Adjust Display Colour Settings Easily in Windows 11/10
The display colour settings on your Windows computer play a major role in how everything appears on your screen. Whether you are browsing the web, editing photos, watching videos, working on documents, or playing games, the right colour settings can make your display look clearer, brighter, and more comfortable to view.
Sometimes, Windows updates, graphics driver changes, or accidental setting adjustments can make your screen appear too warm, too cool, washed out, overly saturated, or dull. Fortunately, Windows 11 and Windows 10 include several tools that allow you to adjust display colours without installing additional software.
In this guide, I will explain how to adjust display colour settings easily in Windows 11/10.
Adjust Display Colour Settings Easily in Windows 11/10
There are several ways to improve your display colours. Depending on what you want to change, you can adjust the colour profile, calibrate your display, enable or disable HDR, change Night Light settings, or use your monitor’s colour controls.
Step 1: Open the Display Settings
The first step is opening the Display Settings menu, where Windows stores most display-related options.
Click the Start button and select Settings. You can also press Windows + I on your keyboard to open the Settings app instantly.
Choose System, then click Display.
You will now see your display settings page. If you have more than one monitor connected, select the monitor you want to adjust before making any changes.
Take a few moments to look through the available options. This page lets you control brightness, display resolution, refresh rate, HDR, Night Light, and additional colour-related settings.
Step 2: Adjust the Brightness Level
Before changing colours, make sure your screen brightness is set correctly because brightness greatly affects how colours appear.
Under the Brightness section, move the slider left or right until the screen looks comfortable.
If your display is too bright, colours may appear faded. If it is too dim, darker colours can become difficult to distinguish.
Try adjusting the brightness while viewing a webpage, photo, or desktop wallpaper so you can immediately see the difference.
Laptop users may also notice that changing power modes affects brightness automatically.
Step 3: Turn Night Light On or Off
Night Light changes your display’s colour temperature to reduce blue light during evening hours.
From the Display settings page, locate Night Light.
Turn it on to make the screen appear warmer.
If the display looks too yellow or orange, click the Night Light option and adjust the Strength slider until the colours look comfortable.
You can also schedule Night Light to turn on automatically at sunset or during specific hours.
If you’re editing photos or working on colour-sensitive projects, temporarily disable Night Light because it changes colour accuracy.
Step 4: Calibrate Your Display Colours
Windows includes a useful Display Color Calibration tool that helps improve colour accuracy.
Open the Start menu and search for Calibrate display color.
Select the matching result.
The calibration wizard will guide you through several adjustments, including Gamma, Brightness, Contrast, and Colour Balance.
Read each instruction carefully before moving to the next screen.
As you complete each adjustment, Windows shows examples of good and poor settings, making it easier to choose the correct option.
Once finished, save the new calibration profile.
Your display should now produce more balanced and natural-looking colours.
Step 5: Change the Colour Profile
Every monitor uses a colour profile that determines how colours are displayed.
Search for Color Management from the Start menu and open it.
Choose your monitor from the list.
Enable Use my settings for this device if it is not already selected.
Click Add to install another colour profile if one is available from your monitor manufacturer.
If a suitable profile is already listed, select it and choose Set as Default Profile.
Using the correct profile helps Windows display colours more accurately, especially on professional monitors.
Step 6: Enable or Disable HDR
If your monitor supports HDR, Windows allows you to enable or disable it.
Return to Settings, open System, and select Display.
Choose HDR if the option appears.
Turn HDR on if you watch HDR videos or play supported games.
If the display suddenly looks faded or colours appear unusual after enabling HDR, try turning it off again.
Not every monitor handles HDR equally well, so switching between HDR and standard mode can help you find the best appearance.
Step 7: Adjust Graphics Card Colour Settings
Most computers use graphics software from Intel, AMD, or NVIDIA that includes advanced colour controls.
Open your graphics control panel.
Locate the display or colour section.
Here you may find settings such as Brightness, Contrast, Gamma, Digital Vibrance, Hue, or Colour Temperature.
Make small adjustments and observe the results after each change.
Avoid making large changes all at once because it becomes difficult to identify which adjustment caused the improvement or problem.
If you are unhappy with the results, most graphics software includes a Restore Defaults option.
Step 8: Check Accessibility Colour Filters
Windows includes Colour Filters designed to help people with colour vision differences.
- Open Settings.
- Select Accessibility.
- Choose Colour Filters.
If a filter is enabled accidentally, colours across Windows may appear unusual.
Turn Colour Filters off to restore normal colours.
If you need these accessibility features, you can also choose the filter that best matches your vision.
Step 9: Verify the Display Resolution
Incorrect display resolution can affect image quality and make colours appear less sharp.
Go back to Display Settings.
Locate Display Resolution.
Select the resolution marked Recommended.
Using the recommended resolution allows your monitor to display images with the correct level of detail and colour clarity.
If the screen immediately looks better after changing the resolution, you have likely corrected the issue.
Step 10: Update Your Graphics Driver
Outdated graphics drivers sometimes cause colour problems after Windows updates.
Open Device Manager.
Expand Display Adapters.
Right-click your graphics device and choose Update Driver.
Allow Windows to search automatically for a newer driver.
If your computer manufacturer provides a newer graphics driver, installing it may improve colour accuracy and display stability.
Restart your computer after updating the driver so the changes take effect properly.
Step 11: Reset Colour Settings if Needed
If you have tried multiple adjustments and your display still looks incorrect, restoring the default settings is often the easiest solution.
Open your graphics software and restore its default display settings.
Next, return to Color Management and remove unnecessary custom profiles if they are causing problems.
If you recently enabled HDR, Night Light, or Colour Filters, return them to their default state.
Restart your computer after resetting the settings.
In many cases, Windows automatically restores the standard display appearance after a restart.
Step 12: Adjust Your Monitor’s Built-in Settings
Many monitors include their own colour controls through the physical menu buttons.
Press the monitor’s Menu button.
Open the Picture, Display, or Colour section.
You may see options such as Warm, Cool, Normal, sRGB, or Custom.
Choose the preset that looks most natural for your environment.
If your monitor includes separate controls for Red, Green, and Blue, make only very small adjustments.
Using the monitor’s controls together with Windows settings often provides the best overall colour quality.
FAQs
Why do my display colours suddenly look different?
This can happen after a Windows update, graphics driver update, accidental colour profile change, HDR activation, or when Night Light is enabled.
Is Display Color Calibration safe to use?
Yes. The Display Color Calibration wizard only changes how colours are displayed. It does not damage your monitor or permanently alter Windows.
Should I enable HDR all the time?
Only if your monitor supports HDR well and you regularly watch HDR content or play HDR games. Otherwise, standard display mode often provides more consistent colours.
Why does my screen look yellow?
The most common reason is that Night Light is enabled. It may also be caused by your monitor’s colour temperature settings or an incorrect colour profile.
Can I restore the original colour settings?
Yes. You can reset your graphics software, remove custom colour profiles, disable HDR and Night Light, and use your monitor’s default picture mode to restore normal colours.
Do I need extra software to adjust display colours?
No. Windows 11 and Windows 10 already include several tools that allow you to adjust and calibrate display colours without installing third-party applications.