Calibrating your monitor is a must if you have a color-managed workflow. That’s because it eases and speeds up image editing, improves productivity, and saves time and money in post-processing by reducing the number of proofs.

But calibration can be confusing because there are two different types of calibration — hardware and software.

Comparison ofCALIBRATION APPROACHESHere are the workflows and outcomes of the two types of calibration:

SOFTWARECalibration

STEPSStart Calibration Tool/Sensor

Run software

Look up tables

Color adjustments made to

8-bit

Video graphics card or OS

HARDWARECalibration

10-bit (and up)

monitor electronics

BEFORE

RESULTS

FOLLOW-UP

Accurate colors; some loss of color depth

Frequent calibrations

Accurate colors; maximum color depth

Occasional calibrations*

SOFTWARECalibration

HARDWARECalibrationAFTER

For more information about calibration and color management, visit us at:www.necdisplay.com/colorcritical/home/colormanagement

HARDWARE CALIBRATIONoutshines software calibrationHardware calibration offers four advantages over software calibration:

Avoids any loss of color depth

Adjusts colors directly in the monitor

Less hassle: quicker and less

frequent calibrations

Hardware calibration ensures accurate colors by making changes to a monitor’s electronics. It requires a monitor with a built-in look-up

table (LUT) to store the adjustments within the monitor itself.

Software calibration improves color accuracy by making changes to the computer’s video

graphic card or operating system. The adjustments are reloaded every time you

reboot your computer.

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*Due to their always-on backlight sensors, NEC’s MultiSync PA Series monitors are the only monitors on the market that, once calibrated, do not require regular recalibration.

Hardware vs. SoftwareCALIBRATION:WHICH ASSURES GREATER COLOR ACCURACY?

Enables you to plug any computer into a calibrated monitor and be assured of

color accuracy

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Which one is best solution for you? Let’s take a look at the differences between hardware and software calibration.

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