The Offset Podcast EP024: Calibration

We hope you had a great holiday season! The Offset Podcast is back for Season 2. We publish an episode every two weeks, and for Season 2 (2025), we’re excited to discuss a wide range of exciting topics.  

In this episode, we explore a subject that should be important to everyone who cares about image quality and accuracy—calibration. While this episode is not encyclopedic, it should give you a high-level overview of modern calibration.

Topics covered in this episode include:

• The importance of calibration & why calibration = the truth
• Using color bars to set a monitor baseline isn’t calibration 
• How standards guide calibration
• Calibration and monitor perfection is unattainable - the goal is to eliminate visual deviations from reference as much as possible. 
• Understanding the parts of a closed-loop calibration system
• Colorimeters
• Spectroradiometers
• Creating display-specific offset matrices for a colorimeter with a spectroradiometer 
• Pattern generators
• Pattern/Patch size and understanding the basics of loading behavior
• Calibration software 
• Direct device control within calibration software
• Meter placement 
• Challenges of calibrating projectors vs. direct-view monitors
• Understanding what calibration can’t do & recalibration considerations 
• Is auto calibration any good?
• Hiring a professional calibrator 

Thanks for checking out the show!  If you liked this episode please like, subscribe, and share the show with friends and colleagues.