Calibration ensures that the displays, printers and paper are properly aligned to each other. This process ensures that colors stay rich, clear and the finished result is of the highest quality. Successful calibration also avoids what is commonly known as 'device drift'.

Step 1: Set the color profile of your document

You must set the document color profile to an industry standard before adjusting anything within the image.

Print and Photography standard: Adobe 1998

  • Photoshop

    1. Open your image file inside Adobe Photoshop

    2. Once open,  click on "Edit" from the main menu bar and select: Color Settings (shift+Cmd+K)

    3. In the window that pops up, click on the 'Settings'  pull down menu and select: North America Prepress 2.  This will set the working spaces RGB to Adobe RGB (1998)

    4. Click on the 'OK' button in the upper right corner of the window to apply the new settings

    5. Save your document

      • Pro Tip: Save this working document as a new file, so you retain a copy of your image in its original state

  • InDesign

    1. Start a new document and or open your existing InDesign document

    2. Once open,  click on "Edit" from the main menu bar and select: Color Settings

    3. In the window that pops up, click on the 'Settings'  pull down menu and select: North America Prepress 2.  This will set the working spaces RGB to Adobe RGB (1998)

    4. Click on the 'OK' button in the upper right corner of the window to apply the new settings

    5. Save your document

  • Illustrator

    1. Start a new document and or open your existing Illustrator document

    2. Once open,  click on "Edit" from the main menu bar and select: Color Settings (shift+Cmd+K)

    3. In the window that pops up, click on the 'Settings'  pull down menu and select: North America Prepress 2.  This will set the working spaces RGB to Adobe RGB (1998)

    4. Click on the 'OK' button in the lower right corner of the window to apply the new settings

    5. Save your document

Step 2: Set the color profile of your display

The computer screen you work from must be calibrated using a color calibration tool to ensure you are working with a known set of standards.  There are set profiles for use with Macintosh computers within the Newhouse complex.  If you are using your own personal equipment you will need to calibrate your display to setup an ICC profile for the specific computer model you are using.


  1. Set the iMac display brightness to 50-60% 
    • Pro Tip: this can be easily done from the keyboard using the F1 and F keys
  2. Click on the Apple in the upper left corner of the screen and select "about this Mac"
  3. In the window that appears, you will need to look for the line that reads iMac.  This line will be followed by information about the kind of computer you are using (e.g 5K 2017) You will need this information later on in this step
  4. Click on the Apple in the upper left corner of the screen and select "System Preferences" from the pull down menu.
  5. Click on the icon labeled "Displays"
  6. In the pop up menu that appears click on the button labeled 'Display Settings'
  7. Another pop up menu will appear.  In the left hand column select the display you are working on (it should the the one with the icon that looks like an iMac).  On the right hand side of the window the is a pull down menu for 'Color Profile'