How to Calibrate Your Monitor's Colours
With Windows' built-in tool, and when a professional colorimeter is genuinely worth it.
Basic calibration (free, built into Windows)
- Search for "Calibrate display color" in Windows.
- Follow the wizard — it adjusts gamma, brightness, contrast, and colour balance through guided visual comparisons.
This basic calibration noticeably improves colour accuracy compared to unadjusted factory values, though it isn't as precise as calibration with a dedicated measuring instrument (colorimeter).
Professional calibration (with a colorimeter)
If you work professionally with colour (design, photography, video editing), a physical colorimeter (a device placed on the screen that measures the actual colours emitted) gives objective precision that manual visual adjustment can't match.
Tip: for normal use (browsing, office work, content consumption), Windows' built-in basic calibration is more than enough — save the colorimeter for professional work where colour accuracy genuinely matters economically.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a colorimeter to calibrate my monitor?
Only if you work professionally with colour (design, photography) where objective precision matters — for normal use, Windows' built-in basic calibration is enough.
Is Windows' calibration reliable?
It noticeably improves accuracy compared to unadjusted factory values, though it's less precise than calibration with a dedicated measuring instrument.