This is what I used to test my monitor..

they're web safe colors..



the problem when i got my LCD was that the White and lightest wb safe grey #EEEEEE could not be differentiated.

might as well say buy that hardware used for monitor calibration.. forgot what it's called.

anyway, just think of it this way, even if you did calibrate your monitor to your friends or to your printers.. how sure are you others will view it the same?

different printers will view it differently.. so unless you stick to 1 printer your whole life and make sure his monitor doesn't change, then will there be a time when you can stop thinking of calibrating monitors.

i think as a published/graphic designer who's involve in a lot of print should have a stronger relation with his printer so that tweaking of the works are never too tedious.