Quote:
Originally Posted by rossi46
Questions about Monitor calibration
As I understand, monitor calibration is to allow users to see color as close as possible to prints.
- Monitor calibration is done using what base? Is there a standard base to calibrate the monitor, and once calibrated, whatever ICC profiles you use will show highly accurate colours?
- Monitor calibration improves colour accuracy, what about accuracy of brightness, shadows and contrast?
- My work will be printed as a hobby with probably low end commercial printers using sRGB convert to profile. The printing shops has no idea about ICC profile.
Monitor calibration will not really give me any benefits in this situation?
- I am using low end Acer V3 Aspire notebook, probably with very limited colour gamut, is it necessary to perform monitor calibration?
- See above questions,
If answer is "no, no point calibrating monitor if I am using low end Acer V3 and I only send in sRGB commercial printers without ICC profile info) -
Is there any quick and easy tips on how I should change my monitor settings so that I can get closer to the print.
Eg. - brightness, contrast, gamma etc...
And when I do my work, should it be in a dark or dimly lit environment?
What about this link from Cambridge in Colour,
Monitor Calibration for Photography
I am referring to "Adjusting brightness and contrast" paragraph, is this useful info?
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Mattia's advice is sound. My additions.
Calibration isn't about accuracy. It's about consistancy. We're trying to get consistant output from one device to another within the limitations of any particular device. The question "will my colours be accurate if I calibrate?" is asked. The answer is NO. But the colours should be as close as possible a match from screen to printer if both are accessing good profiles and the OS knows how to translate from one to the other. Your "accuracy" depends on you.
2. Calibrating by eye is nearly impossible although you may fluke it occasionally. The human eye is too easy to fool and your eyeball calibration will be affected by something as simple as the room lights or the paint on the walls. It is possible to eyeball brightness and contrast to an approximation but as modern hardware calibration devices will do this automatically, it's not really neccessary.
3. Any screen will benifit from hardware calibration. Get a colorimeter. It's worth it. Cheaper than any lens you can buy. It's an investment. Don't spend large sums of money on software that can calibrate multiple displays but get a puck that works on wide gamut screens just in case you upgrade.
4. Even average labs have profiles. It's just the staff don't know. They're probably emulating as close to possible the sRGB working space. Calibrating you monitor will help in a couple of ways. Firstly you'll have consistancy which means predictability. Secondly you'll know it's not you when your prints suck.
5. The ICC is the set of standards that form the basis for colour consistancy. ICC profiles try to get you close to that base. For monitors it usually maens a gamma of 2.2 and a brightness of 100 cm2. But some people like 120 and some 90.
6. Working in a dim room can help but you'll need to examine and compare prints in a brighter environment. Your impression of a print is also influenced by the viewing environment, just like screens. Some colorimeters (hardwrare calibration puck) can adjust your screen for changing room conditions. Personally I've never liked that. My eyes seem to adjust well enough. I would recomend not having a window or strong light source behind you though.
I think you're doing a good thing here. It's not an easy thing to get started with. But it's worth it. I think all keen photographers owe it to themselves to get a harware calibrator. A Spyder or a Huey Pro is fine. That's about $150.00. Not a big investment compared to the rest of this hobby/profession of ours.
Calibrating your monitor is the heart of a colour managed workflow. The rest is easy (not!).
Gordon
3Thanks
