Dgusty3 Loc: Illinois

I need help in choosing a monitor calibration software for my laptop. I have a new Nikon D7100 camera which takes great photos, and looks fantastic on my laptop, until I take to Costco for printing. I do my own editing in Lightroom 5 and save my jpegs using the costco printing profiles.
When I picked up the photos, they were dark and really really dull looking, (which has happened to me so many times, even with my old Canon t2i
camera. Things look great on my laptop screen. So after researching this again and again I think i need to calibrate my monitor. Do i need the software even if my photos on my screen looks fantastic? I like to print my photos and put into scrapbooks that i make, but my prints look awful.
I need some help again. I did put in monitor calibration in the search bar of UHH and there are alot of posts back a year or two, so i want some uptodate comments regarding software. Someone please HELP me. thanks so much!!

Dgusty3 Loc: Illinois

I was looking online for software, does anybody know how the Datacolor
spyder pro4 software is? It's at B&H for $129.00.

Erik_H Loc: Denham Springs, Louisiana

I use the spyder4 and it works great. It matched my laptop with an external monitor just fine. I do my own printing and the prints match the screen very well.

wisner Loc: The planet Twylo

As you have discovered, getting prints to look like what you see on your screen can be quite a challenge. If your prints are consistently too dark, try reducing your monitor's brightness; this is usually, but not always, the cause of prints that are too dark.
For calibrating your screen, the Color Munki is a good choice; they have a model that will profile papers as well as your screen and a less expensive model for just screens. This one should serve you well.
Also, try a lab other than Costco, they are hit or miss. Try a real lab, one that doesn't sell 25 lb bags of frozen chicken parts along with printing digital images. MPIX.com ( a consumer division of Miller's, a pro lab, is fast and inexpensive. You upload your images to their website and they you can have them in 2 days.
For an excellent tutorial on color management,,try thi link t Michael Richmann and Jeff Schewe's Luminous Landscape course:

http://luminous-landscape.com/guide-to-colour-management/

Good luck!

wattsimages

I use a Spider Pro, and it works well. Short term solution is to make a couple prints then hold them up next to the monitor and adjust the color and brightness. The problem will then be the room lighting, brightness, color and quality will all make your prints look different.
By the way, recognizing /acknowledging this universal problem is an important step in your trip to making some art. All experienced Photogs go thru this. Its a never ending struggle. Just wait next it will be a $1,000 monitor that shows 100% SRGB, or even better Adobe RGB.

OddJobber Loc: Portland, OR

Two things, new as I am to this game:

Are you matching your color profile to Costco's printers, e.g. RGB, sRGB, Adobe, etc.?

Maybe you're looking for a software fix that requires a hardware fix, e.g., you would do better with a Spyder or Munki gadget that looks at your computer screen and adjusts what is screwed up?

Nikonian72 Loc: Chico CA

This recent thread may be of interest to you: http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/t-285405-1.html
I successfully use the least expensive X-Rite ColorMunki Smile device with software.

BboH Loc: s of 2/21, Ellicott City, MD

I use this - its free

http://www.normankoren.com/makingfineprints1A.html

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

I had the Spydr Elite and change to the Color Munki Display I works better and changes the display depending of the light conditions in the room falling on the screen

SonyA580 Loc: FL in the winter & MN in the summer

looks fantastic on my laptop, until I take to Costco for printing.

Dgusty3, Trying to calibrate a laptop monitor is difficult because the angle of the screen causes variations in color saturation and contrast. I would strongly suggest you get a separate monitor and calibrate it for photo work. I calibrated my monitor to Costco's machines and get great results.

Robin Poole Loc: Missoula, Mt

Have the same problem. I have PSE9. To adjust for Costco I go the PSE tool bar and move the arrow over to enhance, click on Enhance then move the arrow down to Adjust Lighting click on that then move the arrow to Shadows/highlights, click on that. You'll see a horizontal numerical scale PSE automatically stops at 25. I move the arrowto35. then g to File , scroll down to Save as. and add an M35 to the name of the picl. KIf thepic still comes back too dark, go thru the process again only move the number to10 or20 and rename their to m 45 or 55. I just get their 13cent pics as test pics. Works fine for me. Just remember to get the number as part of the print number. Costco puts the print number on the back of the print. This process works fine if you're just playing with a few prints. They have an editing program for color change but you really have to be computer savy to work it. Hope this helps After you've got the right brightness DO NOT use the Shadows/highlight program again for that particular pic, Remove all the darker pics from your Costco folder Good luck!!! Robin

OviedoPhotos

Spyder Pro is what I use. The results on the laptop screen are not reliable. I attach a 27" monitor and use that for editing. Good luck,

Morning Star Loc: West coast, North of the 49th N.

I have the Spyder 4 and it works great. Not just software, there's a piece of hardware as well: a gadget about 4 inches tall, it is hung against the monitor while the software does its work. (Start the software and follow instructions - after your monitor has been running at least half an hour and is warmed up).
At the end you can tell how often te re-do the calibration - I've got mine set at once a month.
For me it has definitely been worth it to get the same colour quality photos from laptop and desktop!
Definitely recommend it.

katherineivey Loc: Corinth, Texas

I use Huey to calibrate my monitor. It uses a sensor that attaches to the monitor and is very simple to use. It can also adjust your monitor in real time based on room light. I sell prints online and normally use Adorama but occasionally use Costco. I have had no problem with either provided I specify that they make no corrections. This is very important if you want your print to look like you intended.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

Datacolor calibrators have been good to me. I am sure they will be good for you too.
Do you shoot a wide color space like Pro-Photo or Adobe RGB? I can tell you right now that if you do and you do not convert to sRGB your prints will be flat.