Calibrator Recommendations

The Industry Standard

For almost 20 years now, there has been an industry standard, high quality calibrator.

This has now been updated for 2023 and the very latest (and even future) monitor technologies.

Over the years it has had many names:

• X-Rite i1Display 3 / i1Display Pro
• Calibrate ColorChecker Display Pro

(X-Rite spun off their photo related business to a new company called Calibrite in 2022).

The latest and greatest model is now called the Calibrite Display Pro HL

This new model is very similar to the excellent, reliable older models, but has been further improved to cope with modern, high contrast displays. Previous models dramatically improved the shadow reading performance, and the HL in this new model name stands for 'High Luminance' - now supporting displays up to 3000 cd/m2 and thus HDR (High Dynamic Range) use.

This calibrator is the long term industry standard for good reason - it's accurate, highly reliable, and easy to use. 

Our Recommendation
(For Just About Everyone)

If you want to further 'future proof' yourself, then you could go for the top of the line option: the Calibrite Display Plus HL

This doesn't cost much more than the standard model, and is the same in every way - but lifts the high luminance threshold to an astonishing 10,000 cd/m2.

In truth, this is really only relevant to future HDR display technologies, although there are some LCDs and Projectors that may already benefit.

But for the small price difference, this is the one we generally recommend as the best calibrator on the market today.

Being the industry standard, these calibrators are also compatible with pretty much everything - after-market calibration software, Eizo's ColorNavigator, BenQ Palette Master/Elements/Ultimate and NEC's SpectraView, and all types of monitors including CRT, LCDs, OLEDs, Plasmas, front projectors and more.

We don't think you save enough with the cheaper calibrators to make their significantly reduced capabilities acceptable.

The i1 is fast, accurate, easy to use and reliable and without doubt the best choice in monitor calibrators.

Cheaper Option?

Calibrite have a cheaper option - the Calibrite Display SL - but we don't recommend this option.

Whilst it's a good calibrator in its own right for current typical desktop monitors - it is specifically limited such that it is not - and never will be - compatible with other calibrations systems (like those from Eizo/BenQ etc) - so far too often we see people buying this cheaper model only to regret it later when they upgrade to a better monitor.

You do save a fair bit now, but it's a very common path that as you improve along your colour accurate journey, you will likely come to want a proper imaging monitor.

Other Brands?

We've always favoured the X-Rite/Calibrite options over the other well known brand in this area - DataColor with their Spyder range - for a variety of reasons spanning a long time (legendary issues with inaccurate Spyder3s due to faulty filters, planned obsolescence in later designs, etc).

But, to be fair, the latest DataColor Spyder X2 range seems to have solved all these issues and feedback on these is generally very positive. 

We generally recommend you buy a high quality monitor calibrator and have us make your printer profiles - this is the best quality solution (we have an article that helps you make this decision).  However, some may prefer the flexibility of doing their own printer profiles, or have other devices to calibrate.

The Calibrite ColorChecker Studio (formerly X-Rite i1 Studio) - is by far the most affordable, very easy to use and highest quality 'system' calibrator in the market.

It's vastly better than the Spyder option in this area - the printer profiles are simply much better and it's a lot less fiddly to use.

We recommended it to amateurs on a budget who are keen to bring greater quality to their colour and for people who don't already have any calibrator and want to sort out monitors and printers in one go!

The Calibrite ColorChecker Studio can calibrate your whole workflow - monitors, scanners, projectors and printers.

It also comes with an application that allows you to take spot measurements and convert it into all sorts of values - LAB, other RGB colour spaces, and the closest matching Pantone library colour (very handy for graphic designers trying to match packaging etc!).

The software that comes with it is easy and excellent. In all, the Calibrite ColorChecker Studio is highly recommended.

If you're a keen paper experimenter, then using a custom profiling service can feel too slow - so even if ultimately you get a really proper custom profile made for your very favourite papers (to eke out that last few percent of quality), having a ColorChecker Studio is great for testing things initially.

We have some more thoughts on deciding between calibration options (all-in-one vs. monitor calibrator + icc profile service).