Calibrating monitor colors

[Grandpa Ron]

I was trying to determine why my pictures always looked washed out. After down loading a dozen shots with my digital camera (a 3.2 Meg Pix) Canon C 740 set to "auto", I had examples of landscapes, flowers, dogs, sky and numerous other colorful objects including the macro and black and white options. The idea was to test the camera's color and brightness latitude. Some of the close up photos were okay but some of the landscape photos seemed to lack contrast.

I down loaded GMIP so I could massage the colors. I had a slight familiarity with it years ago.

After tweaking a photo of my house, yard and sky, to get the color results I wanted, it dawned on me that maybe the issue was with the monitor. So I looked at the same image on my monitor paired with the laptop screen and my other laptop screen. As I had guessed they were all different shades and densities.

So my question is, "Is there a standard color setting for monitors? " I use a 25 inch flat screen HP 2311x. I do not want to tinker with the camera settings, only to discover the issue is with my monitor.

I assume the same issue happens with printers.

This digital color stuff can be a bit confusing.

 

[Ysarex]

I was trying to determine why my pictures always looked washed out. After down loading a dozen shots with my digital camera (a 3.2 Meg Pix) Canon C 740 set to "auto", I had examples of landscapes, flowers, dogs, sky and numerous other colorful objects including the macro and black and white options. The idea was to test the camera's color and brightness latitude. Some of the close up photos were okay but some of the landscape photos seemed to lack contrast.

I down loaded GMIP so I could massage the colors. I had a slight familiarity with it years ago.

After tweaking a photo of my house, yard and sky, to get the color results I wanted, it dawned on me that maybe the issue was with the monitor. So I looked at the same image on my monitor paired with the laptop screen and my other laptop screen. As I had guessed they were all different shades and densities.

So my question is, "Is there a standard color setting for monitors? "

Yes indeed there is. Welcome to the world of color management. Standards exists for most of what we do in the digital photo world. You need one of these: https://www.amazon.com/X-Rite-CMUNS...d=1535081393&sr=8-1&keywords=colormunki+smile

I use a 25 inch flat screen HP 2311x. I do not want to tinker with the camera settings, only to discover the issue is with my monitor.

I assume the same issue happens with printers.

Of course.

This digital color stuff can be a bit confusing.

Well, you did a good job thinking this one through. On to the specifics.

Joe

 

[Jeff15]

Every month or so I use a Spyder 5 to calibrate my screen.

 

[AlanKlein]

Here are some on line free calibrations you can do to get you in the ballpark. The gray scale adjustment might help the best with contrast.
5 Online Tools to Help Calibrate Your Monitor