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I am confused about calibrating the monitor for photo printing and what brightness levels to use to get my prints to look like my screen. Do I need a separate screen calibrator?

ken_stern Loc: Yorba Linda, Ca

I use a Datacolor Spyder X

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

Technically the display is calibrated at the factory. For color management purposes, you would use a combination of software and hardware that displays a standard set of colors on the display and a colorimeter or spectrophotometer to measure the colors displayed against the actual values, and uses the difference between the displayed color values and the standard to develop a profile.

If your editing software offers color management, then it can read the profile and display a more accurate image.

As far as brightness is concerned, the better software usually has the ability to set the white clipping point. Most displays are factory configured to display 120 cd/m² (candelas per square meter), which is very bright. While this is great for viewing it will result in images printing too dark. A good starting point is a value of 80.

I use an Xrite i1 Display Pro which is based on a colorimeter. It has the ability to write color compensating data directly to a display that offers hardware calibration. The Datacolor Spyder lacks that capability. Your display doesn't have hardware calibration anyway, but if you decide to get such a display down the road, a Spyder is worthless, and the Display Pro will give you want you need.

rmalarz Loc: Tempe, Arizona

--Bob

bweber Loc: Newton, MA

I have the same monitor. I use an X-Rite i1Studio calibration device to calibrate my monitor. I set the desired brightness to 90 Cdn as that setting gives me pretty accurate prints when printing with a Canon Pro 10 printer. If the monitor is a little dark for my other work I increase the brightness by a couple of clicks and reduce by the same number it when I process photos. I recalibrate monthly, although there is very little change month to month.

yssirk123 Loc: New Jersey

I use a Spyder X for hardware calibration on my BenQ monitor - works like a charm with the Palette Master software.

elliott937 Loc: St. Louis

I cannot endorse Data Color Spyder X enough. This is an amazing company, and with amazing support. It is through them that I could finally make prints to exactly matched my screen. And to show you how specific, their product and software created a color profile that was designed to actually match the specific print paper I was using.

It wasn't cheap, but still affordable. For long term users, such as us, it is by far worth it.

cjc2 Loc: Hellertown PA

I have dual 5k monitors on my iMac PRO (one is an LG). I use the x-rite i1 with awesome results. I switched from the Spyder system because x-rite gave me MUCH better support. Best of luck.

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

Same here - as well as making an inferior product.