Why do two nearly identical monitors show different colors, and will a calibrator fix it?

Question

I’m using two Acer 24-inch monitors that are very similar models. One is connected by DisplayPort and the newer one by HDMI. Even with the same monitor settings for brightness, contrast, gamma, and color mode, they don’t match: one has deeper blacks and warmer/reddish whites.

Is this normal for two consumer monitors, even if they are almost the same model? Could the cable type be causing it, or is panel variation the more likely reason?

Would a monitor calibrator such as a Spyder be a good way to match them, and do these devices stay useful for several years? Also, is there any practical way to manually match color temperature between the displays without a calibrator?

user74236 · Accepted Answer

It is not surprising at all that your two monitors display differently. At work, I have two monitors from the same batch (!) and they are almost as different as yours. (Incidentally, also Acer, but this applies to most consumer displays).

If you had Spyder5, the problem would be solved. With a little workaround, or by using free 3rd-party software, you can match two monitors even with the cheaper Express version. (Express has practically the same hardware; only software differs).

Remember that a colour calibrator is much more than a monitor-matching tool. You will have an absolute reference to colours, and can have confidence in your output.

Yes, it lasts quite long. I had Spyder3 for some 10 years, then got new Spyder5 and cross-checked them, and the results matched. This Spyder5 is now 4 or 5 yo and still seems to be fine.

You can probably borrow one if you only want to match your monitors once. But remember that monitors change over time, particularly in the first half-year of use.

Now, without a calibrator, you are down to fiddling with monitor settings and comparing them by eye side by side. If, after equalising brightness, the 'standard' settings don't match, you'll likely need to get to the individual R-G-B gain adjustments (most standalone monitors have them in some 'custom' or 'advanced' colour mode) and change them until they match. Use your 'better' monitor as a guide, but you may need to adjust it too. You'll need a test image with several colours (and greys) at different levels: shadows, midtones, highlights.

Nearly all consumer LCD monitors are too bluish in their native settings (with 100% R-G-B gains). My work monitor (one of) has 94% R - 100% G - 69% B (suggested by Spyder), and I find this level of gains rather typical for consumer monitors (when targeting 6500K). But without a calibrator, you have nothing to verify it with. And still, with only RGB gains, you may not be able to match all levels: say, if you match whites, the middle grey may have a tint. But it will be much better than what you have now.

Why do two nearly identical monitors show different colors, and will a calibrator fix it?

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