Monitor calibration... - DPChallenge Forums

02/19/2008 08:01:11 PM · #1

I've just calibrated my monitor with a Spyder2Express. I'm not sure yet if I'm happy with the results, as it's different to what I'm used to, but I have some questions...

1) I have PSPX2 which is colour management aware, but as the complete screen is calibrated in the OS, I expect that I should leave the application colour management off, as this would double-compensate for my screen, correct?

2) Is there an easy way to switch calibration on/off? It did this during the calibration process, to show me the difference that calibration made, but I'd like to do this again without recalibrating. Going into my video settings and turning the colour profile back to sRGB does nothing.

Ok, I'm off to find out how to get the express version to calibrate my dual monitors. It says it doesn't do it, but I'm sure it can be done. :)

Message edited by author 2008-02-19 20:23:14.

02/19/2008 08:23:10 PM · #2

I suggest reading from article #1 here:

//www2.chromix.com/ColorNews/index.cxsa

Nikon AF Nikkor 85mm f/1.8D

02/19/2008 08:44:13 PM · #3

Hmm, lots of interesting stuff there, most of which I don't really understand, but I haven't found any answers to my questions yet...

iamkmaniam

Nikon D200

02/19/2008 08:50:19 PM · #4

I don't have an answer for you, but I can tell you. I downloaded a free trial of PSP X2, and the colors were all wrong, I have a huey monitor calibration system. I did not spend enough time or energy to figure out the problem. I simply went on to CS3. My point is that I also encountered color problems with PSP.

Makka

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

02/19/2008 09:02:30 PM · #5

Switching it on and off is just a matter of changing colour profiles. I use Photoshop CS3 for my editing but use PSP9 for my printing as I like the way it lets me lay out multiple photos on a page. In my preferences under colour management I have the monitor profile set to the profile that Spyder2Pro created and my printer profile set to whatever paper I am using. Works perfectly when I output to our Epson 3800 and the colours are fantastic between screen and print.

02/20/2008 12:03:21 AM · #6

Well, after about 5 hours of mucking around, I've calibrated both monitors several times, and they still don't look the same. By default, monitor one keeps coming out with a green cast, and monitor 2 keeps coming out with a red cast.

Both show a significant calibration difference in the Colorvision software when switching on and off, but monitor 2 shows almost no difference when switching the profile on/off in Windows, although it shows a big difference when switching to the other monitor's profile, so it is actually doing something.

In the end, I've resorted to manually adjusting the colours after calibration to get them more the same, but it's not consistent across the different grey levels. If I adjust the mid-greys to the same level, then the whites are different colours. In addition, the monitor 2 is blowing the near-highlights, where monitor 1 isn't.

Add to that the fact that my prints have generally come out too red in the past, and the calibration has made my main monitor LESS red, so they are going to be worse!

AAARRRRGGHGHHHHH!

I thought these calibrators were supposed to work! I'm ending up back manually adjusting everything for hours just to get something vaguely close.

P.S. to add that I'm not even dealing with PSP at this stage, so that's not the problem. I'm just trying to match the displays with no colour-profile-aware applications.

Message edited by author 2008-02-20 00:06:38.

02/20/2008 12:07:30 AM · #7

Did you get rid of Adobe Gamma before you created the profiles?

02/20/2008 12:10:11 AM · #8

Yes. As far as I know, I've never had adobe gamma installed.

02/20/2008 01:01:41 AM · #9

Originally posted by surfdabbler:

Yes. As far as I know, I've never had adobe gamma installed.

If you've got any adobe product it's likely that you have adobe gamma. To be sure, you can verify that it's not in your start menu folder.

02/20/2008 01:04:59 AM · #10

Nope, no adobe products here. :) OK, I have Acrobat reader, but that doesn't do any colour management. There's nothing in the startup folder, and no running processes that look anything like Adobe gamma.

02/20/2008 01:34:34 AM · #11

Originally posted by surfdabbler:

Clearly that's not the problem.

02/20/2008 01:35:11 AM · #12

Is the room dark when you calibrate?

02/20/2008 01:49:28 AM · #13

No, I had the light on. Does that make a difference? Both monitors are directly next to each other, and under an overhang, so both are shielded from direct light. The light in this room is pretty dim too - I have to look pretty hard to read the model number on the top edge of the monitor. If I switch off the light, it's pretty dark in here, even during the day.