How do you cablibrate your monitor?

[xiaowugui82]

i realise tat my laptop monitor is like a bit off... everythings seems overexposed and the colour is a bit off. so will getting one of these help mi.? i heard tat u can do profiling of colours by your eye without the need of expensive hard ware is it true?

 

[YogiBear]

Here is a review on PrintFIX PLUS...
http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/reviews/printfix_plus.html
.

 

[Terence]

i heard tat u can do profiling of colours by your eye without the need of expensive hard ware is it true?

You could use programs like Praxisoft WizIWYG or QuickGAMMA for mark one eyeball calibration but accuracy levels will not match a proper calibrator.

 

[YogiBear]

....provided your eye is as accurate as the hardware calibrator, so the obvious answer is NO.
If you're concern about color accuracy on your monitor, you'll need to profile your monitor and there's no other option.

I can help to profile your monitor if you allow me to and we'll work out your requirement for one of these calibrators where necessary.

i realise tat my laptop monitor is like a bit off... everythings seems overexposed and the colour is a bit off. so will getting one of these help mi.? i heard tat u can do profiling of colours by your eye without the need of expensive hard ware is it true?

 

[freelancer]

If your monitor is connected via DVI, have a look at ColorEyes. It automatically adjust the monitor settings via DDE. Pretty impressive (the trial download is worth trying out)
http://www.integrated-color.com/cedisplay/monitorprofiling.html

 

[CaeSiuM]

Most of us DO NOT need critical precision to get what we want. I have friends who actually adjust the color balance of their monitor to match minilab prints and they are totally happy with the results because what they see on screen is CLOSE to what they get. The keyword here is "close", you can't have total accuracy, be contented if it's close enough.

Just choose whichever method that works for you. A hardware calibrator is nice to have but tools that requires your eyes to judge the colors works relatively fine too if your degree of color-blindness isn't that bad. (We're all a little color-blind actually, especially towards magenta/green. Put a set of prints through a group of people and you'll get different comments about the color rendition.)

 

[theRBK]

Most of us DO NOT need critical precision to get what we want. I have friends who actually adjust the color balance of their monitor to match minilab prints and they are totally happy with the results because what they see on screen is CLOSE to what they get. The keyword here is "close", you can't have total accuracy, be contented if it's close enough.

Just choose whichever method that works for you. A hardware calibrator is nice to have but tools that requires your eyes to judge the colors works relatively fine too if your degree of color-blindness isn't that bad. (We're all a little color-blind actually, especially towards magenta/green. Put a set of prints through a group of people and you'll get different comments about the color rendition.)

:thumbsup: everyone has opinions...the most important one is your own...

 

[wind30]

:thumbsup: everyone has opinions...the most important one is your own...

still I dare say almost EVERYONE wants to share their favourite photos with others. So a proper calibration is quite necessary to ensure that you are not enjoying your photos in a private little world.

 

[theRBK]

yes, but don't get too worried by the problem that you lose the joy of the process...

 

[freelancer]

I would think the difference in opinion here could be whether you are into snap shots or more into making the image 'pop'. It really does not matter much if you print at 4R but when printed at 8 x 10 its a whole new ball game.

 

[bLight]

Hi I am jus wondering what colour temperature you all set your monitor at. I calibrated my monitor and following the recommended 6500K, but now the screen looks a bit warm, even the white looks a bit yellowish.
Should I change back to 9300K or let me eyes adjust to 6500K? How would this affect my editing in photoshop and the actual print out(from lab)?

 

[freelancer]

For CRT its recommended at 6500K whereas for LCD at the native white point (close to 6500K for some monitors).

If the white looks yellowish then its likely you have not calibrated properly. Have you disabled the gamma loader at windows start-up and let the calibration software load itself?

 

[bLight]

B4 calibration Adobe Gamma is in the windows startup. I removed it, restart, and then calibrate.

Also all the while my monitor colour temp is set at 9300k, I never bother before, until the calibration guide suggested 6500k.

 

[Firefox]

B4 calibration Adobe Gamma is in the windows startup. I removed it, restart, and then calibrate.

Also all the while my monitor colour temp is set at 9300k, I never bother before, until the calibration guide suggested 6500k.

You just need to get used to 6500K. It's warmer than 9300K and the result may seem somewhat yellowish. Your whites should still look white though.

If in doubt, calibrate again. ;p

 

[bLight]

So you guys all set your crt monitor temp to 6500K?

 

[David]

IMHO, it's not really cost-effective to pay someone to do the calibration for your monitor or printer, unless u are doing some really important jobs at that point in time.

Theoretically, calibration is recommended every few weeks, or even every week if u are very concerned and using an old monitor. As for printers, u need to do it everytime u use a new batch of ink or paper. Imagine how much money u have to spend to pay someone to do calibration for u!

For new amateurs, consider using Adobe. Yes, not as accurate but better than nothing. U can usually get by with it.

Maybe only when u go serious in your image processing or turn pro might u consider getting yourself a calibration device. Then u might demand very accurate calibration from the devices u are using.

Afterall, most newbies open up their images using different monitors and send their prints to the shops.

 

[Firefox]

So you guys all set your crt monitor temp to 6500K?

It depends on the individual.. Some people like 5400k, others like 6500k.
Sometimes, you've to choose either due to workflow related issues.

If you print frequently at a certain minilab, you can get a nice large print of a digital file from them. Then slowly adjust your CRT settings so that the onscreen image matches closely to the printed picture. That way, what you see on screen would be fairly close to what you would get on print.

 

[bLight]

It depends on the individual.. Some people like 5400k, others like 6500k.
Sometimes, you've to choose either due to workflow related issues.

If you print frequently at a certain minilab, you can get a nice large print of a digital file from them. Then slowly adjust your CRT settings so that the onscreen image matches closely to the printed picture. That way, what you see on screen would be fairly close to what you would get on print.

Ok thanks. btw I notice your posting time of 4:38am... you sleep late or wake up early? :bsmilie:

 

[Firefox]

Ok thanks. btw I notice your posting time of 4:38am... you sleep late or wake up early? :bsmilie:

Sleep? What's that?

 

[icestrike]

since on the subject of calibrating,
i have an question
any idea why after i calibrate my monitor usin spyder 2
and using the new profile from spyder for my display monitor
but while editing my pics in photoshop,
the colours etc on the photoshop display are still different from the pics i just normally view on my monitor? :dunno:

thanks