Advice Needed: I have just gotten a new computer. It is a laptop. I would like to get a larger monitor for using with my pictures. The problem is, I can't seem to find a way and...

cwnlsl Loc: Lake SAint Louis,MO

I have just gotten a new computer. It is a laptop. I would like to get a larger monitor for using with my pictures. The problem is, I can't seem to find a way and neither can our techy to get the monitors on the laptop and the larger monitor to look the same. Has anyone got a solution to this problem?
Thanks!
Charlotte

Terfyn Loc: North Wales, UK

Windows Control Panel has Appearance and Personalisation section. You can set the colour, contrast and brightness of both screens from there. Then adjust your second screen to match as closely as possible your first screen.
I have two screens one Hanns G 4:3 (my main screen) and a LG 16:9 The second screen I use for the pictures so, in a way, this is the one that needs to be set accurately.
Corel Paint Shop Pro has a monitor set option and, I guess, most other editors will have the same. ("Monitor Calibration" under "Colour Management")

MtnMan Loc: ID

cwnlsl wrote:

I have just gotten a new computer. It is a laptop. I would like to get a larger monitor for using with my pictures. The problem is, I can't seem to find a way and neither can our techy to get the monitors on the laptop and the larger monitor to look the same. Has anyone got a solution to this problem?
Thanks!
Charlotte

What do you mean by "look the same"? Do you mean the aspect ratio or the color rendition? For the first you need to set the dots the same. For the latter you need to calibrate one or both monitors.

GPoyner Loc: North Dakota

cwnlsl wrote:

I have just gotten a new computer. It is a laptop. I would like to get a larger monitor for using with my pictures. The problem is, I can't seem to find a way and neither can our techy to get the monitors on the laptop and the larger monitor to look the same. Has anyone got a solution to this problem?
Thanks!
Charlotte

Without knowing what OS you have, I'll go off of what I currently use (OS Windows 7),

I found this by clicking on help for my computer and typing in mulitple monitors. I hope this helps, you would want to duplicate (or copy) the monitor with your laptop. some find it helpful (I do at work) to have my monitor extended, thus providing me more workspace. Thanks

Attached file:
(Download)

Danilo Loc: Las Vegas

You dilemma, and the suggested solutions, assumes one monitor is correct, and one is not. Are you certain they should both "look the same?".

GPoyner Loc: North Dakota

I'm sorry I took OPs question as having the monitor duplicate (as in what they see in image and such) on the laptop....sorry for going down the wrong avenue....

Danilo wrote:

You dilemma, and the suggested solutions, assumes one monitor is correct, and one is not. Are you certain they should both "look the same?".

cwnlsl Loc: Lake SAint Louis,MO

Thanks!

cwnlsl Loc: Lake SAint Louis,MO

Neither I nor our computer guru has been able to do this. But thanks!

cwnlsl Loc: Lake SAint Louis,MO

The pictures are vastly different on the two. Therefore, I have difficulty with pictures.

cwnlsl Loc: Lake SAint Louis,MO

When working with pictures, they both have to match or the editing will not work well.

cwnlsl Loc: Lake SAint Louis,MO

Thanks!

sloscheider Loc: Minnesota

cwnlsl wrote:

I have just gotten a new computer. It is a laptop. I would like to get a larger monitor for using with my pictures. The problem is, I can't seem to find a way and neither can our techy to get the monitors on the laptop and the larger monitor to look the same. Has anyone got a solution to this problem?
Thanks!
Charlotte

Here's a link to DataColor's website - they offer the Spyder color calibration tool that I use. There are other products that do this as well.

http://spyder.datacolor.com/display-calibration/

Bruce with a Canon Loc: Islip

I just run a cable from my laptop to my TV and edit there, works like a charm (32 and 46 inch flatscreen)

sloscheider Loc: Minnesota

Bruce with a Canon wrote:

I just run a cable from my laptop to my TV and edit there, works like a charm (32 and 46 inch flatscreen)

Just curious, if you display the same photo on your laptop and the TV do the colors match? If they don't, which one is closer to the true color of the image? Not even dealing with color, some displays show all images as darker or lighter than they really are so you fix exposure and get unpredictable results when you print... My laptop is poor when it comes to color and exposure, 1 TV I tried is fairly good, another TV is terrible...

MtnMan Loc: ID

sloscheider wrote:

quote=Bruce with a Canon I just run a cable from ... (show quote)

The TV is subject to calibration as well.

Printing is another matter. Printers deploy another color space than all of the monitors. Some software (such as Lightroom) have a print preview mode that lets you have an idea of that difference. But if you are a true purist you need to calibrate your monitor to the final print product.

It isn't for amateurs.