How to Calibrate a Macbook Monitor to Web Colors

Calibrate your MacBook monitor to display an accurate Web color scheme. By designing your website using the color palette most visitors see, you'll be confident that your website design and graphics will look bright and pleasurable to your visitors. Apple calibrates all MacBook monitors using the Internet Standard Default Color Space (sRGB), which specifies how colors should be mapped from an input file to an output device. The most important value in the sRGB is the gamma level of 2.2 -- this is the setting in Mac OS X 10.6; in previous editions of Mac OS X, Apple says the gamme level was 1.8. Apple defaults your MacBook monitor to this gamma level. By running Apple's Display Calibrator Assistant, you can verify or reset your gamma level to the Web optimal level of 2.2.

Instructions

1. Select "System Preferences" from the Apple menu in the top left-hand corner of your screen.

2. Click the "Displays" icon. Apple opens the Color LCD window.

3. Click the "Color" button to display your MacBook's color profiles.

4. Click the "Calibrate" button on the right-side of the window. Apple opens the Display Calibrator Assistant.

5. Check the "Expert Mode" check box at the bottom of the window, then click "Continue."

6. On the "Select Target Gamma" screen, verify or reset the Target Gamma level to 2.2 using the slider buttons.

7. Click "Continue" until you reach the end of the Calibration process and click "OK" to save your Color LCD Profile and exit the calibration assistant. Your MacBook monitor is now set up to display an accurate Web color palette.

References

• Apple Support: Mac OS X v10.6: About Gamma 2.2
• World-Wide Web Consortium: A Standard Default Color Space for the Internet - sRGB