How bright should your monitor be for print editing?
The most common mistake is editing on a screen that's too bright. A bright monitor makes images look lighter than they are, so you compensate by darkening — and the print then comes out muddy and too dark.
Recommended targets
- White point: set to the industry-standard D65 (≈6500K) for a neutral, daylight-balanced reference.
- Brightness (luminance): aim for a moderate level rather than a screen's bright factory default. Calibrate to a fixed, measured value so it's repeatable, not just "looks right".
- Gamma: the common standard is 2.2.
Why the environment matters too
Your room lighting strongly affects how you perceive screen brightness. Edit in consistent, fairly subdued, neutral lighting, avoid glare and direct light on the screen, and keep nearby walls neutral so reflected colour doesn't bias your judgement.
Set these values once with a hardware calibrator so your screen stays consistent over time.
When to order a test print
If prints keep coming out darker than expected, that's a classic sign of a too-bright screen. Soft-proof, lower your luminance, then order a small test print to confirm the new setting before printing large.