It will also improve your life
Graphic design can have many challenges. From being creative to working with poor quality customer artwork. In this blog article, let’s talk about THINKING a job through before we even begin.
Only a few seats left if you want to learn all about FlexiSIGN for designing awesome signage as well as Color Management if you want to match your monitor colors to your wide format printer.
Find out more here: http://www.thinkmutoh.com/event/flexi-denver-2019/
All wide format printer users are welcome!
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It will also improve your life
Whether you edit graphics, play video games, or watch movies on your Windows 10 PC, spending time to improve your display quality can go a long way to improving your overall experience.
In this article, we want to explain to you how you can improve your color accuracy, brightness and contrast straight from within Windows 10.
We will also offer some tips on how you can set up the best settings for your particular monitor model and we’ll be showing how both AMD and Nvidia offer some great display control settings too.
If a high quality display with accurate colors matters to you, the place you should start is the monitor itself. If you have a cheap monitor you may be missing out on better color accuracy, higher brightness, and better contrast.
Below, we have picked out three affordable options that are specifically well known for their excellent display quality at their price points. Keep in mind that professional grade photo editing displays can cost far, far more, but we have focused on affordable options here.
This monitor is very affordable and it features great color accuracy and contrast. The monitor also uses flicker free technology to reduce the strain on your eyes and improve your experience whilst watching video content or playing video games.
This model doesn’t have speakers, but a version for $109 does have speakers and HDMI support.
If you can afford it, the ASUS PB278Q 27″ monitor is a great option for those looking for lifelike colors and a larger display. This monitor has a 2560 x 1440 resolution, which is better than HD, and it also has an excellent viewing angle. Around this price range, you’ll struggle to find a monitor with a better quality display, especially not at this size.
The LG 24UD48-B is the next step up for anybody that wants excellent colors, FreeSync, incredible brightness, and a 4K resolution. At this price point, this is easily the best choice if you are specifically after a 4K monitor that still delivers when it comes to color accuracy.
Whether you choose to purchase a new monitor or stick with your current one, the next step is to calibrate your monitor by using the built in color and display settings.
Most of the time, the default settings are reasonable, but after extensive testing from the community, you can often find better settings tweaks online.
Because there are thousands of different monitor models online, I won’t be able to explain how to optimize your own monitor settings. Instead, I can help to guide you through finding suitable settings online for yourself.
First, bookmark this page so that you can come back later for the next steps.
After that, look at your monitor for the correct model name. It may be printed on the front of your monitor. Alternatively, you can press theWindows keyand search for Display.
ClickChange display settings in the search results.
On the display settings page, clickAdvanced display settings.
On the next page, clickDisplay Adapter Properties.
Next, clickMonitor to see your monitor name.
If you are on a laptop, it may sayGeneric PnP Monitor. In this case, you’ll need to skip this step and move onto the Windows 10 calibration settings in the next step.
Once you have your monitor name, simply search Google for ‘Monitor model’ optimal display settings.Replace ‘monitor model’ with your own model. You should find some excellent guides in different communities and forums.
Once you’ve done that, make sure to come back here for our next tips on how to improve your display settings from within Windows 10.
It’s very easy to learn how to improve your display settings within Windows 10. We’ll take you through the steps below.
To begin with,open the WindowsStart Menuand typecalibrate display color.
Click on the result that appears. You can then go through the Windows 10 color calibration wizard. This will show you whether the colors on your display are accurate or not, and you’ll get to adjust your display if they aren’t.
As you can see below, you’ll be taken through different tests that will help you to calibrate your gamma and color balance. Some settings you can edit directly within the wizard and others will require you to edit the display settings directly on your monitor.
For full details, read my previous post that walks you through every step of thedisplay calibration process on Windows.
This is mostly the extent of what you can do for improving the color accuracy on Windows 10. You can also adjust the brightness and resolution by typingdisplayinto the Start Menu and opening Change Display Settings.
So far, we have covered how to improve your display settings on your monitor itself and on Windows 10. Both of these steps are excellent for improving the color accuracy and ensuring you get the very best out of your monitor.
However, if you would like to amp things up with more contrast, more brightness, or more vibrant colors, you’ll need to change display settings through your graphics drivers. Keep in mind that these changes can impact your color accuracy – if you want the best color accuracy, you should keep the default settings.
There are two main players in the graphics card industry – NVIDIA and AMD. We’ll be taking you through how to change your display settings on both.
To begin with, you must open the NVIDIA control panel. To do this, click theShow Hidden Icons button on the far right of your taskbar.
