions for the device you purchase, but in general, you'll install a piece of software, launch it, hang
the device from your monitor when prompted, and then save the resulting profile (and switch
your system to use it).
