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Why You Need A Monitor Hood
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Last Updated
22nd of August, 2011
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The environment around your monitor is very important to your monitor's performance.

For example, a light coloured bookcase next to your monitor will create a light patch on your screen.  Or a desk light (such as a print viewing light) will spread flare across your screen.  Many people who think they have uniformity issues from their monitor panel actually are seeing brightness/colour variance due to all the things reflecting in their monitor screen - especially if they are unlucky enough to have a gloss coated screen. 

Do a quick test now - get some black material (like velvet) or even just a dark coat - and surround your monitor with it (like you're under the dark cloth of a large format camera!).  Take a good look at a familiar image, preferably one with a lot of deep shadow detail.  You will notice straight away how the shadows change and the whole image display improves. 

What can you do to solve these problems?  Well, first you should consider buying a monitor designed for high quality imaging work.  These monitors have matte, low reflectance screens with optical coatings to ensure they reflect the minimum amount possible.

In addition, monitor hoods are great.  Until you have one you probably won't realise all the benefits they offer.  You can make one yourself from cardboard etc, but why bother when excellent quality alternatives are now available at a reasonable price.

Monitor hoods stop all the reflections and glare coming in from the side and above your monitor - from direct lighting in particular, but also from nearby objects.  Good ones are lined with black velvet so they create no reflections of their own (we've seen light grey and (!) blue monitor hoods in the past - which are obviously pointless or indeed problem inducing in their own right!).  They are easy to fit and the give your view on your screen tremendous focus.  It's hard to describe in words but easy to see with your eyes (as it always is with monitor performance), but you will experience a distinct improvement in image display when using a hood.  In particular, the lack of glare/flare in your shadows will aid you greatly in accurately perceiving shadow detail - a key part of quality image making. 

And remember when you calibrate your monitor, your calibrator is reading the shadow detail directly off the screen using the baffled sensor - so you need to be looking at your monitor in the same way as the calibrator for everything to work properly.
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