Information on display colour space and calibration

What colour spaces do the displays in our laptops cover?

The displays in our laptops offer excellent colour space coverage of (depending on model) up to 100 % DCI-P3 right out of the box.

We always state the colour space coverage transparently in the spec sheet for each laptop (under "Technical Specifications" → "Display").

Typical specifications are:

These specifications represent the current state of the art in the laptop industry.

A display with 100 % sRGB is already very well suited for general applications - for example, web design, image editing for online media, social media, streaming, and gaming. For content creators, sRGB is therefore completely sufficient if the content is published exclusively in digital form (Instagram, YouTube, web shops, blogs).

100 % DCI-P3 covers a significantly larger colour space, especially in red and green tones. This becomes noticeable when producing content for professional video, HDR formats, digital cinema, 10-bit streaming, or high-quality photo prints. In such cases, a DCI-P3 display helps to assess colours more accurately and better reproduce the output of professional display devices.

By comparison, Adobe RGB is more extensive than DCI-P3, but laptop displays that can fully reproduce this extremely wide colour space are quite rare.

Can colour accuracy be improved even further?

Some of our models are factory-calibrated, or calibration profiles can be downloaded via the Control Center. However, even high-quality displays are subject to slight changes over time (for example, due to ageing of the backlight). It is therefore common practice in professional workflows to recalibrate monitors at regular intervals.

For professional applications with particularly high requirements, we therefor recommend additional calibration using a colorimeter or spectrophotometer. The following videos explain the principle:

• How to Calibrate Your Monitor, The Comprehensive Beginner's Guide [Hardware Unboxed]
• Calibrite Display 123: Night Photographer Matt Hill's Unboxing and First Impressions [Calibrite]
• Calibrite PROFILER Monitor Module Advanced [Calibrite]

Before purchasing a laptop, it is therefore particularly important to check our manufacturer's specifications regarding colour space coverage (sRGB or DCI-P3). If you need reliable colour representation right from the start, you will benefit additionally from calibrating the display individually immediately after setting it up.

Product recommendations

Below is an overview of some well-known colour measurement devices in the entry-level and mid-range categories:

The links lead either to Geizhals (price search engine) or, if the device is no longer available new, to the manufacturer’s website. These devices can also be found on the second-hand market, for example on eBay or in classified ads online.

Colour measuring devices can theoretically also be subject to colour drift, although this depends heavily on the model. According to an older discussion thread, colorimeters with gelatine filters (for example, older Spyder versions, Huey, i1Display2 / LT) are more prone to ageing than models with high-quality glass filters.

The same thread states that X-Rite apparently used to recommend replacing colour measurement devices every 3 to 5 years - but this information should of course be treated with caution, as X-Rite itself was a manufacturer of such devices (its colorimeter product line is now owned by Calibrite).

Calibration as a service

In addition to self-calibration with a colorimeter, it is also possible to have monitors (including laptop displays) calibrated by service providers using particularly high-quality or precise spectrophotometer. This also allows you to indirectly verify the accuracy of your own colour measuring device. Such services are sometimes offered by print shops, photo studios, electronics stores, and similar specialist businesses. It may therefore be worth checking local business directories and contacting the relevant shops.

For reference, below is a list of specialist calibration service providers in Germany and Austria:

One of these providers, Trescal, also has many international franchises and operations. If you're not from Germany or Austria, you should still be able to find similar businesses in your region. Use search terms such as "ICC monitor calibration service" (translated to your local language), plus your country or city. Or check your neighborhood for one of the specialist businesses mentioned above. A quick phone call in advance will clarify whether on-site display calibration is possible.

Further information

Please also refer to these FAQ articles:

• Which XMG or SCHENKER laptops are recommended for my specific use-case?
• How can I prevent the screen's brightness and contrast from changing automatically in certain situations?

If you have any further questions, our team will be happy to advise you.