Monitor Calibration
Monitor calibration in the field of web design may not
seem like a big deal since most users do not have calibrated
monitors. But it is a big deal and here is why. Color management
is here to stay. For the print design world there is no
turning back. Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, PageMaker,
Macromedia Freehand, CorelDraw and QuarkXpress all support
color management (which means monitor profiles, press profiles
and proofer profiles).
It is only a matter of time before color management takes
the web by storm as well. Our advice to those doing web
design is to start using color management now so that you
won't be playing the make-up game later. The first step
in color management is having a calibrated monitor to work
from. Color Partnership makes an excellent product called
OptiCal, which is software for calibrating your monitor.
Along with OptiCal you will also need an X-Rite DTP92 colorimeter
(hardware) for reading the different colors and tonal range
of your monitor into the OptiCal software.
Designing with a calibrated monitor means you are ahead
of the game when color management becomes affordable to
the average user. Right now there is a certain amount of
sloppiness with web designers because there is no requirement
for accurate color on the web. Who will know? But in a few
short years, everyone will be able to view color on the
web, more or less equally (at least it will be as close
as the print world is today).
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