How to Calibrate Your Scanner for More Accurate Scans GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Computers, Laptops & Tablets > Accessories & Hardware

How to Calibrate Your Scanner for More Accurate Scans

Save editing time by matching your scans to your printer or monitor

By William Harrel William Harrel Writer William Harrel is a former Lifewire writer and a computer technology editor, writer, author, and instructor with over 30 years' experience. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on September 11, 2020 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Accessories & Hardware Printers & Scanners Guide To Buying a New Printer The Quick Guide to Webcams Keyboards & Mice Monitors Cards HDD & SSD Raspberry Pi

What to Know

Prepare a color reference sheet or IT8 target with known colors and scan it with color-management and correction features turned off.Launch the scanner profiling software, load the target, and define the analysis area. Make visual adjustments or let the software adjust.Use SCAR (Scan, Compare, Adjust, Repeat) to calibrate visually. Or, download and install the device's ICC profile for color management. This article explains how to calibrate your scanner to achieve the best color results. The information here applies generally to scanner color calibration. Specific scanner models may come with color-calibration materials, software, and instructions.

How to Calibrate Your Scanner

For scanner color calibration, you'll need a color reference sample. Your scanner may have come with one specific to its model. If not, use an IT8 target, which contains specific color patches with a reference file that saves the exact values. Wikipedia When you scan the IT8 target, the software measures the color patches, discerning differences between set color values and the actual values. Prepare a color reference sheet or IT8 target with known colors. IT8 scanner targets and reference files can be purchased from companies that specialize in color management, such as Kodak and FujiFilm. These cost around $40, but you can find less-expensive ones if you shop around. Scan the color reference sheet or IT8 target with all color-management and color-correction features turned off. Flickr Clean up the scan as well as you can by removing dust, scratches, and other blemishes. Launch the scanner profiling software (or imaging software, if you plan to calibrate visually) and load the target image or chart. Define the area to be analyzed. Make visual adjustments or allow the profiling software to make adjustments for you. Your future scans should be color accurate (or at least much improved). This process isn't foolproof and often requires more than one attempt. Recalibrate the scanner at least every six months to compensate for changes to the scanner and monitor over time.

How to Calibrate Your Scanner Visually

With visual calibration, you compare the colors from your scanner to those on your monitor manually, making adjustments as you go to get the best possible match. The acronym SCAR (Scan, Compare, Adjust, Repeat) describes this process.

How to Color Calibrate With ICC Profiles

An ICC profile is a small data file specific to each device. It contains critical information on how that device produces color. You can often rely on the printer's specific ICC profiles for color management. Find ICC profiles on printer and scanner manufacturer websites. Once downloaded, right-click the file and select Install Profile.

Why It' s Important to Calibrate Your Scanner

Without proper calibration, your computer monitor, printer, and scanner define and display the same colors differently. It's common for colors to shift to other colors between two pieces of equipment. Many users calibrate their monitor to their printer properly, so these devices agree on color definitions. It's also important that your monitor and scanner are in agreement, so the colors in images you scan don't shift when you see the images on the screen. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Calibrate Printers and Scanners Using ICC Printer Profiles How to Test and Calibrate a Monitor's Settings How to Use Your Mac's Display Calibrator Assistant How to Calibrate the Touchscreen on Your Android How to Choose a Photo Scanner How to Scan a Document in Windows How to Scan From Printer to Computer The 9 Best Document and Photo Scanners of 2022 The Differences Between Types of Scanners How to Fix Overscan in Windows 10 to Fit to Screen Use a Digital Camera as a Scanner Converting Paper Documents to PDF Files 14 Best Free Bootable Antivirus Tools (October 2022) How to Quickly Scan and Digitize Photos Overview of the Mac's Displays Preference Pane How to Calibrate the Compass for Android Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies