Set up your display for a specific workflow on Mac
Your Mac or Apple Display includes pro-grade features for color-critical workflows—from industry-standard reference modes and custom calibration to quick shortcuts for switching presets.
Use a preset or custom reference mode
Using the right preset or custom reference mode ensures that your content meets industry standards to translate color accurately when you hand off work—to a printer, a post-production suite, or a broadcast system. Custom reference modes can be imported and exported so you can share them with other members of your team.
Choose a preset
What’s a preset? A preset is a reference mode that configures your display’s color space, white point, gamma, and brightness to match the precise requirements of a specific media type or industry standard. For example, choosing the Photography (P3-D65) preset sets the display to the exact color characteristics that a photography workflow expects—so what you see on screen matches what your camera captured.
On your Mac, choose Apple menu
in the sidebar. (You may need to scroll down.)
Click the Preset pop-up menu, then choose an option that best suits your workflow.
See Use the Preset menu in Displays settings.
Create and share custom reference modes
Can I create my own reference modes? Yes. In addition to the presets that come on your display, you can create your own custom reference modes. This option is good when the built-in preset reference modes don’t match your specific workflow.
On your Mac, choose Apple menu
Click the Preset pop-up menu, then choose Customize Presets.
Click
Tip: After you create a custom reference mode, turn on Show in Menu to make the reference mode appear in Control Center.
See Create custom reference modes.
Can I share my custom reference modes? Yes. You can import and export custom reference modes, which means you can share them with members of your team.
On your Mac, choose Apple menu
Click the Preset pop-up menu, then choose Customize Presets.
Click the Action pop-up menu, then do one of the following:
Import a file that contains the settings for a custom reference mode: Choose Import.
Export a file that contains the settings for a custom reference mode: Choose Export.
Calibrate your display
Your Mac or Apple display can be recalibrated using Pro Display Calibrator in System Settings. Calibration data is saved to the display itself, so your settings travel with the display—not the Mac.
On your Mac, choose Apple menu
Click the display that you want to recalibrate, click the Preset pop-up menu, then click Calibrate Display.
After the Pro Display Calibrator opens, choose one of the options described in the table below.
Option | Description | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Recalibrates the white point, primaries, luminance, and gamma response of your display. Use this option if you have a compatible spectroradiometer or colorimeter. | |||||||||||
Measures and adjusts the white point and luminance values to the expected values of your target. Use this option as a quicker alternative to full calibration. | |||||||||||
Visually adjusts the white point of your display with a color grid. Use this option if you need to adjust your display to visually match white point to other displays. | |||||||||||
Trained medical professionals can use the Medical Imaging Calibrator with a medical imaging preset to prepare Studio Display XDR for primary diagnostic interpretation of images in general radiology. See Open the Medical Imaging Calibrator.
Get accurate color and smooth motion
Several settings affect the color accuracy and motion quality of your display. Knowing what each setting does helps you decide when to use it—and when to turn it off.
Turn off True Tone True Tone uses sensors built into your display to automatically adapt screen colors to your environment, so white looks natural in any lighting. It’s great for everyday use, but because it continuously shifts the color temperature, it can cause colors to appear inaccurate during color-critical work. To turn off True Tone, go to System Settings | Turn off Night Shift Night Shift shifts your display’s colors to the warmer end of the spectrum to reduce blue light—helpful for reducing eye strain in the evening, but the warm color shift means colors on screen won’t accurately reflect your content’s true values. To turn off Night Shift, go to System Settings |
Set a fixed refresh rate Adaptive Sync automatically varies the display’s refresh rate to match the frame rate of content, delivering smooth, fluid motion. For some professional workflows—such as frame-accurate cinematic playback—you may want a fixed, predictable refresh rate instead. To set a fixed refresh rate, go to System Settings |
Change display settings quickly
You can use keyboard shortcuts and the menu bar to open Displays settings and switch between presets and custom reference modes.
Tip: To quickly open Displays settings, press Option-F2 on your keyboard.
Add Display to the menu bar For fast access to Displays settings like True Tone and Night Shift, and to quickly switch between presets or reference modes, add Display to the menu bar. Go to System Settings | Switch between presets in Control Center To quickly switch between presets or reference modes, click |