Monitor Calibration

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chipgreenberg

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Can anybody give me insight into Monitor Calibration? I have a new computer and monitor. My old Spyder Express isn't compatible. Sent a recent batch of scans off for printing with a place I've been happy with and the color looked OK the density was way off from what's displayed.

What do you folks use/do? Would calibrating help?

Thank you!

Chip
 
I Use a Spyder Pro with a BenQ SW2700PT 27"- but still need to test prints and do some tweaking
 
The very best way to go is to use a self-calibrating screen that was designed for graphics and photo work, like the NEC Spectraview screens or the Eizo Coloredge. They're expensive, but really are worth the money. I use an NEC Spectraview PA241W.


If you have a regular screen, the best calibration system is the Xrite i1 Display Pro.
 
You know when you ask a question on the internet everyone tells you what they do which isn't exactly the answer you want. That always cracks me up.

I am not going to check for you, but you might be able to use Argyll/DisplayCal with your puck. They are open source and free.

I don't remember offhand what the software was like on the Spyder Express, but I know without a doubt that DisplayCal will do a better job than any of the old software. The only downside to using it is you may find it really complicated.

BasicColor is another program that might work for you. The cost of it though might just lead you to get a new solution instead of trying to get your old one to work.

Hope that helps you.
 
I am not going to check for you, but you might be able to use Argyll/DisplayCal with your puck. They are open source and free.
Click to expand...
DisplayCal works for me and my obsolete equipment: Samsung SyncMaster 173P and X-Rite/Monaco Optix Puck.

Side note. No thanks to Samsung for designing a monitor without buttons, where the on-screen menus (contrast, color, etc) work only with their so-called MagicTune software. Last update was Win7.
 
Monitor Calibration

PRJ said:
You know when you ask a question on the internet everyone tells you what they do which isn't exactly the answer you want. That always cracks me up.

I am not going to check for you, but you might be able to use Argyll/DisplayCal with your puck. They are open source and free.

I don't remember offhand what the software was like on the Spyder Express, but I know without a doubt that DisplayCal will do a better job than any of the old software. The only downside to using it is you may find it really complicated.

BasicColor is another program that might work for you. The cost of it though might just lead you to get a new solution instead of trying to get your old one to work.

Hope that helps you.
Click to expand...



DisplayCal does not expressly support the Spyder Express hardware.

https://displaycal.net/#instruments


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Solved

Solved

Thanks for all the responses. I think I'm going to save my pennies for the NEC solution



Chriscrawfordphoto said:
The very best way to go is to use a self-calibrating screen that was designed for graphics and photo work, like the NEC Spectraview screens or the Eizo Coloredge. They're expensive, but really are worth the money. I use an NEC Spectraview PA241W.


If you have a regular screen, the best calibration system is the Xrite i1 Display Pro.
Click to expand...
 
After you calibrate your screen, you still have to figure out how to match your calibrated screen to your printer output with print profiles. It is a real rabbit hole, taking on a life of its own.
 
prints

prints

Seems like a rabbit hole. I outsource printing. They suggest embedding Adobe RGB in the files


ptpdprinter said:
After you calibrate your screen, you still have to figure out how to match your calibrated screen to your printer output with print profiles. It is a real rabbit hole, taking on a life of its own.
Click to expand...
 
Hi, i´ve never been able to calibrate my monitors....so i use the info tool in photoshop and calculate CMYK percentages, it works quite fine...inkjet printers are far precise than heidelbergs XD
 
Just putting this here as it is the most recent monitor calibration thread. Datacolor is currently running a half price sale on their SpyderX Photo kit, which includes the newest version of the Spyder puck, the SpyderX Elite, with 64 bit compatible software, and a SpyderChecker 24, and one of their (pretty slick) Spyder Cubes.

“While supplies last”, they say. I mention the 64 bit compatibility because when I recently “upgraded” (puh) to Mac Catalina OS, it bricked my Spectraview calibration software, because normal 32 bit applications won’t run in Mac operating systems going forward, and word is (true or not) that the calibration software is not going to be converted to 64 bit. So, I have been unable to calibrate my monitor in a month, and need another option. FWIW.

Seems like a decent deal, all things considered.

https://spyderx.datacolor.com/spyderxphotokit/
 
Larry,

NEC does have a 64 bit update for the Spectraview software. You can download it here:
https://www.necdisplay.com/support-and-services/spectra-view-II/Downloads

HOWEVER, it does not work with older colorimeters that the older software supported.

