Brightness and Contrast Check

Below, you will see a graph containing a wide range of gray tones - from solid black to pure white.

Average tonal scale suitable for most monitors.

If you are using a CRT (glass tube) monitor, you should be able to view distinct shades of gray between the two BLUE lines.

If you are using a LCD screen (as many laptops have) then you should be able to see distinct shades of gray between the two RED lines.

If you do not see the shades as described above, you may need to adjust the brightness and contrast settings as you will be missing out on a lot of information when it comes to viewing the photographs.

Step Two: a simple colour check