K1VRA

Adjust Your Computer Monitor

Try using the target shown below to adjust your computer monitor.  This target image was developed by the National Archives and Records Administration.

The Monitor Adjustment Target was designed by NARA to allow computer users to adjust the contrast and brightness of their computer monitor so that graphic images, such as scans of photographs, textual documents, or maps, look their best.

The target consists of two scales of shades of gray ranging from white to black.  The top scale illustrates the full range of tones that a computer monitor can represent when set to 256 or more colors (8 bits or higher).  The lower scale consists of three sets of shades, including two dark shades, three middle gray shades and two light shades.  The shades in each set on the lower scale should be just distinguishable from the adjacent similar shade(s).  Use the contrast and brightness control on your monitor to adjust the appearance of the top scale so that you see a broad range of shades from white to black and that all seven shades on the lower scale are distinguishable.