Larry Cloetta said:
Just putting this here as it is the most recent monitor calibration thread. Datacolor is currently running a half price sale on their SpyderX Photo kit, which includes the newest version of the Spyder puck, the SpyderX Elite, with 64 bit compatible software, and a SpyderChecker 24, and one of their (pretty slick) Spyder Cubes.

“While supplies last”, they say. I mention the 64 bit compatibility because when I recently “upgraded” (puh) to Mac Catalina OS, it bricked my Spectraview calibration software, because normal 32 bit applications won’t run in Mac operating systems going forward, and word is (true or not) that the calibration software is not going to be converted to 64 bit. So, I have been unable to calibrate my monitor in a month, and need another option. FWIW.

Seems like a decent deal, all things considered.

https://spyderx.datacolor.com/spyderxphotokit/
Click to expand...
 
Chriscrawfordphoto said:
Larry,

NEC does have a 64 bit update for the Spectraview software. You can download it here:
https://www.necdisplay.com/support-and-services/spectra-view-II/Downloads

HOWEVER, it does not work with older colorimeters that the older software supported.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Chris. That’s possibly what I have, an older colorimeter, unless the Spectraview II software was updated in the last month, since it’s been that long since I checked. I’ve got the same NEC monitor you mentioned above.
 
Larry Cloetta said:
Thanks, Chris. That’s possibly what I have, an older colorimeter, unless the Spectraview II software was updated in the last month, since it’s been that long since I checked. I’ve got the same NEC monitor you mentioned above.
Click to expand...

They dropped support for the older colorimeters, including the one NEC sold, a couple years or so ago. I have not updated the Spectraview software since then because I have the older NEC colorimeter (actually it is an i1 Display 2 with NEC's name on it) and don't want to spend $300 or whatever it costs for a newer one right now.

I just checked the version on my old 2008 Mac Pro, and it is not 64 bit. I think the 64 bit versions only support newer colorimeters, so the software actually works fine on your computer...but it no longer works with your sensor..you need to buy a new one :(
 
What Christopher said, NEC or Eizo self-calibrating displays are the best solution, makes your life hassle-free on color-critical workflow. You always have spot-on colors to judge on or precisely compare in every situation. I think Eizo may have a bit better software compatibility in terms of updates and how long they keep things running plus the supplied shade-screen on Eizo that helps a lot too when you work in a brighter room (like I am hence one of the reasons I went for Eizo), but they're both excellent choices in any way. They'll keep running on 2-3 computers as the computers age out while they are still up-to-date so it's a good long-term investment if you want a hassle-free color-critical display in your house (with any regular monitor on external calibration there's always that "if" question in the air) IMHO.


As said if you have an old Spyder then try DisplayCal: https://displaycal.net

I've kept my old Spyder 3 Pro running still with that software so it's a very respected freeware.
 
Thanks for the advice, guys. I had actually purchased the entire DataColor SpyderX Photo kit before I made my first post. At $199 total for their newest and best colorimeter, and the Color Checker and Cube, it just seemed like a good deal, since I’d already been planning on buying the Cube and the Color Checker for the last few months anyway. With the 1/2 price sale it almost made the colorimeter seem free, at least that’s how it worked in my head late at night.
A new self calibrating Eizo would be a dream, but it’s going to stay that way for a while. Thanks for the advice however, as I learned something, which is always good.
 
chipgreenberg said:
Thanks for all the responses. I think I'm going to save my pennies for the NEC solution
Click to expand...

If memory serves the color sensor of the NEC Spectraview solution are just rebadged X-Rite i1 Display Pro. The extra kick comes as the proprietary Spectraview software through which you program the calibration profile into the monitor, so that you could reset the monitor from time to time. This is called hardware calibration.

I did illustration work with a NEC 2690WUXi2 monitor (plus a i1 Display 2 - the OEM version of the NEC Spetraview colorimeter back then) for the good part of the past decade to great result. Eventually the CCFL lamp that illuminated the display panel began to fail and the brightness became uneven - a common dead end for technology back then. Today you have a lot more competitors around, all extremely capable, thanks to cheaper and better panels that became available in the past 3-4 years. Better longevity too, since they're LED illuminated. Now I use a pair of Viewsonic monitors and see little need to look back.

My suggestion is unless you're working in a color critical environment in a big studio where budget is no issue, NEC and Eizo monitors are longer mandatory. Their multi $$$$ top of the line models are way overkill for amateur use, and lower end models that use LG panels aren't that special after all. This is how far the competition has come. Get a Benq PD series, Viewsonic VP or Asus ProArt monitor (some of them even support hardware calibration) and a i1 Display Pro, all for like under $1,000, and be happy.
 
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