Monitor Calibration

1 - Make sure you have the computer's color depth set high enough.
For the best view of our fabrics and other items, your display should be set to at least 16-bit color (The option in your display settings may also be listed as 64k or 65,536 colors.) 24-bit will give even better color, but may slow very old systems unacceptably; it's up to you. 32-bit is likely overkill if 24-bit is available.

2 - Adjust your monitor's brightness and contrast.
The image below contains 32 shades of grey, progressing evenly from black to white. By adjusting your monitor's brightness and contrast settings, you should be able to find a combination of settings that lets you see all the shades, with the black and white ends dark & bright, respectively. Many newer monitors have electronic controls with an on-screen menu for such adjustment, and you may need to consult your monitor's manual for instructions.

Darken Page - Restore Page

3 - Advanced adjustment
For a more thorough adjustment, we recommend starting with the Color Scales from the DisplayMate Demos and Test Patterns page. It will allow you to check for proper display color by color. There are also other test patterns and demo software on the same page for checking focus, shape, etc.

For AOL users...
For the best level of detail and accuracy of color, we recommend that AOL users make sure the "Use Compressed Graphics" option is turned off. More information can be found in AOL's Webmaster FAQ.