I have a 2013 iMac and am learning to use Sketch to aid my app development. I was wondering if I would see any benefits from calibrating my screen. Is it required for app development or will it not really affect me?
I don't really know how well calibrated the screen is when it ships so thought i'd ask.
First of all, congratulations on using Sketch app. It is the best app for the purpose by a wide margin!!
Calibrating your screen accurately using hardware is more relevant for print work, where your colors need to match between screen and printer. For general app development, what you get out of the box should be close enough.
What you can do is run the basic software calibration tool found in:
System Preferences > Displays > Color > Calibrate
This should ensure that your screen is giving you the optimal image for your particular surroundings (lighting, etc.)
For app design, by far the most useful thing to do is see your designs previewed on a device. For that, the excellent Sketch Preview app is available for iPhone and iPad. It allows you to see your current art board (on your desktop) displayed on the device.
This tool is invaluable for understanding how your design will feel in your hand.
You can see immediately whether the fonts you're using are too small, for example. Or whether or not a button you've placed is in a convenient location to be pressed when holding the device with one hand
things that you can't necessarily gauge when looking at a flat design on a vertical screen at some magnification.
Good luck with your app design/development, don't forget to post back here (and on dribbble, etc.!) with some screen caps of your work!