We tend to trust what we see on the monitor before printing. That is why it is important that the image on the monitor must be an accurate one. The same image can show up different on different monitors which is why it is vital to locate the best tools. Calibration comes next in line to get the best quality print in prepress.
Know the process
The calibration process is not hard to understand. The device used to calibrate color possess an independent standard. This standard is present for every color all over the spectrum. The device reads the monitor with its special sensor to see what a specific monitor generates when asked to create an individual color standard. The efforts of the monitor are then compared with an actual independent standard. The calibrator then takes the decision to adjust the monitor. This could be more blue and less green among a number of actions. These color standards will then be created with much better accuracy. These collections of such monitor adjustments is termed a "profile". The latter is saved on hard drive.
The hard part comes when you want a single specific photograph. To give an example, the image must appear to be the same on digital camera, the computer monitor, the inkjet proof, and final printed piece. The CIELAB colors are independent color standards used by all industries which are dependent on color output. Every color device, be it a digital camera or an inkjet printer, could be calibrated to match such standards as nearly as possible. This presents a significant challenge.
Calibration challenges
The challenge is because cameras, monitors and printers utilize different techniques to reproduce color. These two different techniques actually influence the colors a device could create. RGB devices like monitors could create wider color ranges compared to CMYK devices like web press. It follows that even if the CMYK and RGB devices are calibrated to match the CIELAB standard colors, there could be some slight variation.
All three will match more closely if the monitor gets calibrated. A non-calibrated device will generate unusable results. The end result should be created for printing press. Calibration is not expensive. Economically priced devices can not only calibrate the monitor but can also measure ambient room light. Adjustments are done to compensate light changes. It can be utilized to check the room lighting all through the day. The monitor can be re-calibrated at any convenient interval.
