Monitor Calibration
Our monitors have been calibrated using a device called a spectrophotometer. to a gamma of 2.2. A spectrophotometer is a precision instrument for calibrating color and brightness of monitors as part of a properly managed workflow. It insures that what we here at Venture see on the screen is going to be a good match to the prints, as well as providing a consistent standard to evaluate our work. A spectrophotometer, or a simpler colorimeter should be considered must-have items for any photographer. However, it does little to help those viewing this site have a display that may be off.
Very few monitors display colors the exact same way, especially if they are not calibrated. Chances are, there may be some slight variations in what you are seeing on different computers. Because of this, there is a bit of a disadvantage for a photographer to display their work on the internet. There is no way to guarantee your monitor is showing the photographs in the same light or color tone.
A way to test this is to look at the image below. You should be able to see all of the tonal graduations in this scale. If you can't, then you are not seeing an accurate representation of the images. Laptops are notorious for displaying images improperly because the level of brightness varies depending on the battery charge.
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Ideally, you should adjust your contrast and brightness setting on your monitor to obtain as many distinct tones as possible. It should be noted that these adjustments will make all the sites you visit look better! If your monitor is really out of what, you may not know what you've been missing!
A word about gamma....nearly all Windows and newer Macs based systems use a gamma of 2.2 (some older Macs use 1.8). If you have noticed wavy vertical lines on your screen, then your gamma may be set improperly. You should consult the help feature on your computer about setting the gamma properly. Some monitors have their own menu features that allow you to correct this easily.
In general, we recommend the following settings for viewing this site:
• Display resolution of at least 800x600 16 bit color, 1024x768 (or higher) 24 or 32 bit color is preferred.
• If you are using AOL, turn OFF the compressed graphics option, located under your AOL preferences and internet settings
Convinced? Good! If you want to buy an effective monitor calibration device (spectrophotometer) then the folks over at Pantone.com will be glad to help you out.
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