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I’ve found that color calibration is often a step a lot of people skip when they initially setup their Macs. While the screen may look fine as it is, spending a few minutes with software that’s already included in OS X can offer a dramatic improvement.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Go into System Preferences and select Displays.
2. Click on the Color tab and click the Calibrate button.
3. Click the Expert Mode checkbox and click Continue.
4. Follow the steps in the Display Calibrator Assistant and make sure you select gama 2.2 when that option comes up.

You want to select 2.2 for your gama because it gives your display greater contrast. Also, 2.2 is used on the Windows platform. So if you want your photos to look the same on either platform, stick with 2.2.

Using the Apple Display Calibrator Assistant is fine for most users. It will get your display into the ballpark as far as color accuracy goes. If you demand truly accurate colors, your best option is to buy a hardware color calibrator. Unless you’re someone like a serious photographer or graphic artist, that won’t be necessary.

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