Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) Practice Exam

How often does PPA recommend color calibration of monitors?

1. Once a week

2. Once a month

3. Once every six months

4. Once a year

The correct answer is: Once a month

The Professional Photographers of America (PPA) recommends calibrating monitors on a monthly basis. Regular calibration is crucial for photographers to ensure color accuracy and consistency across their work. This practice helps in achieving the desired color representation in prints and digital displays, which is essential in maintaining a professional standard in photographic work. Monthly calibration is a proactive approach that considers various factors that can affect monitor performance over time, such as variations in lighting conditions and changes in the monitor's settings. By calibrating each month, photographers can identify and correct color shifts or discrepancies before they impact their projects, leading to better outcomes in their prints and digital images. This recommendation is based on the understanding that monitors can gradually alter their color balance and intensity, so routine checks and adjustments keep the display output reliable. While longer intervals such as every six months or annually may seem adequate, they can lead to more significant color drift, which could compromise the quality and accuracy of the work. Therefore, PPA's guidance on monthly calibration serves to enhance the precision and reliability of photographers' monitor displays.