Kodak Color Management Check-Up Kit

£48, $78 http://shop.colourconfidence.com

This colour reference kit is cheaper than a colorimeter and includes a selection of photos printed on a pre-calibrated printer, plus a CD containing their digital counterparts. There’s a grey card to ensure your Nikon’s White Balance is spot-on as well.

The theory is that you display the digital images on your monitor and use the print versions as a reference. A special sticker detects the colour temperature of your ambient lighting to ensure optimal viewing conditions. However it’s then down to you to faff about with your computer’s colour settings until your monitor output resembles the printed colours, and don’t expect to achieve anything better than an approximate match. Calibration time: 2 minutes – 2 hours Colour accuracy after calibration: how good is your eyesight?

Great in theory, but your eyes simply aren’t an objective way to judge colour accuracy