Next, right click theNVIDIA iconin the hidden icons section. After that, you can click onNVIDIA Control Panel.
Once inside the NVIDIA Control Panel, you can click Adjust desktop color settings and from there you will have a number of sliders to control.
It’s up to you how you’d like to set your display settings here. Adding brightness, contrast, gamma, and digital vibrance can make colors pop out more in video games and movies.
If you want more saturation and more vibrant colors, you can adjust these settings. (More specifically, contrast and digital vibrance.)
If you have an AMD graphics card, you can follow the steps listed below to improve your display settings further.
Because I own an NVIDIA graphics card, image credit goes toAMD supportfor the images we are using to explain the process.
First, click the hidden icon option in the Windows 10 taskbar.
Next, click the Radeon Settings icon in your icon tray.
You will now be taken to the AMD Radeon Settings app. Click the Displaytab to be taken to the right location.
Once you are in the Display section, you can clickColor to have more control over your display appearance. Keep in mind that this setting is unfortunately not available to all AMD graphics cards.
On the following page, you’ll have the option to control your brightness, hue, contrast, and saturation. To improve the digital vibrance in games and movies, you should use the contrast and saturation sliders.
I hope that this guide on how to improve your Windows 10 display quality has proven to be useful. Now that you’ve gone through this guide, do you notice any improvements to your display? Let us know your experience. Enjoy!
Founder of Help Desk Geek and managing editor. He began blogging in 2007 and quit his job in 2010 to blog full-time. He has over 15 years of industry experience in IT and holds several technical certifications.
Only 3 seats left in our 2-day FlexiSIGN & Color Management Workshop to be held May 9,10, 2019!
This is the ultimate learning experience for anyone who owns a wide format printer. Mimaki, MUTOH, Epson, Canon, HP…all users are welcome to learn how the Flexi and color management workflow can be improved beyond imagination!
We will cover matching Pantone, soft proofing using your monitor, enlarging low-resolution images from inches to feet perfectly and a lots more. This workshop is conducted by Mark Rugen with over 35 years of experience in the graphics market.
Signing up is easy: http://www.thinkmutoh.com/event/flexi-chicago-2019/
We guarantee you’ll be faster and better at wide format printing in just 2 days!
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Wide format printing is not about the printer, it’s about the ideas that we print!
Sometimes we need a little inspiration to create. Sometimes it’s about observing what may already be there and expressing that in a different form. Sometimes it’s about the simple, not the complex. Attend the ISA show in Las Vegas, NV this week, visit MUTOH in booth 3035 and you’ll see how real professionals think and create and it will be sure to inspire you.
This year MUTOH will highlight how its wide format printers can be used for just about any application. Vehicle wraps, Decals, Awards, Cups, Shirts, Furniture, Clothing, 4×8 rigid signs and more are just some of the applications possible with a Mutoh printer.
Sure other companies have printers too, but what really makes MUTOH different is our focus on education and training as well as the fact that each of our products is managed by an industry expert.
Yes, at this years ISA show in booth 3035, MUTOH will be showing how each of our printers can be used to make whatever your imagination can think up.
See ideas come to life because MUTOH Makes It Possible!
Get information on all our printers at www.mutoh.com.
Find out how we will training you to make it possible at www.thinkmutoh.com.
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ISA Sign Expo® gets down to business. As the largest collection of professionals in the sign, graphics, print and visual communications industry, ISA Sign Expo® is where you want to be and where you’ll get the programming and the vendors that offer serious solutions, real results and opportunities for powerful connections.
This annual event alternates locations between Las Vegas, Nevada, and Orlando, Florida.
ISA Sign Expo® 2019 will be held Tuesday-Friday, April 23-26, 2019 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Besides the fact that you can visit with just about any company that deals with wide format printing, ISa is also known for wonderfully informative educational sessions. For instance, below is one that MUTOH will do.
ISA-23 09/25/18 9:00 – 10:00 South Pacific B Mark Rugen Mutoh Americas, Inc.
Print Basic (1-2 years of experience)
Flexi Tips & Tricks: A brief look at becoming more efficient in print-cut workflow and color management. Covering software, commercial signs, and banners, digital direct-to-substrate printing, and wide-format digital printing and finishing.
We will show you not just Flexi, but also many other programs that will make your workflow so much better. Learn how to handle low-resolution images, improve their quality and then add contour and or perf cuts with ease!
You’ll find even more information and all the experts in dye sublimation, eco-solvent and UV printing in our booth.
