Monitor Calibration Help: I printed some photos at Costco and the color was way off. I was told I need to calibrate my monitor. I am seeing a lot of people are using spyder4 they have...

roche8410 Loc: Arizona

I printed some photos at Costco and the color was way off. I was told I need to calibrate my monitor. I am seeing a lot of people are using spyder4 they have different cost. Guess I am confused about this. I have been reading and lot and it still doesn't make sense. Do I need to spend $ 300 to accomplish getting excellent colors on printing? Thank you

skiman Loc: Ventura, CA

roche8410 wrote:

I printed some photos at Costco and the color was way off. I was told I need to calibrate my monitor. I am seeing a lot of people are using spyder4 they have different cost. Guess I am confused about this. I have been reading and lot and it still doesn't make sense. Do I need to spend $ 300 to accomplish getting excellent colors on printing? Thank you

What I would do is go buy some colored paper and make a test strip. Then take some pictures of them in a few different light situations have them printed by Costco. First bring up the pictures on your computer and adjust the monitor till they match the paper test strip and do any PP. Now match the printed photos with the test strip and see if the printed images match.

blackest Loc: Ireland

If your using a mac it has a fairly decent calibration program in preferences. Otherwise yes a calibration tool will make a big difference.

roche8410 Loc: Arizona

No, I don't have Mac is there any recommendations on a hardware device for doing this?

Wendy2 Loc: California

Take a look at ColorMunki. There are 2 models. The least expensive model, that calibrates your monitor only, is probably the only one you will need. The other model also calibrates your printer, but I find that it has not be very useful.

I calibrated my Mac with the Colormunki and it makes a difference!!

Nikon_DonB Loc: Chicago

Many PP programs have a built in monitor calibration app.

My Corel Paintshop Pro x5 has a very accurate one built in under file>color management>monitor calibration.

It is "spot on!" I'm also using a Samsung monitor. I've had a few different Samsung models and love their color reproduction and accurateness. The SyncMaster22wm is my current model and seems to work well with my Epson R3000.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

blackest wrote:

If your using a mac it has a fairly decent calibration program in preferences. Otherwise yes a calibration tool will make a big difference.

Mac's have a calibration program, sorta, but no it is not decent. Results are not even close to what you get with a Color Munki ro Spyder 4.

Regardless of which calibration tool and software you use, in order to not have your prints come out too dark, you should use a black and white point of .4 cd/m^2 and 80 cd/m^2 respectively.

Wendy2 Loc: California

Gene51 wrote:

Mac's have a calibration program, sorta, but no it is not decent. Results are not even close to what you get with a Color Munki ro Spyder 4.

Regardless of which calibration tool and software you use, in order to not have your prints come out too dark, you should use a black and white point of .4 cd/m^2 and 80 cd/m^2 respectively.

I tried the Mac calibration.....as you said, not even close! But the OP does not have a Mac. Again, Colormunki is great!

terryhobart Loc: Grass Valley, CA

Thank you so much for that info. It saves me a bunch of $.

terryhobart Loc: Grass Valley, CA

OOPS Forgot to say about the Color Munki model choice

Jolly Roger Loc: Dorset. UK

I use the X-rite colormunki display. It calibrates monitors and projectors. Not printers.
It cost around UK £118. with a £30. cash back.

Capture48 Loc: Arizona

The main differences in cost of the Color Munkie is that the more expensive one not only calibrates a monitor, but also a printer. If you are doing any printing on your own, you want the one that calibrates monitors and printers.

Thing to remember is monitors represent color with light, while printers represent colors with inks. Two very different processes, and each has to be calibrated.

amwalker3 Loc: London UK.

Wendy2 wrote:

Take a look at ColorMunki. There are 2 models. The least expensive model, that calibrates your monitor only, is probably the only one you will need. The other model also calibrates your printer, but I find that it has not be very useful.

I calibrated my Mac with the Colormunki and it makes a difference!!

I find the exact opposite [on a PC]. I use Quick Gamma [free] for my monitor and ColorMunki to cope with my obsessive need to experiment with different papers [there are so many] and my refusal to buy OEM [Epson] inks.

roche8410 Loc: Arizona

Thank you I think that is the way I am going to go. Appreciate everyone's input on this.

arlissd

quote=roche8410]I printed some photos at Costco and the color was way off. I was told I need to calibrate my monitor. I am seeing a lot of people are using spyder4 they have different cost. Guess I am confused about this. I have been reading and lot and it still doesn't make sense. Do I need to spend $ 300 to accomplish getting excellent colors on printing? Thank you[/quote]

Datacolor Spyder 4Elite is then one I use, it does an excellent job.