Color calibration: it's emerald but it looks chartreuse on my monitor?!!

As graphic designers we rely on our computer monitors - they are our "canvas" for designing. Buying the largest monitor you can afford, both money- and space-wise, makes your task easier and more enjoyable. The price of monitors has come way down in the last several years - a 23" screen is well under $200 now and can make such a difference in both your design time and comfort.

Size matters, but so do clarity and color. Kim Komando, our favorite computer guru, has some great tips on calibrating your monitor in her newsletter today:

http://www.komando.com/tips/index.as...thash.lWXMJTzS

It's essential to remember that what you see on your screen may not be what your client sees when you email designs. Your client may have a smaller screen and the colors may not be true. I recommend emailing the exported rendering to yourself, just to check what the client will see. It may need to be cropped or adjusted first. And as often happens to me, you'll spot something that needs to be tweaked!

Fabricut posts this disclaimer on their website:

Due to variations in monitor resolution and color profiles, the images contained in this website are intended for research and reference only. Memo samples should be requested to physically examine color, weave, texture, and/or other fabric properties before making purchase decisions.

We might adopt a similar disclaimer as part of our email proposal, perhaps wording it like this: The attached renderings are provided as a tool to help you visualize the design we are proposing. Because color varies greatly with different computer monitors and printers, we will supply actual samples of fabrics, paint and other finishes to aid in the final selection process.

There are also differences between printers; if one of the color ink cartridges is low, your lovely seaglass bedroom may come out a not-so-pleasing orangey-tan when your client prints it. For a special presentation, it may be worth a few dollars to have a copy shop do the printing for you.

Take a few minutes to explore your monitor's settings. You may be seeing that ubiquitous emerald green after all!