The 9 Best Monitor Calibrators in 2024

Monitors are perhaps the most essential part of the workstation setup of any graphic designers or photo editors. But if the color of your screen doesn’t match the printed output then it could be a major headache.

The most important phase of any color-managed workflow has to be the calibration of a user’s monitor. Any photographer, graphic designer, or creative will tell you that failing to calibrate your screen/ monitor changes how the images, videos, and everything else viewed from your monitor will look.

Most monitors do come calibrated out of the factory. But even so, you’ll need to calibrate your monitor now and then to ensure you don’t have a faulty printout.

A monitor calibrator refers to a software program and hardware device that can be used to adjust the color that a user’s screen is presenting. This color correction gives a more precise depiction of any image being displayed on a user’s monitor thus aiding them to create their best possible work.

But what should you keep in mind when buying a calibrator?

Speed, ambient light-detection features, and printing are some of the things to keep an eye out for.

Seems complicated? Don’t worry. We’ve made it easy for you! In today’s article, we’ll be taking a look at the best monitor calibrators! So, without any further delay let’s start!

 

Datacolor Spyder5ELITE

Datacolor Spyder5ELITE

There are a lot of monitor calibrators on the market. But there isn’t a better one than the Datacolor Spyder5Elite. It’s also very simple to use!

Out of the box, you’ll receive a colorimeter and a Spyder5Elite software license. You’ll have to download the software from the Datacolors website. The Spyder5Elite is small and triangular-shaped with three shallow curves on each side.

Spyder5Elite offers some of the best features. It comes with an ambient light sensor on the front. The protective lens cover can be snapped off and used to keep the device flush against the screen. A tripod mount is also included on one of the sides.

The Spyder5Elite comes with an enhanced optical engine. The optical engine has an improved gamma response compared to its predecessors. It also has a small baffle that greatly reduces ambient light effects. The Spyder5elite only takes 5 minutes in order for the monitor to be fully calibrated.

It’s pretty easy to set up too. It’ll only take 10 minutes at max to set it up. You’ll get up to 3 choices (ReCal, CheckCal, and FullCall). The SpyderProof screen lets you compare the “before” and “after ” picture quality and. The SpyderTune screen allows the users to further adjust Gamma, Brightness, or Whitepoint.

However, the 67-inch cables are a tad bit short and there are no automatic brightness adjustment functions. Other than that, the Datacolor Spyder5Elite is currently the best calibrator.

Pros

  • Its fairly small triangular shape provides portability.
  • The ambient light sensor at the front points out if the room lights are ideal.
  • The protective lens cover can be snapped off and used to keep the device flush against the screen.
  • The enhanced optical engine has an improved gamma response.
  • It only takes 5 minutes to fully calibrate the monitor.
  • Features such as Spyderproof and Spydertune let you adjust and compare the Gamma, Brightness, or Whitepoint of your monitor.

Cons

  • The 67-inch cable can be a bit short for some.
  • Lacks auto brightness adjustment feature.
  • Expensive.

X-Rite ColorMunki Smile (CMUNSML)

X-Rite ColorMunki Smile

Most monitor calibrators are either pricey or in the mid-high price range. What will you do if you’re on a tight budget? Fortunately, you need not worry because the X-Rite ColorMunki Smile is the best budget option calibrator currently!

The ColorMunki Smile is an easy to use calibrator. You can calibrate both LCD & LED displays of your desktop or laptop without any hassle. The installation of the color monkey smile takes roughly 1 minute.

The ColorMunki Smile takes 5 minutes at most to finish calibrating one screen. The reason behind that is, it uses the same optical engine as the professional calibrators. The ColorMunki Smile also supports the calibration of more than one monitor at once.

The ColorMunki comes with a counterweight on the cable. This helps to help the ColorMunki Smile stay put on the screen. However, The 70-inch cable is a bit too small. It can be a cause of headaches if your computer is placed under the desk.

Though the simplicity of the X-Rite ColorMunki is its biggest selling point. It’s also the weakest point. As the ColorMunki smile is a very basic calibrator, professionals won’t find much use to it. It also misses many features that other calibrators possess.

The ColorMunki smile is a good calibrator if you’re on a budget. But if you can chip in a few extra bucks then it’d be better if you took a look at the other calibrators on this list.

Pros

  • Cheap Price.
  • Very easy to use.
  • It can calibrate both LCD & LED displays.
  • Super-fast 1 minute installation time.
  • It can calibrate more than one screen.
  • Takes 5 minutes at most to calibrate one screen.

