If you’re using two or more monitors, (out of your clients use a different monitor than your) you’ll want them to color match. However, different monitors, especially ones from different brands, can look completely different. To solve this, you need to color-calibrate your display, but this can prove challenging to do with your eyes. What you’ll need is a calibrator like the Calibrite Display 123 ($119).

Why color manage?

Most monitors are set at the factory to provide brighter, contrastier images. The idea is “if the image looks more appealing, maybe more people would like to buy this display”. For an average consumer, this may not be a problem. But, seeing accurate colors is pivotal for editing colors in complex images. It’s also important to know you’re not missing anything when uploading your project online. If you color-calibrate your monitor, you can work accurately and “chase the perfect colors for your image”.

The Calibrite Display 123 is easy to use

The Calibrite Display 123 gives a very easy color calibration experience. To use it, connect it to your computer and mount it on your display. Then, launch the software and set your desired brightness level. The calibrator will handle the rest. If you need to color calibrate often, the Display 123 can also save monitor profiles to make the process faster.

Price and availability

If you haven’t calibrated your monitors yet, you can get the Calibrite Display 123 for $119 in B&H. It’s one of the more budget-friendly options out there, being $40 cheaper than the Datacolor Spyder X Pro, which is the current best-selling calibrator on B&H.