GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

Using the “Quote Reply” option as I have done will help us know which post you are addressing.
Don’t write your response inside the [brackets] of the post you are replying to.
Welcome to the “hog”

Kodiako

Agreed research is important to me too thanks

Kodiako

Whoa OK I think I get it, thanks again for the support.

GoofyNewfie Loc: Kansas City

Yep! You did it right!

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

Buy on specifications. You need a monitor with front panel calibration controls that is capable of displaying 100% of the sRGB ICC color space, and preferably 99% of ADOBE RGB space. Beyond that, IPS is nice. LED Illumination is pretty standard now.

JUST as important as having a good monitor is using a good hardware and software calibration and profiling kit, at least monthly. X-Rite and DataColor make them. Do a search here for monitor calibration and profiling for more information.

Good color relies on a SYSTEM that includes the camera raw profile, accurate white balance, a good monitor, monitor calibration, image adjustment, and soft proofing. If you print, use the right ICC profile for your paper/ink/printer model combination.

The calibration kit will help you lower the brightness of a monitor into the range that matches normal print viewing conditions. It linearizes the RGB color channels, so you see neutrals as truly neutral. Then it creates a custom ICC profile that helps your color engine (Adobe, or Apple, or Microsoft...) match the monitor response to what’s really in your files.

It sounds far more complicated than it is.

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

Unless you are already committed to buying a new monitor try sending some of these images to another printing service to compare results before making the purchase. Its worth the effort. I've used Adoramapix and Mixbook with excellent results. There are others as well.

joer Loc: Colorado/Illinois

SusanFromVermont Loc: Southwest corner of Vermont

If you click on "quote reply" it will include the message from the person to whom you are responding. That way, no one has to guess who you are talking to!

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

Dell has some great reasonably priced, 10 bit, wide gamut displays. BUT you need to profile them correctly, which requires an Xrite i1 Display Pro or higher. You cannot get an optimal profile using Datacolor products.

This article describes the why and how to do it.

https://photographylife.com/how-to-properly-calibrate-dell-u2413-u2713h-u3014-monitors

If you are using software that does not support 10 bit video, the wide gamut is still nice, but it won't look as vibrant and will not have transitions in tonal values and colors that are as smooth and free of banding. Avoid very low cost displays, which are seldom wide gamut often 6 bit and use FRC to simulate 8 bit performance and gamut, and just standard color - sRGB. They will work, but are the least desirable for photo editing. IPS is pretty standard, and very important for photo editing - you don't want to deal with colors and brightness that change with your position relative to the display.

foggypreacher Loc: Dickinson, Texas

I bought a Samsung 28" 4k ultra monitor a couple of months ago for around $275 at Amazon, but saw it at Walmart 10 days ago for just over 235. I like it, but have not yet gotten it calibrated. Waiting until I can buy the Spyder equipment. However, I know that what looks on the monitor will print lighter on my Canon PIXMA pro 100, so I adjust for right now.

SusanFromVermont Loc: Southwest corner of Vermont

Hi Gene! I looked at the website for photography life - very interesting stuff. Not sure I understand everything in the articles I read, but it helps anyway... I've been thinking about upgrading my monitor calibration [I have Spyder4]. The Price for Xrite and Datacolor "equivalent" products are almost the same, so I am curious to know why Xrite is better. I have the U2713H monitor.

Susan

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

It can write the LUT table to the display. The Spyder can't.

SusanFromVermont Loc: Southwest corner of Vermont

Thank you!

Kodiako

Thanks for the input. Do they have monitirs that have calibration software capabilities built in?

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

You can get certain high end monitors with a puck and software. Dell, LaCie, Sony, Eizo are worth a look.