Calibrize 2.0 Monitor Calibration Software Review

Calibrize 2.0 from calibrize.com is a free piece of software for Windows that will help you setup your monitor and calibrate it to show photos and images correctly on your screen. We try it to see how it performs.


If you can't see 16 individual shades of white to grey in the image above and on the bottom of every page of ePHOTOzine, then your contrast / brightness settings on your monitor are likely to be wrong (or less than optimal), this software can help you get it right. And could be useful for someone who's not sure how they should be setting the brightness and contrast levels of thier monitor.

The software is a quick 1.2mb download, and the install takes less than a minute. Once you start the program you are greeted by the following screen:



This lets you set whether you want to be reminded to re-calibrate every two days, one week, two weeks, one month, or never.

The first step is to set your contrast and brightness so that the black and white areas are displayed correctly, and the text describes the process well. This follows the basic built in monitor calibration in Apple Macs, but with an additional white square, and extended instructions.



The second step is to adjust red/green/blue gamma sliders so that the blocks of colour shown match the centre circle. The following picture will appear incorrect on your screen as it's been resized. Although it doesn't feature a greyscale gamma slider it does rely on your ability to see the centre circle blended with the outer blocks, and can seem like a magic eye test. I found squinting helped, particularly with the green. The Apple Mac version simply features a greyscale slide for gamma, and then more advanced options for colour temperature are available, or whether you want to match TV output. (Macs can be too bright by default, on generic monitors.) The neat thing about these sliders is that you can see the effect it's having on your screen instantly, so if you've got a "good eye for colour" then it can be quite clear when you've gone too far one way or another.



The third step is to save, this will save an industry standard ICC profile, which will then be loaded every time your computer starts. This should in theory mean your displayed images will print correctly, and look the same as they do on the screen.

Calibrize 2.0 Verdict:

The Calibrize software is a very quick, easy monitor calibration tool for your Windows PC, and provides a free option for someone wanting to improve the display of photos, images, websites and everything else on your PC. While it may not be as accurate as dedicated calibration tools like Colormunki Display or Spyder 3, it provides the basics for Windows when previously there was nothing built in, so it makes a worthwhile piece of software and is well worth a try. Especially as it's free!

Quick and Free monitor calibration software for Windows that can work well.

Calibrize 2.0 Pros:

Free
VERY quick
Can help set brightness / contrast levels
Clear guidelines at each step

Calibrize 2.0 Cons:

Supports only 1 monitor (Windows limitation)
Depends on your ability to follow instructions
Limited accuracy / lacks more advanced options

FEATURES
EASE OF USE
PERFORMANCE
VALUE FOR MONEY
OVERALL

Calibrize 2.0 is available from calibrize.com for free.