Cons

  • The 70-inch cable is a bit too small.
  • As it’s a basic calibrator, it’s missing a lot of features.

 

Datacolor Spyder5Express

Datacolor Spyder5EXPRESS

 

 

The Spyder5Express is Datacolors’ answer to low-cost, simple, and portable calibrator solutions. It does what the name implies, express calibration!

The Spyder5Express is a very simple calibrator. Right out of the box, you won’t find anything except the calibrator, a serial code that’s needed to download the software of Spyder5Express, and a cable. It’s the same size as Spyder5Elite. It is also small, and triangular-shaped with three shallow curves on each side. The colorimeter is protected by a lens hood and surrounded by a soft foam pad.

The Spyder5Express however doesn’t have the same optical engine as the Spyder5Elite. Though it has a 2,2 gamma setting, D65 color temperature, and multi-screen alignment, it’s missing features are ambient light control and luminance. The 67-inch cable is still short.

However, as the Spyder5Express is a budget calibrator there are supposed to be minimal features. But the calibration time remains the same – 5 mins. Portability is also a big factor as you can carry it anywhere.

If you’re new to screen calibrating, the Spyder5Express would be perfect for you. But if you want a budget option, the ColorMunki Smile is still a better choice.

Pros

  • Low-cost, simple, and portable calibrator.
  • Features the same optical engine as Spyder5Pro.
  • Easy to set-up.
  • The default 2,2 gamma setting, D65 color temperature, and multi-screen alignment are ideal for newcomers.
  • Fast calibration time of 5 minutes.

Cons

  • Absent of important features such as ambient light control, and luminance.
  • The 67-inch cable is still short

 

X-Rite i1 Display PRO

Apart from the desktop and laptop, another most used device by professionals is a projector. Everyone knows how much trouble a display that has low brightness or improper color can cause. Fortunately, you need not worry because the X-Rite i1 Display PRO is the best calibrator for desktop laptops and projectors!

The X-Rite i1Display Pro comes bundled with a colorimeter. An organic glass filter is added with the colorimeter to make it last longer. There’s also a counterweight that’s been added for balancing the USB cable.

The software that comes bundled with the i1 display pro is compatible with all current displays and projectors. Though there will be a base software version included with the box, we recommend you download the latest version. This lets you calibrate multiple displays or video projectors within a workgroup at the same time.

Unlike other calibrators, you can adjust the contrast ratio, white point, gamma, and luminance indefinitely. There’s also an adaptive intelligence technology that observes the chromatic capability of each screen to increase overall screen accuracy.

There’s an interesting feature called the adjustment of screen controls (ADC). This feature lets you skip manual adjustments completely while speeding up the characterization process. Intelligent ambient lighting control monitors if the lighting conditions are suitable.

Though the X-rite i1 Display PRO is packed with features, its price is too high. It can also be fairly difficult to set up if you aren’t familiar with calibrators.

Overall, the X-Rite i1 Display PRO is a calibrator packed with features perfect for professional use. It might have its downsides but it’s worth the price.

Pros

  • It can calibrate both projectors and displays.
  • The organic glass filter increases the lifespan of the colorimeter.
  • The counterweight makes sure that the colorimeter is in place.
  • It can calibrate multiple displays or video projectors within a workgroup at the same time.
  • Contrast ratio, white point, gamma, and luminance are adjustable infinitely.
  • ADC lets the user skip any sort of manual adjustment.

Cons

  • Expensive.
  • It can also be fairly difficult to set up if you aren’t familiar with calibrators.

 

X-Rite i1Studio (EOSTUDIO)

X-Rite i1Studio

While many professionals only need their monitor to be calibrated, some people need their scanners and projectors to be calibrated too. For them, the X-Rite i1 Studio would be a perfect choice as it’s a multi-purpose spectrometer!

Though the X-Rite i1 Studio has projector and scanner calibration features, we’ll primarily focus on its monitor calibration aspects.

We’ll start by discussing the design of the spectrometer. The all-plastic built spectrometer is considerably bigger than other calibrators. It is also a versatile device. You’ll get extra protection with the neoprene case that comes with it. Similar to other calibrators, you’ll also be getting a counterweight to hold the calibrator in place.

Monitor calibration is very simple with the i1 Studio. You won’t have to set each option every time you calibrate. You only need to set the white point and luminance and leave the rest to default. The whole calibration process takes 5 minutes at most, and scans 118 different colors.

The printer calibration is pretty much the same too. The only notable difference is that you’ll need to set the calibrator at a certain distance and angle to match the size of your projected image. Once you get to know how the entire thing works, it’ll take you 30 seconds to scan an entire page.

