photography - monitor calibration

by **maestro2007** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 7:48 pm

Does anyone use a piece of hardware to calibrate their computer monitors? I am having problems with my photos looking one way on the screen but another way when printed out. I have been looking at hardware devices like the ColorMunki, Spyder3/4, etc. but they all seem very expensive. Does anyone have one to lend/rent out? What do the photographers in the forum use to calibrate their monitors?

by **News_by_KKO** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 8:28 pm

Um, do your printed pictures glow in the dark?

No monitor can be calibrated to match printing because your monitor is a light projector not a piece of paper......
The best you can do is calibrate the monitor with software and or adapters and then have the printer adjust to that. Printing pictures correctly depends on knowing how to correctly adjusting pics for printing and using the right type paper, ink and printer.

by **1626** » Fri Jan 27, 2012 10:24 pm

What KKO said. I would also add that unless you really really require it, don't even bother. To really do it right it takes an awful lot of time. Time that you possible could be spending doing something else.

I personally have a colomunki design. I use it for calibration but I also use it for checking and creating color pallets. Works pretty good. Had some bugs though with Mac and permissions. But they customer support sorted it out.

by **rudyr** » Sat Jan 28, 2012 3:59 am

I use a Spyder 3 and it has both my monitors showing the same colors. I'm not so sophisticated that I understand the ins-n-outs of color matching printers + specific paper, but I believe it can be done. Check out the forums on fredmiranda.com or dpreview.com

by **KopyKatKiller** » Sat Jan 28, 2012 11:25 am

I'd say the problem is in your printer. To get high quality prints, it's best to go to a photo printing store. Their monitors are calibrated closely to the print image and the photos are "real". I've had some problems in the past with printer photo prints at home where the color faded funny shades after a year or 2 even when using high quality photo paper and photo ink.

PS. Don't use an ultra bright screen to edit your photos.

by **maestro2007** » Sat Jan 28, 2012 1:20 pm

Let me back up a step then. My main purpose is to make sure that I'm making proper edits/adjustments to my photos in Lightroom (and not, for example, adding too much brightness when it's actually my monitor that is too dark). I am not using my own printer to print out the photos. When I've taken my photos to the local Kodak store, the pictures end up looking different than on my monitor. I've taken them to two different stores and both places printed the same file but with two different results.

KKO, do you do the adjustments on your own computer and then when you take the photo to the print shop, ask them to re-adjust your image to their printer?

by **Dave Marco** » Sat Jan 28, 2012 3:17 pm

maestro2007 wrote:When I've taken my photos to the local Kodak store, the pictures end up looking different than on my monitor. I've taken them to two different stores and both places printed the same file but with two different results.

That's because each printing shop will use different profiles for their printers + paper. To match the pictures on your computer with the prints you need to a) callibrate your monitor (not all can be adjusted well) b) get the printing profiles from the printing company (for a given printer / paper) c) print some proofs and adjust d) go back and repeat. It's a tough one and unless the prints are very important I probably wouldn't bother. Also, forget the Kodak shops and try some more professional places, Luban lu / Xietu lu camera mall is a good start.

And remember that since paper is a reflective medium the viewing experience will vary depending on the intensity of available light. They have spotlights in the galleries for a reason.

by **Mr.Diamond** » Sat Jan 28, 2012 5:49 pm

You should buy professional monitor like Eizo and sell your Apple. It's Gold and Junk.

Or here is not any reason to calebrate it ...

by **PureXTC88** » Sun Jan 29, 2012 11:29 am

You can give Spyder a try

http://spyder.datacolor.com/

by **briant** » Sun Feb 19, 2012 10:29 pm

Dave Marco wrote:
maestro2007 wrote:When I've taken my photos to the local Kodak store, the pictures end up looking different than on my monitor. I've taken them to two different stores and both places printed the same file but with two different results.

That's because each printing shop will use different profiles for their printers + paper. To match the pictures on your computer with the prints you need to a) callibrate your monitor (not all can be adjusted well) b) get the printing profiles from the printing company (for a given printer ink / paper) c) print some proofs and adjust d) go back and repeat. It's a tough one and unless the prints are very important I probably wouldn't bother. Also, forget the Kodak shops and try some more professional places, Luban lu / Xietu lu camera mall is a good start.

And remember that since paper is a reflective medium the viewing experience will vary depending on the intensity of available light. They have spotlights in the galleries for a reason.

Gone are the reigning days for YiQian Image and Elite pro photo labs in Xietu lu.. YiQian Image used claim then that they only use the best materials for printing..

photography - monitor calibration

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