Next to the new battery health management and FaceTime adjustments, macOS Catalina 10.15.5 includes a new update for Pro Display XDR owners to be able to fine-tune the calibration of the display by adjusting white point and luminance values to match in-house display calibration targets.
The new fine-tune calibration option joins the previously released ability to establish custom user reference mode presets.
When the Pro Display XDR launched, it lacked the ability to customize its calibration. Sure, it featured several canned profiles that added some ability to adjust display settings, but professional users, especially those in the creative world that needed to match the settings of other in-house displays, required more. macOS 10.15.5 brings a second phase of customization to the table.
How to fine-tune the calibration of the Pro Display XDR
When you connect your Pro Display XDR to a Mac running macOS Catalina 10.15.5, you should receive an “Accessory Update Available” notification to update the Pro Display XDR. This update will require you to restart your Mac with the display connected.
Once your Pro Display XDR has been updated, open System Preferences and click Displays. Click the Presets drop down menu for the Pro Display XDR, and you will see a new Fine-Tune Calibration setting at the bottom of the drop down list.
Select the Fine-Tune Calibration option, and you’ll be presented with settings to adjust white point and luminance values.
As noted by Apple documentation, this new settings panel allows users to adjust the x and y chromaticity coordinate as described in the CIE 1931 xyY color space when measuring a white image. It will also allow you to adjust the Y value (luminance) as described in the CIE 1931 xyY color space when measuring a white image.
In addition, users have the option of entering a description to describe the details of the customization. When a display is fine-tuned, this description will be displayed under the Current Fine-Tuning section. If the display hasn’t been fine-tuned, this field shows None.
Lastly, this settings panel will also show the date and time when the current fine-tuning was applied.
Users have the ability to remove any existing fine-tuning settings and switch back to the current calibration state of the display by clicking the Restore Default button.
Related video: Pro Display XDR Top features
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Users can apply these settings to adjust the Pro Display XDR to more closely match the look of other in-house display assets. For example, an editor or graphics artists working with other calibrated displays will want the look of the Pro Display XDR to match their other work canvases.
Keep in mind that to apply this update to the Pro Display XDR, you must be running the macOS Catalina 10.15.5 or later. If you haven’t already updated, simply go to System Preferences → Software Updates.
9to5Mac’s Take
When the Pro Display XDR launched, it lacked the ability to do things like customize preset settings and fine-tune calibration settings by adjusting white point and luminance values. Apple promised that these features would be added in a later update, and now it has fulfilled these promises.
Granted, these are the type of granular settings that won’t typically be used by general consumers, but considering the target audience for this high-end display — film studios, design houses, and the like — it makes sense. Hopefully this doesn’t mark the end of Pro Display XDR improvements and Apple continues to add new features down the line.
What do you think about the macOS 10.15.5 update? Sound off down below in the comments with your thoughts.
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