Adjusting a monitor using NTSC SMPTE Color Bars is easy. Connect the Bars to your monitor. If your monitor has a BLUE ONLY switch, set this switch to the BLUE ONLY position. If your monitor does not have a BLUE ONLY switch, you can still make the adjustments by looking at the monitor through a blue filter. Two filters suit-able are: Kodak Wratten Blue 47B Gelatin filter and the Lee Colortran Inc, Congo Blue #181 Filter.

Looking at your monitor, you will see alternating blue bars in the positions of the 75% bars (upper) and the reverse blue bars (lower). Adjust color intensity (saturation) so that the outer left and outer right bars are the same brightness as the corresponding bars just below them.

Chroma phase (tint or hue) is adjusted by matching the brightness of the two center bars with the bars just below, while rotating the tint control.

Return the BLUE ONLY switch to its normal position (if you are using the blue filter it will no longer be needed). Turn up the monitor brightness control. In the lower right corner you will notice three gray bars (the pluge pulse signal). These bars from left to right are called BLACKER THAN BLACK, BLACK and WHITER THAN BLACK. To set brightness, adjust the brightness control so that the WHITER THAN BLACK bar is visible and that the BLACK bar and the BLACKER THAN BLACK bar are not visible.

Note that the monitor should be viewed, and the brightness adjusted, with the room lights somewhat dimmed so that the colors won’t seem washed out. The monitor might seem dimmer than you may be used to, however colors will be more accurate at this brightness level.

The above is based on the SMPTE recommendation for adjusting color monitors with SMPTE color bars. More detail may be found in SMPTE recommendation ECR 1-1978.