Colormetric Analysis Is Very Important

By Celia Hall


Designers and photographers always want their initial captures to match the results which are printed. While this might seem simple it is actually sometimes difficult to do as oftentimes the colors shown on a computer screen are not the colors on the printed photograph. To help fix this problem, screens have to undergo colormetric analysis to ensure accuracy from monitor to prints.

Users can calibrate their computer screens in a few different ways. The most accurate results are achieved by using one of the many different software programs on the market. Most software programs come with a device known as a colorimeter that helps to read on screen colors and works with the software to make them as accurate as possible.

These devices look like a computer mouse and also connect to the tower via a USB cable. Once the device is connected and the included software is installed, the user simply has to follow the prompts to easily calibrate things like brightness, RGB colors, and contrast. Computer screens of all types, including LCD, CRT, and laptop are all compatible.

Scanners, projectors, and printers can also be calibrated using many of the devices, depending on the actual model. The devices and software systems are not cheap and often cost over $150 dollars. However, the results and accuracy they provide to designers and photographers makes them well worth the monetary investment over the long term, especially for those who sell their prints.

While it is possible to semi-calibrate a monitor without any software or devices, it often involves many different steps. One of the most important steps is printing a high quality photo on a photo printer, which not everyone has access to. Calibrating in this manner is not nearly as accurate as the calibration achieved when using some of the excellent products available on the market.

As most computer screens have color changes depending on the lighting or temperature in their surround environment, most have to be calibrated regularly. Colors which are accurately and truly represented on screen make for a better viewing experience and better quality prints. It also helps to eliminate wasted paper and ink by eliminating incorrect prints.

Calibration of screens is a part of the large process called color management. This process covers many different factors within the imaging world. Photographers of all types want to ensure that they image the initially capture is the same one that is printed in the end and the color management process is the way to ensure that this is what happens each and every time.

The process of colormetric analysis is one that also takes the calibration of devices like printers, projectors, and scanners into consideration. Professional and hobbyist photographers alike should practice the process as it helps to better their overall results. True color representation is a hugely important part of achieving the best images possible.




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