<p>There are 2 major factor to this.</p>

<p>While it would certainly be possible to calibrate or profile each screen this would add cost to the process. Most users simply aren't that sensitive to this issue so it makes no economic sense to do so. </p>

<p>Its also worth noting that color reproduction is a function of several factors. Such as panel use age, operating temperature etc., but also ambient surroundings. So while this could be done it would be less than stellarly useful for the user in the long run, unless they operate in standardized lighting conditions and never use the monitor.</p>

<p>Certainly there is value in factory calibration. It simply means that the monitor can be calibrated to sRGB. And in some usecases the drift caused by age is acceptable.</p>

<p>The second problem is that is not technically desireable for the panel manufacturers. Forcing something like this on the manufacturers would be a bit like telling people that the the only graphics available graphics api from now on is opengl 2.0 no innovation allowed.</p>

<p>Business dictates that the manufacturers need to be able to innovate. Calibrating everything to sRGB would slow down development of panels that are significantly bettter in gamut than sRGB to evolve. Second not all display panels can reach sRGB. Developping ultra cheap panels also has a market function. No need to restrict innovation.</p>

<p>Calibrating to sRGB would ultimately not solve all color problems. Convoluted profile to profile conversions would still 
be needed. Display panels are precicion instruments and need to be handled like that if accuracy is drsired. If not then no big deal.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-01-23T17:52:40.990Z
Does it also mean not all monitors (especially low cost 1080p home and business/programming monitors) are factory calibrated? If so, does it necessarily mean they must be calibrated manually by customer to see better colors?
Vikas
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-01-23T17:54:47.310Z
I'm curious because I checked several low cost monitors (not good ones which have great colors like Adobe RGB). And some mentioned "factory calibrated" while others didn't. And they cost more or less same. So it made me wonder if the ones not mentioning "calibrated" would show worse colors.
Vikas
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-01-23T19:19:37.477Z
@Vikas factory calibration does not mean anything. every factory does q and a so most likely your monitor even if it didnt say was "factory calibrated" the question though is calibrated to what and how well did it calibrate, and has it changed since then.
joojaa
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-01-23T19:52:15.193Z
So I guess even in cheapest monitors they will do the formalities so colors don't look horrible to typical customer for day to day tasks?
Vikas
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-01-23T19:52:18.870Z
And I think some of those cheap ones may use words "color calibrated" for marketing I think. While others won't. Whereas, the actually better and expensive monitors which claim calibrated would have some "report" about calibration. I read at some sources that if it's actually calibrated good enough, it would have some report or more details about it in tech specs.
Vikas
CC BY-SA 4.0
2023-01-23T20:24:06.423Z
@Vikas thing is you dont see color calibration. your eye is adaptive so it will see more or less normally. Its just that what you see does not match from monitor to monitor so its hard to say what the color your seeing is on another system.
joojaa
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-21T06:16:49.357Z
2015-08-21T06:22:23.667Z
2015-08-21T06:22:23.667Z
joojaa
<p>Simple answer: because it costs. :) Some higher-end monitor models <em>are</em> indeed calibrated at the factory (and come with a calibration report sheet) but it would not be cost-effective to do so for all models in the product line.</p>

<p>Color reproduction varies even between batches of the exact same panel model, so it isn't possible to just use a set calibration for a given monitor model, it need to be done on a unit-by-unit basis. So to save costs, they instead determine the color reproduction curves of the "average" panel and use that for an ok but inconsistent result.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-25T09:20:40.457Z
FWIW, some monitors come with a built-in motorised calibration unit. It's amusing to watch the "arm" rise out of the bezel so it can sample the screen output during the calibration process.
Simon F
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-20T19:05:38.003Z
2015-08-20T19:42:59.837Z
2015-08-20T19:42:59.837Z
yuriks
<p>Why do we not calibrate all devices to sRGB in the factory? The assumption is that every monitor is sRGB anyway. So why not calibrate them to that? That would make people see same color as intended on a wide range of devices.</p>

<color-management>
Why not calibrate all display devices to sRGB?
joojaa
# Why not calibrate all display devices to sRGB?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-08-20)

Why do we not calibrate all devices to sRGB in the factory? The assumption is that every monitor is sRGB anyway. So why not calibrate them to that? That would make people see same color as intended on a wide range of devices.

**Tags:** color-management


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-08-20. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

Simple answer: because it costs. :) Some higher-end monitor models *are* indeed calibrated at the factory (and come with a calibration report sheet) but it would not be cost-effective to do so for all models in the product line.

Color reproduction varies even between batches of the exact same panel model, so it isn't possible to just use a set calibration for a given monitor model, it need to be done on a unit-by-unit basis. So to save costs, they instead determine the color reproduction curves of the "average" panel and use that for an ok but inconsistent result.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: FWIW, some monitors come with a built-in motorised calibration unit. It's amusing to watch the "arm" rise out of the bezel so it can sample the screen output during the calibration process.  

---

### Answer by username_0 on 2015-08-21. Score: 1

There are 2 major factor to this.

While it would certainly be possible to calibrate or profile each screen this would add cost to the process. Most users simply aren't that sensitive to this issue so it makes no economic sense to do so.

Its also worth noting that color reproduction is a function of several factors. Such as panel use age, operating temperature etc., but also ambient surroundings. So while this could be done it would be less than stellarly useful for the user in the long run, unless they operate in standardized lighting conditions and never use the monitor.

Certainly there is value in factory calibration. It simply means that the monitor can be calibrated to sRGB. And in some usecases the drift caused by age is acceptable.

The second problem is that is not technically desireable for the panel manufacturers. Forcing something like this on the manufacturers would be a bit like telling people that the the only graphics available graphics api from now on is opengl 2.0 no innovation allowed.

Business dictates that the manufacturers need to be able to innovate. Calibrating everything to sRGB would slow down development of panels that are significantly bettter in gamut than sRGB to evolve. Second not all display panels can reach sRGB. Developping ultra cheap panels also has a market function. No need to restrict innovation.

Calibrating to sRGB would ultimately not solve all color problems. Convoluted profile to profile conversions would still
be needed. Display panels are precicion instruments and need to be handled like that if accuracy is drsired. If not then no big deal.

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Does it also mean not all monitors (especially low cost 1080p home and business/programming monitors) are factory calibrated? If so, does it necessarily mean they must be calibrated manually by customer to see better colors?  
> **username_1**: I'm curious because I checked several low cost monitors (not good ones which have great colors like Adobe RGB). And some mentioned "factory calibrated" while others didn't. And they cost more or less same. So it made me wonder if the ones not mentioning "calibrated" would show worse colors.  
> **username_0**: @username_1 factory calibration does not mean anything. every factory does q and a so most likely your monitor even if it didnt say was "factory calibrated" the question though is calibrated to what and how well did it calibrate, and has it changed since then.  
> **username_1**: So I guess even in cheapest monitors they will do the formalities so colors don't look horrible to typical customer for day to day tasks?  
> **username_1**: And I think some of those cheap ones may use words "color calibrated" for marketing I think. While others won't. Whereas, the actually better and expensive monitors which claim calibrated would have some "report" about calibration. I read at some sources that if it's actually calibrated good enough, it would have some report or more details about it in tech specs.  
> **username_0**: @username_1 thing is you dont see color calibration. your eye is adaptive so it will see more or less normally. Its just that what you see does not match from monitor to monitor so its hard to say what the color your seeing is on another system.  

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