Monitor Calibration
Measuring a display with an instrument and building a profile so its output matches known standards for white point, brightness and tone response.
Measured in
K, cd/m², gamma
In depth
Calibration is not about making a screen look nice; it is about making it predictable. Typical targets are D65 white point, gamma 2.2 and a luminance of 80 to 120 cd/m² — considerably dimmer than most screens ship, which is the single commonest reason prints come back too dark. Displays drift and need recalibrating every few weeks.
Examples in practice
Dropping a monitor from its factory 350 cd/m² to a calibrated 100 cd/m² stops prints from consistently appearing too dark.