Best way to calibrate monitor color?

[Mastashake15]

I've been trying to get my monitor in a good calibration now for the past few hours and I've just been having a hell of a time doing so. What is the best way to go about this? I don't think my default monitor settings are even close to accurate so I don't even have a good starting point either. I have tried using websites such as Lagom, but even though I manage to tweak my gamma/brightness/contrast to pass all their tests it still looks like crap. For reference I have an 21" Acer 1080p LCD, and a Radeon HD7870, using Catalyst 13.1

 

[bigshootr8]

There are tools that do this for you. ASUS has a few monitors on there Proart series that come color calibrated. The tools are quite pricey mind you. They probably cost around the pricing of your graphics card. And you may be able to find them on sale somewhere but yea you need a tool typically to get the best out of color calibration.
http://www.beachcamera.com/shop/product.aspx?sku=DCS4P100&ref=nextag&omid=118&CAWELAID=1613658606

 

[Mastashake15]

I'm not interested in spending any money to do this, I just want to know what the best way to find out the proper contrast/brightness/gamma settings is. This is just for gaming so it doesn't need to be perfect but I still want it to be good.

 

[bigshootr8]

Well I'm afraid to calibrate your monitor you will need to spend something rather with the use of software as this link goes into or with a tool. You are wanting to do something that is not of the norm for people to do on the normal day to day use.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/110070/article.html

 

[JackNaylorPE]

http://spyder.datacolor.com/products/

 

[bigshootr8]

Correct they make color solutions however it all costs money.

 

[Mastashake15]

I basically just want my monitor to be decently accurate color-wise so games appear the way they should, why is that not normal?

 

[bigshootr8]

It isn't normal to want that but if your monitor doesn't come that way and you are trying to get it to be that way correcting the color in balance it will cost money to achieve this is what I'm saying. What are asking for is what professionals do what people who deal with art/3d rendering do to there monitors and its not cheap. Even the software version 50-60 dollars isn't necessarily cheap.

 

[Mastashake15]

I don't really think you understand what I'm asking here man. I could care less if it's perfect, but there is a damn contrast and brightness adjuster built in to the monitor for a reason. I'm just asking how to find the best setting for that, I don't care if the colors are perfect or not, I just want a decently accurate display for gaming on. That's it. This isn't anything near professional level. All I want to do...is adjust a couple of the settings already made available to adjust by the monitor manufacturer, and I just want to know the best way to check if my adjustments are semi-accurate. That's it.

 

[bigshootr8]

So play around with your monitor and try and achieve it that way. I had a ACER display there are button on the bottom that will help you change the brightness and contrast of you can use your graphic card control panel to adjust things. When you use the world calibrate you will have people on the forums think you are trying to color correct your monitor with calibration.

 

[bigshootr8]

And it will be trial and error for you get in a game a single player game and start changing the settings till you get to a point where you feel secure with the settings.

 

[Ivalo]

Mastashake15:

I see what you are saying. However, I can only agree with the others that the easiest way to do this is to give in and buy some software, preferably with colorimeter. You can find more information about this here: [hmm, it seems to want to censor Squidoo where I have a useful guide. rude!].

You could indeed just mess around with the settings. It may take a while, but eventually you might find some brightness/contrast etc. settings that work for you. But then you might find that those settings don't quite work for other games, etc. And then you'll get a new computers that's completely different. Maybe I'm being pessimistic, but the best option is to save up a little money and buy a monitor calibration kit.

 

[RchUncleSkeleton]

Well I'm afraid to calibrate your monitor you will need to spend something rather with the use of software as this link goes into or with a tool. You are wanting to do something that is not of the norm for people to do on the normal day to day use.
http://www.pcworld.com/article/110070/article.html

The link you posted is way outdated from 10 years ago....this is really your solution?