Overall, the X-Rite i1 Studio provides insane value if you need your printers and projectors calibrated. However, if you only need your monitor calibrated, the X-Rite i1 Studio can seem a bit overpriced.

Pros

  • Pretty versatile as you can calibrate monitors, printers, and projectors.
  • Counterweight included to keep the spectrometer in place.
  • The all-plastic build is pretty solid.
  • Calibration takes 5 minutes at most.
  • The calibration scans 118 different colors.
  • The printer calibration takes 30 seconds at most.

Cons

  • Pricey if you don’t need printer calibration.
  • Bulky

 

X-Rite i1 Display Pro and ColorChecker Passport Bundle

X-Rite i1 Display Pro and ColorChecker

If there is a monitor calibrator that may have just blown our socks off, it would be the X-Rite i1 Display Pro. This calibrator is able to complete its job at a devilish speed of 1 minute and 36 seconds – something that anyone who frequently calibrates their monitor would appreciate. But what really fascinated us is that despite the quick speeds, the calibrator didn’t in any way compromise the accuracy of the job. This calibrator boasts of a set of features. It incorporates three functions including monitor profiling, projector profiling, and ambient light measurement. Users can manipulate various settings such as white point, brightness, and gamma.

Pros

  • One of the fastest monitor calibrators we have tried and tested in the market.
  • The accuracy of the calibration is extremely spot on with a Delta-E score of 1.11
  • Its customization options are endless, and users can have multiple profile settings that they can use.

Cons

  • The basic mode is very basic, with nothing much to offer. It’s recommended that users switch to the more advanced mode in order to enjoy the endless possibilities of the i1 Display Pro.
  • The software is somewhat intimidating, even for the more experienced individuals.

Datacolor S5SSR100 Spyder5STUDIO Color Calibration Kit

Datacolor S5SSR100 Spyder5STUDIO Color Calibration Kit

The Datacolor S5SSR100 Spyder5STUDIO is not just as a single device but an entire collection of components. The collection consists of SpyderPrint spectrocolorimeter for evaluating printed output, a monitor colorimeter, and a Spydercube that aids with brightness, exposure, white balance, and blackness levels of raw images. The monitor colorimeter has similar software and hardware as the Spyder5 Elite. It delivers the same color accuracy from preview  to the final presentation.

Pros

  • It does not compromise on color accuracy, and it performed relatively well when put to the test.
  • Given that it is an entire kit rather than just a monitor calibrator, we think that the Spyder5STUDIO Color Calibration Kit is priced within reason.

Cons

  • The kit is extremely bulky, which makes it difficult to move around with.
  • The scanning of prints on the device is not as smooth and effortless as expected because of the plastic used on the device’s guide.
  • Several users complained that they had a difficult time trying to create their ICC profiles using this kit.
  • The software occasionally loses track of its registration code, meaning that users have to constantly input it, which is rather annoying.

 

Pantone ColorMunki Design

Pantone Color Munki

 

The Pantone ColorMunki Design calibrator is a calibrator ideal for professionals as they can use it to calibrate not only their display screens but also their digital projectors and CMYK and RGB printers. This software allows users to automatically harmonize their color palettes to InDesign CC, Adobe Photoshop CC as well as QuarkXpress after they have created and named their custom color palette. With the ColorMunki Design, users can choose their colors straight from Pantone as well as other inbuilt libraries.

Pros

  • Users can enjoy creating multiple color settings that suit them and their work.
  • It’s versatile and can be used to calibrate projectors, printers, and monitors.
  • It is equipped with verification tools that facilitate the preview of the different colors on a project before the project is sent to production.

Cons

  • It is expensive and falls on the higher end of the price spectrum

 

Final Thoughts

As you can tell from this article, the calibrator market is mostly dominated by two brands. Both of the brands have their separate uses and positive points. Differentiating each one, as well as their positive points, can take a lot of time and research.

The main choice for professionals should be between the Display Pro and the Spyder5Elite. Similarly, if you’re a casual user, then the Spyder5Express or ColorMunki would fit you best.

The final choice rests on you. We’ve given our opinion. Now it’s up to you to figure out which one suits you the best.

Once you have chosen your monitor calibrator, you should then proceed to ensure that you accurately calibrate the screen by looking out for setting such as color gamma correction, color temperature, white point, ambient lighting, brightness, and contrast. To ensure that you accurately calibrate your monitor, you should power it up for at least thirty minutes for it to warm up before use. Doing so gives you the best possible results. The monitor calibrators listed above are some of the best in the market, and we would highly recommend that you start your journey with any of them.