Probe (colorimeter / spectrophotometer)

A probe is the hardware sensor you hang over a screen to measure its output during calibration. Two kinds exist: a colorimeter (like an i1 Display / ColorMunki) uses coloured filters and is fast and affordable but drifts over time, and a spectrophotometer reads the full spectrum, is more accurate and can profile the colorimeter itself. Paired with software such as DisplayCAL, the probe shows swatches, reads what the panel returns, and reports how far the brightness and RGB balance sit from the target — the numbers you then correct against. A probe measures; it doesn’t fix. It tells you the truth about your screen so you can decide what to trust.

First used in: 2.12 · The honest suite