Mutoh America, Inc. | 3035 |
We’ve got a lot of new, innovative applications to show you. Our
booth is a learning booth, not just a printer demo booth. You will be able to ask experts in printing application how to get a job done and actually see some cool examples of applications. We will show everything from a small printer to our new 4×8 Flatbed UV printer.
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HURRY! HURRY! HURRY!
Only a few seats left for the awesome workshop that is going to dial in your colors on that wide format printer!
MUTOH, MIMAKI, ROLAND, HP, EPSON?
You are still welcome, just never forget who took the time to teach you!
Find Out More NOW!!!
https://www.thinkmutoh.com/event/flexi-atl-2019
“Mark truly understands the program from the inside out. He explains efficiently the strengths of the program along with its limitations.” Jeff Fredwich – SIGNARAMA Willow Grove
“Learned a lot that I thought I already knew.” Akhay Putri – Avery Dennison
“Best software training class I have EVER attended!” – Adrienne Latiolias, AWA Printing
“Mark explains things in an easy to understand way for beginners!” Josh Munn, Munn Enterprises, Inc.
“The class was great! I came in not really knowing anything about Flexi, but after the class, I now feel confident in my abilities to use the program to make high-quality product.” Melanie Cooley, Magnolia Decal & Graphics
“Great training course! Any new to advanced users should attend.” Jeremy Carter, Munn Enterprises
“Mark is the best instructor for Flexi!” – Mark Bourg, A+ Signs
Instructor: Mark A. Rugen, MUTOH, FLEXISIGN & COLOR MANAGEMENT EXPERT
Read MoreGraphic design can have many challenges. From being creative to working with poor quality customer artwork. In this blog article, let’s talk about THINKING a job through before we even begin.
In fact, sometimes it comes down to the simple things. Spelling, punctuation, grammar are all items in a design that we must THINK through. By THINK I also mean we need to SLOW DOWN enough to allow for that thinking to take place! Not doing so could be very embarrassing!
Well, why do you think Santa keeps a list and checks it twice. The wrong toy to the wrong child could be disastrous! LOL! But seriously, it’s good advice to make a checklist that you use on each design. What should that list contain? Well, to better answer that question, maybe we should go through all the consideration in design.
The best way to begin thinking about design is to start by knowing what the final product is supposed to do and how it will be constructed.
This is a really important question to consider. Remember, you are the professional, so it’s important that you “guide” your customer to a better design, but they pay the bill so ultimately, you may have to bend a little. This is where you may have to allow your customer to “design” what they want, but perhaps you may have to come up with 2 or 3 “alternatives” to show the customer to perhaps help them consider other factors like the ones previously described.
Now, this is a bit of a tricky subject since design tools and a lot like choosing a car. Everyone has their own opinion of what make and model is the best choice. So, what I am sharing here is my opinion and I want to hear yours in the comments. That said, let’s jump in with both feet!
Now that you have many of the design factors in mind, it’s time to consider the relationship between your software choices and your output device choices.
When designing, it’s a good idea to know the features and capabilities of your output devices so you can design for those devices.
Of course, there are other cutters with similar options, but the point is if you as the designer did not know this feature was available, you might spend hours trying to get a perf cut to work properly.
That’s not only design time that could be used on other projects but also cost for your company in design time and maybe even materials used to test your perf cut settings.
Hopefully, we have covered many of the considerations in creating a great design. At this point, you should develop a checklist for yourself and be sure to use it. Once you hve one done, or if you already have one, why not share it with the rest of our community so we all get better at design?
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MUTOH will conduct a color management workshop on April 12, 2019 at the Graphics Canada tradeshow. This will not be a theory class like so many others are offering, rather this is a real-world workshop by expert Mark Rugen.
“Forget the theory, I want to share some of my 30 years of tips and trick to make your wide format printer print color like it never has before and that means showing you some real-world solutions.”
This workshop will be filled with lessons such as:
Yes, these and many more topics will be discussed in the one-day workshop.
No matter what model or make of wide format printer you own, you and your production staff should attend this seminar. It will change the way you do business. The seminar is designed for any level of expertise from g=beginner to advanced.
The cost to attend is only $99 US and includes a free FlexiSIGN training DVD valued at $299! We will be using FlexiSIGn as well as Photoshop to teach. Users of Flexi will appreciate the over 10 hours of video training on the free DVD that each student will receive.
Use this link to register now because seating will be limited: www.thinkmutoh.com/events/mutohcanadatraining
Did you know that we have taught thousands of sign and print shops the best way to get great workflows and brilliant colors? Want to learn about vehicle wraps, ADA Signage, Wallpaper application, Floor graphics and more?
Use this link to find out more!
https://www.mutoh.thinkific.com/