We always measure color gamut and luminance in our monitor reviews, even though those parameters are not adjustable in most cases. To do this, you would need a color management system (CMS), and that is just not available on many displays. In fact, our only experience with this feature is from a few high-end projectors and TVs. If you have color gamut presets, they can help you achieve more accurate color. Choose the one that most closely matches your task (sRGB/Rec. 709 for most situations or Adobe RGB 1998 for photo editing). Then measure to see if it indeed meets the spec.
Let’s go through a brief anatomy lesson.

Here is the chart you’ve seen in all our monitor reviews. This one is from an AOC Q2963PM. At the top is the saturation sweep. The color saturation level is simply the distance from the white point on the CIE chart. You can see the targets moving out from white in a straight line towards each primary and secondary color. The farther a point is from center, the greater the saturation until you hit 100 percent at the edge of the gamut triangle. Rather than just measuring the 100-percent saturation level, we measure 20, 40, 60, and 80 percent too. Many monitors can generate a good-looking chart if only the 100-percent saturation is measured. This is a much more precise way of measuring color gamut.
The middle portion of the chart shows gamut luminance. This is the third dimension to color that is not shown on the CIE chart. We believe this has a greater impact on perceived color accuracy than the points on the gamut triangle. The shorter bars mean better performance. This monitor is superb.
The bottom chart is the Delta E information. Again, scoring below three means the error is not visible. Our chart shows the errors for each color, at each saturation level.
If you have one of the very rare displays with a color management system, we’ll give you a brief rundown of how to adjust it. Bear in mind that no two systems are quite the same, and some don’t work properly. Any use of a CMS should be done carefully, with instruments, and with the understanding that it may not actually improve your monitor.
A traditional CMS has three adjustments for each primary and secondary color: Hue, Saturation, and Lightness. Obviously, each one has a different effect. Let’s look at a blank CIE chart once again.

When you adjust the hue for green, for example, it moves that color point either towards cyan or towards yellow. If you adjust the hue of a secondary color, it moves closer to one of the primaries that make it up. For example, magenta moves between blue and red.
Adjusting saturation moves the color closer to, or further from, the gamut triangle. Just like our bulls-eye chart for adjusting grayscale, you can manipulate the hue and saturation controls to bring a color point into the target square.
Now let’s consider the lightness control.

In a CMS, lightness is just another term for luminance. To adjust this, you dial in the color points to the CIE chart first. Then, starting with red, adjust lightness until the bars pictured above are as close to zero as possible. It sounds simple, and it can be. The likelihood is that all three controls will interact and you’ll have to go back and forth until you get the best result. Adjusting a CMS can be very time-consuming. The basic procedure, however, involves adjusting hue and saturation for each color, and then going back to adjust lightness.
Creating An ICC Profile
Most monitors have chromaticity data embedded in their firmware, but this assumes it was measured correctly at the factory. And we know from experience no two monitors are identical. The best way to create an ICC profile is to measure the primaries yourself. We use QuickMonitorProfile, a free download, to do this for our reviews.

Once you’ve gathered the CIE coordinates for each primary color, you have everything you need to create the profile. All you need to do is select Custom in the Chromaticity coordinates drop-down, and then enter the x and y values for each color. Once you save it, you can call it up at any time in the future.
- The Two Reasons To Calibrate Your Monitor
- Levels: The Key To Contrast And Detail
- Gamma: The Key To Maximum Image Depth
- Grayscale: Why White Is The Color Of Everything
- Gamut: What Color Is Your Monitor?
- Application: How To Adjust Levels
- Application: How To Adjust Gamma
- Application: How To Adjust Color Temperature
- Application: How To Adjust Color
- Calibrate Your Monitor For A Better Picture
I have no idea how my monitor was off until i saw the patterns
Now perfectly set for brightness/contrast:first,third,and fourth pattern(although on this i notice cliping on the blue).
However second pattern couldn't set it right.Darkest bar which should be almost cliping to the background is too "black",and the next "12" bar is more closely match to the background in colour.
Any thoughts someone? I use Philips 227Eqha IPS monitor.
I love these articles. =)
Seems to be an interesting read so far, and I've really wanted to read an article like this, so thanks in advance!
It's written the other (incorrect?) way around in the article, i think.
Shouldn't it be "above D65"?
It's written the other (incorrect?) way around in the article, i think.
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/gamma-correction.htm
That's incorrect. It actually works backwards/opposite from what one might think. Color temperature originates from the color a flame radiates in relation to the temperature at which it burns. Think back to grade school and playing with the Bunsen burner... the hottest part of the flame (i.e., higher Kelvin) is in the darkest blues, not the reds (i.e, lower temperature/Kelvin). This simple picture helps explain the difference.
Shouldn't it be "above D65"?
Warm (reddish) colors are below 6500K, whereas cool (bluish) colors are above 6500K.
Try installing a full featured driver from your video hardware manufacturer.
But don't most monitors have a "backlight" option which changes how bright the image without adjusting the contrast & brightness? This can used to effectively adjust liminance, but at superficial global adjustment level rather than a granular control. None the less, one can then put preference on the brighter or darker end depending on their use case(s).
Grayscale can be confusing too. As the temperature gets lower, the color is said to get warmer.
Ojas, the photo on page 2 showing a higher black level is correct. As you raise the black level, blacks get brighter and become more gray.
-Christian-
But don't most monitors have a "backlight" option which changes how bright the image without adjusting the contrast & brightness? This can used to effectively adjust liminance, but at superficial global adjustment level rather than a granular control. None the less, one can then put preference on the brighter or darker end depending on their use case(s).
Unfortunately, very few monitors have separate backlight and brightness controls. None of the screens we've covered this year (16 including reviews not published yet) have a backlight control. This kind of thing is common on HDTVs but not computer monitors and that is a shame. With brighter screens, it's really nice to be able to move the dynamic range up or down to get better blacks or brighter whites, depending on application.
-Christian-
It's written the other (incorrect?) way around in the article, i think.
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/gamma-correction.htm
That's incorrect. It actually works backwards/opposite from what one might think. Color temperature originates from the color a flame radiates in relation to the temperature at which it burns. Think back to grade school and playing with the Bunsen burner... the hottest part of the flame (i.e., higher Kelvin) is in the darkest blues, not the reds (i.e, lower temperature/Kelvin). This simple picture helps explain the difference.
Shouldn't it be "above D65"?
Warm (reddish) colors are below 6500K, whereas cool (bluish) colors are above 6500K.
Grayscale can be confusing too. As the temperature gets lower, the color is said to get warmer.
Ojas, the photo on page 2 showing a higher black level is correct. As you raise the black level, blacks get brighter and become more gray.
-Christian-
Thanks for clarifying that! I even changed gamma on my monitor to see what happens before i posted, i guess i misinterpreted what was happening.
That would be very useful, along with some recommendations of affordable "meters".