Monitor Calibration Information

[Damo77]

I'm quite passionate about monitor calibration, and I figure if you're enthusiastic enough to take great photos, you should be enthusiastic enough to want to see, edit and print them accurately.

I submit this brief article: What's the purpose of monitor calibration? (http://damiensymonds.blogspot.com/2010/01/whats-purpose-of-monitor-calibration.html)

Calibrators range from cheap to expensive, and there's a device available that will suit everyone.

If you purchase the excellent i1 Display 2 device from X-Rite, here are some instructions for you:
My own: link (http://www.damiensymonds.com.au/art_cal1.html)
The lovely Sarah Wilkerson's: link (http://www.pixelationblog.com/?p=350)
Image Science's: link (http://www.imagescience.com.au/kb/questions/86/How%20to%20use%20an%20Eye%20One%20Display%20calibr ator)

If you purchase the cheap but reputable Spyder3Express, there's a good tute here (http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/reviews/profiling/spyder3express_1.html).

If you purchase the terrific Spyder3Elite, there's some great instructions here (http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/spyder3elite.htm). You can also go here (http://www.video.bhphotovideo.com/?fr_story=6705482e45f83bfb581744e6bbf1bee3836e657f&rf=bm) and search by "Datacolor" or "Spyder".

If anybody knows of tutorials for other devices, please add them to the list.

[~Raven~]

Thank you Damien....I will have a more thorough read when the kids are in bed.

[MDSimpson]

Damo, seeing as how we have the new Calibration forum, I'll add this as a sticky so we can all read the links.

Thanks

[Papou]

Top addition:)!!!..

[Damo77]

Update: I've written the most comprehensive article I could manage: All about monitor calibration (http://damiensymonds.blogspot.com/2010/09/all-about-monitor-calibration.html)

[IanB]

Thanks Damien; but no test photos?? :rolleyes:

[CSFS]

Cool I've been thinking about this - I read a 'comprehensive' how to last week, basically told you to print an image with natural tones then use this to calibrate by eye, but if your monitor is out, how do you know what you are printing...??? :rolleyes:

[Damo77]

I read a 'comprehensive' how to last week, basically told you to print an image with natural tones then use this to calibrate by eye
Where did you read this? On the internet, or on some papyrus? Direct screen-to-print calibration hasn't been accepted practice for years.

[CSFS]

Where did you read this? On the internet, or on some papyrus? Direct screen-to-print calibration hasn't been accepted practice for years.

On the interwebs so it must be true :p

[burgo]

I found this free program -http://www.calibrize.com/

[Daniel Hancox]

Hi Guys

There is a huge difference between doing a soft calibration such as using the software that comes with your Colour Sensor, and a monitor which does not have a programmable LUT. You are basically using the graphics card to calibrate which means, if you are for instance calibrating to Adobe RGB you will be missing colour in the Adobe RGB Gamma Curve. If you do direct Hardware calibration via the monitors LUT, these colours are not missed, so your work flow will be a lot more accurate. Using standard panel woth TN panels will also over saturate your colours, and will not give you acurate colour, your viewing angles will also be way off.

[Damo77]

There is a huge difference between doing a soft calibration such as using the software that comes with your Colour Sensor, and a monitor which does not have a programmable LUT. You are basically using the graphics card to calibrate which means, if you are for instance calibrating to Adobe RGB you will be missing colour in the Adobe RGB Gamma Curve. If you do direct Hardware calibration via the monitors LUT, these colours are not missed, so your work flow will be a lot more accurate. Using standard panel woth TN panels will also over saturate your colours, and will not give you acurate colour, your viewing angles will also be way off.
What you say is true to a degree, but I hasten to clarify that it belongs in the same category of truth as statements such as "Luxury European cars provide the safest and most enjoyable driving experience".

No doubt they are, and we'd all love to own a luxury European car, but not many people can afford it, so we settle for whatever is within our budget. And here's the point - they get us from A to B. Maybe not 100% luxuriously, but we end up at our destination.

Likewise with monitors. For anybody reading this who, like me, can't afford a massive NEC Spectraview or whatever, I encourage you to keep saving for your dream monitor, but be satisfied in the knowledge that any screen (yes, even TN ones) will do a satisfactory job for you in the meantime. Just make sure it's hardware-calibrated, with a device such as a Spyder or an i1.

Daniel's post is well-intentioned, but shouldn't be cause for alarm among those of us with thin wallets :)

[Daniel Hancox]

I understand people have budgets, but if you spend 10K for instance on your camera gear and editing suits, it's like putting a farrari engine in a Gemini. A great Photo is only as good as it's reproduction, and this is where acuracy is nessesasary. The panel and calibration ability I believe is just as important as the camera and lens you use. If you look at what the Europeans are doing in regards to calibration we are about 3-Years behind. Anyway just my point of view...

[Damo77]

I completely agree, insofar as if people spend big dollars on top-of-the-line cameras and lenses, then they'd be fools not to do the same on their monitor. But this isn't just a forum for high-end pros, there are plenty of beginners here too. It's important to keep that in perspective.

[Daniel Hancox]

All good mate, I understand calibration for beginners can be very confusing.