{"id":7618,"date":"2023-12-21T09:27:38","date_gmt":"2023-12-21T09:27:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/?p=7618"},"modified":"2023-12-21T09:27:38","modified_gmt":"2023-12-21T09:27:38","slug":"how-to-calibrate-monitor-on-mac","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/truhu.app\/blog\/how-to-calibrate-monitor-on-mac\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Calibrate Your Monitor on a Mac"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You have three options for calibrating your monitor on Mac. Ranging from functional to professional and from free to pricey, all the methods below can help you achieve varying degrees of color accuracy on  your Mac.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ll begin with the simplest one!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Calibrate Your Monitor on a Mac<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Option 1: <\/strong>Mac System Settings<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Price: <\/strong>free
Method Employed: <\/strong>guesstimating, aka relying on your eyes to guide the calibration
Pros:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. native software<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. easy to use<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Cons: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    1. The method to find an ideal brightness is extremely crude and not of much value on most displays.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. You are asked to choose a target white point, but without having measured your current white point, this is not of much value. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Here are the steps to create a color profile using the Mac system settings:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      1. Open your Mac System Settings<\/strong> from the Apple Menu at the top left corner of your device.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      2. Click on \u201cDisplays\u201d<\/strong> in the sidebar.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      3. Next to Color Profiles<\/strong>, you will see a drop down menu where you can select from previously created color profiles.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      4. Scroll to the bottom and click on Customize.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      5. Next, you\u2019ll see a list of color profiles for each display. <\/strong>Ignore the list and click on the plus sign on the bottom left.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
      6. Walk through the Display Calibrator Assistant. <\/strong>It will take you through multiple steps with detailed information about adjusting your monitor settings and selecting your target white point.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      7. After going through the steps, you should have a \u201ccalibrated\u201d profile. <\/strong>Except for most of you, that profile won\u2019t be anywhere near accurate because Apple\u2019s tool relies on some very basic estimations based on user inputs. The result is a profile that often looks faded, overexposed, and with low color saturation.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        Not to worry though, your next two options on this list will solve that issue and result in a calibrated profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Option 2: The TruHu App<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

        Price: <\/strong>$39.99 \/ year
        Method Employed: <\/strong>uses your phone\u2019s camera to calculate colorimetric data points and generate an optimized color profile
        Pros: <\/strong>simple, inexpensive, easy to use<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The TruHu app was designed specifically to provide color professionals an efficient and hassle-free calibration tool that is technically superior to the visual process included with the Mac and also less expensive and easier to use than colorimeter-based solutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Why?<\/strong> Most beginner photographers can\u2019t rely on the builtin Mac tool for accuracy. Likewise, most aren\u2019t ready to dish out hundreds of dollars for a colorimeter. So what\u2019s the solution?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Enter TruHu:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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        1. First, <\/strong>Download the TruHu app<\/strong><\/a> on both your Mac and mobile device.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
        2. Then, <\/strong>create an account<\/strong><\/a> and sign in to both apps.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
        3. Don\u2019t worry – you don\u2019t have to subscribe yet – <\/strong>you\u2019re free to test out a calibration with TruHu\u2019s Trial subscription to see how you like it. However, in order to save the color profile, you will have to subscribe.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        4. Go through the steps on the mobile app:<\/strong>\n
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          1. Adjust your ambient lighting to match your common working conditions.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
          2. Set the brightness of your display to a level you like.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
          3. Pick a color temperature <\/strong>– the higher the temperature, the bluer the white, the lower the temperature, the more yellow the white point. Most are fine with 6500K (Kelvins). There\u2019s also the option to keep your current color temperature if you don\u2019t know what the value is but you still enjoy it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          4. Capture two photos of color swatches. <\/strong>Then all you need is to point your phone at the screen and take two photos of the Gray Target and Color Target respectively. The app itself will have more details. At this stage, the app gathers colorimetric information from your phone\u2019s camera sensor in it\u2019s RAW state, allowing for increased color accuracy.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          5. You\u2019re all set! After that last step, <\/strong>your new color profile is automatically generated and set. If you wish to change it at any point and for any reason, you\u2019re free to do so!<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          6. Set a reminder<\/strong>.  Let the app know how frequently you want to recalibrate.  The entire process takes about 1 minute and should be repeated by most professionals once a month, or whenever the work environment changes dramatically.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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            For photographers whose eyes glaze over when someone talks about color profiles and monitor calibration \u2014 and there are a lot of them out there \u2014 then TruHu is the perfect gateway to a better and more consistent color. For many users, it\u2019s the last calibration technology they\u2019ll need.<\/p>\n– Jeremy Gray, <\/strong>PetaPixel Review of TruHu<\/strong><\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

            If you\u2019re still having difficulties figuring out how the TruHu app works<\/strong><\/a>, check out this video:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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