Bison Bud

Still shopping for a new editing monitor and wonder just what adjustment controls are needed to properly color calibrate a monitor with one of the external calibration devices? Can someone break down the process as to just what adjustments are generally needed and possibly what order to do them if it makes a difference in the end result? Thanks for any feedback you might be able to provide!

FreddB Loc: PA - Delaware County

Can only answer for DataColor (Spyder 5) - it's a step by step process, with instructions along the way. Just do as you're told and it's eazy peazy.

etaoin Loc: Wichita, KS

When I took care of about 3 dozen Macs for the newspaper I worked for, one of the number of things we sought to do to create the most accurate color-correcting environment was to try and control the surrounding lighting. We had fluorescent lighting in the building so we installed "daylight" bulbs where we could. We also had people get rid of their customized "wallpaper" screen images (i.e. pictures of their kids, etc.) and use a neutral gray background. We also tried to face monitors away from windows to minimize the influence of outside light. Then, when you launch the color calibration software, it presents a "target" in the middle of the screen. Place the calibration sensor over that target and proceed with the steps the software takes you through. That creates a color profile and makes adjustments to the screen. Avoid then further adjusting brightness, contrast, etc., and let the profile exist as built. That's about all you can do. The rest is up to the operator.

Bison Bud

I can follow instructions just fine, but being the engineering type that I am and an ex-broadcast engineer, I am interested in just what gets adjusted and what controls are needed on the monitor to do it properly. From what I've read, I will probably end up with the Spyder 5 calibration tool, I just what to know more about the actual process before purchasing both a new monitor and the tool. Any further feedback would be appreciated!

etaoin Loc: Wichita, KS

In modern flat-screen monitors, the software makes the adjustments, not the user.

BebuLamar

I use the Spyder and the NEC monitor which supports hardware calibration. I use NEC Spectraview II software. The software can make all the hardware adjustments without me making any adjustments on the monitor.
With a monitor that doesn't support hardware calibration it's desirable to have brightness, contrast, color channel gain, color temperature adjustment on the monitor. The software also makes changes in the ICC profile to get the color right.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

There are only two controls I need to set on my monitor, to calibrate it with a Datacolor Spyder....

First, after warming up for a half hour or so, I reset it to 6500K (the default color temp).

Then, before running the calibration software, the device is used to check and set the brightness, which I manually adjust with the monitor's controls. There's a bit of latitude with this setting. You'll need to figure out what brightness works best for you. I'd recommend you try one of the settings, make a print from a test image, then compare the print to the image on the monitor for brightness (don't worry about color rendition yet). If the print appears darker than the screen, you need to set brightness a little lower. If the print appears lighter, you should try a bit brighter setting. You only have to do this once (unless you move your monitor to different lighting conditions or the lighting conditions where you work change dramatically in the course of the day and evening). Make a note of the brightness level that works for you. It will be something between 90 cd/m and 120 cd/m (mine works best toward the low end of that).

Suffice to say that all computer monitors tend to be wayyyyy too bright when new. And they change brightness over time. When I first got the monitor I use now, around 7 years ago, I had to dial brightness down to "20" (whatever that means). I forget what it was out of the box. But now, after many years of use, I'm using a brightness setting around "50". That's how much it's changed, over time.... and maybe a clue how much "life" it's got left.

After setting the brightness, the calibration device will run a series of color test patches, take readings of those and come up with a profile that's applied to the monitor every time it's turned on. All this is pretty much automated.

Once the calibration is completed, the software will probably give you a report... possibly before and after images to compare... and then have you name and save the file (I always use a YYYY_MM_DD_cailbrate file name, so I can always tell when it was done).

If you wish, you can make a print and compare that with the same image on your monitor. It will never be exactly the same, since the print is reflective and the monitor is illuminated... paper white is always "purer" than a monitor can render... and solid black also blacker than a monitor can display. The point is to get it as close as possible.

My calibration software reminds me to re-calibrate once a month. It can be set to remind more or less often. I find once a month works well for me.

johnst1001a Loc: West Chester, Ohio

i have calibrated my imac monitor several times. i also set up my lighting so that no light source faces directly on the screen. i do have a window but that didn't impact much. but what i found works best is the default display settings and setting up photoshop with th profile for my canon Pro100. my prints are virtually dead on and great, . I do add some brightness to most pictures. by the way, when you view your pictures, do so in good light.

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

Monitors have control programs built in that work fine. Also OnLine there are calibration ... various colors. Do a Google for monitor calibration and select images.

Go to search at top heading and type in Monitor Calibration... a whole page of the topic will appear. Usually, people bickering about spending many $ for calibration equipment better spent on a better monitor. Me, typically saying the gadgets are a waste; since it does not involve spending money it is usually ignored.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

https://www.datacolor.com/photography-design/

https://www.xrite.com/page/photo-video/

DataColor and X-Rite both offer excellent solutions for color monitor calibration and profiling. You buy a KIT that contains everything you need to do it — basically a hockey-puck size sensor (colorimeter or spectrophotometer) that reads color patches projected on the monitor by the software that comes with the calibration tool. It guides you through steps to calibrate the monitor, and then creates an ICC profile so your monitor can match printers, labs, and correct interpretation of the world wide standard color model.

I strongly encourage you to go to the sites linked above and look for information that will introduce you to color management.

As far as controls, the software can work with most monitors on the market. Obviously, the more sophisticated monitors have more controls. Backlight, Brightness, Contrast, Color Temperature, and individual RGB channel levels are fairly common. Some monitors have only a "brightness" adjustment that is really a backlight level control. The software that comes with your calibrator will guide you through the use of whatever controls you do have.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

This is a pretty wise and standard approach. I did a similar thing in a professional portrait lab, setting up monitors for color correction of incoming customer files.

The area was carpeted "gray card gray."

The walls were painted Munsell N-8.

Table tops were medium gray plastic.

Computer monitor desktops were set to a medium dark gray. Screensavers were left off, because we wanted monitors stable all day.

The drop ceiling was high enough not to influence peripheral vision.

The area was lit very dimly with 5000K GE Chroma 50 fluorescent tubes in fixtures bounced upwards, for an indirect, diffused light.

Monitors were equipped with blinders.

Operators wore gray smocks.

Operators were color tested with the Munsell Color Test — The $750 tile test, not the freebie at https://www.xrite.com/hue-test (which you should try, anyway!).

We calibrated a master monitor. Then we calibrated all the other monitors to the same aims. We did this weekly during our busy months.

That's pretty anal-retentive stuff, right? Well, we were buying Kodak paper by the tractor trailer load, so NOT paying attention to that stuff led to expensive remakes. We processed millions school portrait packages every Fall, so every minute of labor counted against both the bottom line and on-time delivery.

A $160 to $200 calibration kit will do wonders for your entire workflow. If you can't trust your monitor, you can't trust that your printer or lab will deliver what you expect.

NO monitor stays accurate over time. I calibrate monthly, at a minimum, and before every large batch of color correction tasks (whether for video or stills).

rb61 Loc: Maple Grove, MN

Gray smocks made me smile. I worked at a "color separation" house in Minneapolis that had purchased the first SCITEX digital equipment in the city (millions $). We had over 6 weeks of training- 10 hours a day.
We were issued baby blue smocks.

Tom85

I just recently upgraded from datacolor Spyder 5 pro to Spyder X Pro. The only setting adjustment on my monitor I make to equal the suggested mark is the brightness. Spyder X adjusts for room light changes as you work. I just made a print for my wife's office that printed out exactly what I saw on my screen from Photo shop CS5.