Jonathan Briggs Online
If you've just purchased a new monitor or you're using an existing monitor with a new computer or you just feel your existing monitor and computer setup could be improved then this is how I currently go about setting up a monitor and it's associated computer. To follow this procedure you will need a web browser installed plus either live internet access or you'll need to download the Lagom test images and transfer them to the system to be setup. For some monitors you will not be able to achieve all the targets set, this is normal and is a function of the quality of the monitor, the graphics card capability and the connecting cable's quality. The more you spend the better the performance is likely to be.
Make a note of your monitor and graphics card settings as you go, you don't want to repeat the whole procedure if someone subsequently adjusts your monitor without your permission.
- Switch the computer and monitor on and after the computer's finished booting allow at least 15 minutes for everything to warm up.
- Set the room light to be subdued, we want to be able to see monitor screen clearly and to be able to see the difference between the background black level and any image displayed. If it's during the day and the room has windows then partially or fully draw the curtains. If the room relies on lights for illumination then turn some or all of them off.
- Reset the monitor and graphics card to their default settings. Check there are no colour profiles active and that Adobe Gamma is not set to run when your system boots up.
- Set the monitor's brightness and contrast to 50% and if possible set it's colour temperature to 6500degK.
- Using the Lagom.com Contrast page adjust the monitor's contrast, and brightness if necessary, so that all bars are distinguishable from their neighbours. The left hand bars should be only just visible above the black level .
- Using the same page plus the SMPTE test pattern (below), fine tune the monitor's colour temperature until the grey sections are a pure grey. You may need to use the monitor's custom or manual RGB adjustments for this.
- Using the Lagom.com Gamma page adjust the graphics card or monitor's gamma control (whichever is easier) until the 48% grey scale 'blends' at 2.2. Do not try to adjust the colour gammas individually or you'll spoil your previous colour temperature setting. If using the graphics card adjustment make sure you save and make it the active setting.
- Check all of the SMPTE pattern grey scale levels are still distinguishable. If not re-adjust the card or monitor contrast until the 0/5 and 95/100 are 'well balanced' ie the intensity change for the 0% to 5% step should be about the same as for the 95% to 100% step. Once again, if using the graphics card adjustment, make sure you save and make it the active setting.
- Double check the gamma is still OK, fine tune if necessary. You may need to repeat these steps a few times to get the best settings.
- Using the Lagom.com White Saturation page confirm the performance is reasonable and to the level you might reasonably expect eg my current Hyundai monitor just resolves the 253 level section but doesn't resolve the 254 ones. It's not an expensive monitor but for the price I paid it performs to a satisfactory standard.
- Set the room lighting back to normal (I use Daylight simulating energy saving bulbs)
- If you have one, now is the time to calibrate the monitor using a monitor calibration tool eg a Pantone Huey or one of the i1 or Spyder products. In the UK all these are available from Colour Confidence.
CRT monitors can be setup in a similar way and fine tuned using the Nokia Ntest monitor test program for Windows. Do a Google search for Nokia Ntest to find a download source. I'm sorry, I don't know if there is a similar program for Linux or Mac OS X.
The SMPTE Test Card
