Colorimeter or Spectrophotometer
Jul 26, 2020 01:26:55 #
It's late and I'm not sure I even spelled the words correctly, but to finish tonight's research, I want to pose the question: What is the difference to ensure that a lab printing my photos gets its printer settings adjusted to how I calibrate my monitor? I'm only assuming that the X-rite Colormunki is an example of a colorimeter, and the X-rite i1Pro a spectrophotometer. (I also want to know if I should consider buying the X-rite i1Studio.) I use an Asus Vivobook laptop. Since the X-rite i1Pro is apparently older technology, though time-tested, I'm also concerned if it will work for the monitor of my recently purchased Asus.
Thank you for any suggestions.
Thank you for any suggestions.
Jul 26, 2020 01:31:29 #
Ysarex
Loc: St. Louis
Buy a spectrophotometer if you need to calibrate a printer as well as a display. The spectrophotometer can read reflected light from eg. a print. Buy a colorimeter if you only need to calibrate a display (transmitted light). Thumbs up for XRite products.
Jul 26, 2020 09:30:09 #
A lab printing a photo will provide you with a profile they have developed, so in that case you only need to calibrate your monitor with a Spyder x pro or color munkee. There are also profiles created by paper companies for papers and printers, so you dont have to create your own profile. After installing the profile, In Lightroom or photoshop you click to view the proofed colors and out of gamut colors and it simulates the print, then you adjust as needed. I usually adjust the saturation slider in the out of gamut areas, sometimes, bightness, contrast or curves, but I'm not an expert at color management, basically fuss until it looks good. One example from Bay photo:
https://support.bayphoto.com/s/article/bay-photo-labs-icc-profile
https://support.bayphoto.com/s/article/bay-photo-labs-icc-profile
Jul 26, 2020 09:58:46 #
Pretty good articles:
https://breathingcolor.wearevisum.com/what-are-color-profiles/
https://digitalphotographycourses.co.za/guide-to-colour-management-for-photographers/
https://breathingcolor.wearevisum.com/what-are-color-profiles/
https://digitalphotographycourses.co.za/guide-to-colour-management-for-photographers/
Jul 26, 2020 10:55:14 #
Strodav
Loc: Houston, Tx
A colorimeter measures the tri-stimulus values associated with human vision, i.e., rgb. They usually consist of 3 filters and a light source (reflective copy) and are primarily used for color calibration. A spectrophotometer takes measurements along the full spectrum of visible light, say, at 10nm increments from 400-700nm, then processes the data using well known formulas for different types of measurements like L*a*b* and colorimetric like rgb.
Jul 26, 2020 11:04:50 #
Jul 26, 2020 12:32:12 #
They have a good guide here, but deep in the weeds, but you have to agree to get email from them.
https://www.xrite.com/learning-color-education/whitepapers/a-guide-to-understanding-color
https://www.xrite.com/learning-color-education/whitepapers/a-guide-to-understanding-color
Jul 26, 2020 13:17:44 #
Back in the old days before digital photography there were:
1. Refection densitometer that measures the density of color in each R,G,B channels.
2. Colorimeter which measures the 3 channels too but display the reading in term of LAB or LCH values.
3 Then the spectrophotometer that measure the intensity of color in wavelength in narrow bands.
Today most of them are spectrophotometers but can be set to display the reading in any of the three.
1. Refection densitometer that measures the density of color in each R,G,B channels.
2. Colorimeter which measures the 3 channels too but display the reading in term of LAB or LCH values.
3 Then the spectrophotometer that measure the intensity of color in wavelength in narrow bands.
Today most of them are spectrophotometers but can be set to display the reading in any of the three.
Jul 26, 2020 23:58:45 #
Jul 27, 2020 09:45:45 #
Brucer wrote:
It's late and I'm not sure I even spelled the word... (show quote)
Get the i1 Pro if you have the cash.
Don't waste time using a PC laptop screen for critical color evaluation. Most laptop screens are NOT made for critical photo/video editing, unless you're using a MacBook Pro with a P3-compliant display. You SHOULD calibrate your laptop monitor, but also plug in a second photo grade monitor such as those from BenQ. Calibrate THAT, and use it as your reference when adjusting color.
Use a maximum White Point below 120 candelas per square meter. 105 is about right if you want lab prints to match your screen closely. Gamma 2.2, Black Point 0.5 cd/m^2, 6500K starting color temperature are other aims.
Jul 27, 2020 11:05:57 #
Brucer wrote:
It's late and I'm not sure I even spelled the word... (show quote)
Calibrate your monitor - I use an XRite i1 Pro. Then make sure your printing lab sends you an ICC profile for their printer that is specific for the paper they are going to use.
Jul 27, 2020 16:51:47 #
BobHartung wrote:
Calibrate your monitor - I use an XRite i1 Pro. Then make sure your printing lab sends you an ICC profile for their printer that is specific for the paper they are going to use.
The second part of this is to adjust color by "soft proofing" in your post-processing application. Soft proofing uses the lab's printer profile as a "simulation" profile between your color engine and the monitor, essentially modifying the display to look [something closer to] printer output.
Jul 27, 2020 22:12:07 #
And there's no effective way to calibrate the laptop monitor without a device, in my case, as you suggest, the i1 Pro? No program within Windows itself to effectively do it? Also, I'm thinking the i1 Pro is probably necessary, rather than i1 Display, because the Pro adjusts contrast, not the Display. The Display also doesn't--at some level I don't understand or not yet--allow profile selection. I think I'm going to pass on the BenQ for now. I'll probably wind up buying a monitor intended for photography up the pike awhile yet. Everything I've read so far, besides perhaps what I've just read from burkphoto, indicates that a laptop monitor can be calibrated pretty well, though as I've researched, I've been aware there are monitors built to that purpose and most laptops are not. I've learned, for example, that my laptop is probably useless for HDR. Thanks again for all your help and any more you might share. I move forward with trepidation, because technology gives me the heebie jeebies. But I have to say, once I begin to master an aspect of it, it feels very friendly.
Jul 27, 2020 22:20:12 #
Actually, I am beginning to think of getting a desktop photo monitor to plug into laptop. Maybe sooner than I had thought. But for now, just so I get this off my mind, there's no way to effectively sort of plug in the ICC profile a lab would send me, plug that into a Windows program and let it calibrate my monitor? I do need the colorimeter?
Jul 27, 2020 23:36:22 #
Brucer wrote:
Actually, I am beginning to think of getting a desktop photo monitor to plug into laptop. Maybe sooner than I had thought. But for now, just so I get this off my mind, there's no way to effectively sort of plug in the ICC profile a lab would send me, plug that into a Windows program and let it calibrate my monitor? I do need the colorimeter?
If I understand your question. The lcc profile from the lab is for their printer/paper combination. You use it on your already calibrated monitor from within your editing software such as Lightroom or photoshop to simulate how the image on your screen will look when printed on their printer. For this to work your monitor has to be calibrated already. If not, a color on your monitor might not look the same as the standard for that color. I use the inexpensive spyder x pro on a good laptop and print at bay photo after softproofing within photoshop with their profile. Seems fine to me, but I am not doing critical color matching.
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