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Why Doesn't the "Display Color Calibration" Tool in Windows Affect the Display(s) Attached to My DisplayLink-Based Docking Station/Video Adapter?

Last Update: August 28th, 2026
Article ID: 706337

Summary

Windows display color calibration may not affect a monitor connected through a Plugable DisplayLink-based docking station or USB graphics adapter.

DisplayLink software can support gamma-based color correction on certain DisplayLink hardware and outputs, but this functionality is not universally available or enabled across all DisplayLink configurations.

Applicable To

This article applies to:

  • Plugable DisplayLink-based docking stations
  • Plugable DisplayLink-based USB graphics adapters
  • Windows 10 and Windows 11

Answer

Older versions of DisplayLink software did not support software-based gamma color correction. However, DisplayLink added gamma-ramp color correction support beginning with DisplayLink software version 9.0 for certain DisplayLink devices.

Because support depends on the DisplayLink chipset, video output, driver configuration, and software being used, the Windows Display Color Calibration tool may have little or no effect on some DisplayLink-connected displays.

For basic color adjustments such as brightness, contrast, color temperature, or RGB levels, Plugable recommends using the monitor's built-in on-screen display (OSD) controls when available.

For supported DisplayLink hardware, Synaptics provides additional guidance for enabling gamma-ramp color correction in Windows.

Color-Critical Workflows

For workflows that require highly accurate or hardware-calibrated color, such as professional photography, video production, or print color matching, Plugable recommends connecting the color-critical display directly to a native graphics output from the computer whenever possible.

This may include HDMI, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt, or USB-C DisplayPort Alternate Mode, depending on the computer.

Need Assistance?

If you need help determining whether software-based color correction is supported with your Plugable DisplayLink product, please contact Plugable Support at support@plugable.com.

When contacting support, please include:

  • Your Plugable product model
  • Your computer model
  • Your monitor model
  • Your Windows version
  • How the monitor is connected to the Plugable product