Started by NguyenD, 21 Oct 2026. 5 replies, 185 views
So after the prints thread on here I finally bought a colorimeter and calibrated my monitor last night. Followed the software, put the puck on the screen, waited, done. But now everything looks yellow/warm and kind of dim compared to before. White web pages look like old paper. My photos look warmer than they did yesterday too.
Did I mess something up? I picked the default settings it suggested, I think 6500K and some brightness number. Should I redo it?
Nothing is wrong. That's what a correctly calibrated screen looks like. Most monitors ship far too blue and far too bright out of the box, and you've spent years getting used to that. 6500K (D65) is the standard white point. After a few days your eyes adjust and the uncalibrated look will seem harsh and blue.
The real test: look at your laptop or phone next to it. They're the ones that are wrong now.
If you print, a brightness target around 100-120 cd/m² will get your screen much closer to what comes out of the printer. Your photos looking warmer than yesterday means yesterday's edits were probably too warm, because you were compensating for a blue screen.
rawtherapist said:you were compensating for a blue screen
oh no. so all my edits from this year are off?
They'll be off by a bit, yes, but probably less than it feels like right now. Pick a handful of your favourites, look at them on the calibrated screen in a day or two once your eyes have settled, and re-edit only the ones that bother you. Don't go back through the whole year, you'll lose a month to it.
And make sure you're not editing next to a bright window in the afternoon. Room light changes what you see far more than people expect.
Ok that's a relief. Will give it a few days before I touch anything. thanks both
welcome to the yellow screen club. it gets better