Monitor color calibration?

Gebber · 06-20-2008, 08:05 PM

This is just a thought that I was having and thought it might be a good discussion question.

We post photo's and ask for critique and I notice how some people will say that the color is off or it is too dark. But is it really?

My ex wife is a graphic designer and is excellent at color correcting photo's for print publications and she always said that you can't truly tell what it looks like on screen if your monitor isn't color calibrated. Which is very true that the same picture will look different on different monitors.

So with that follows a few questions that I have.

How many of you color calibrate you monitors? and which calibrations system do you use?

How can we critique the color in someone photo? Maybe it is just to dark on your screen?

balut · 06-20-2008, 10:37 PM

good thread.

ive always wandered how my laptop monitor settings is.
i also connect it sometimes to my 42" tv.

is there any way or a website to check out the color of the monitor?

beansbaxter · 06-20-2008, 10:45 PM

Yeah, I need to understand this topic more too... I've been looking at getting a Mac just for the non-glossy LCD's which seem to give better color representations than my glossy LCD. Hmmm....

Killermondodude · 06-20-2008, 10:57 PM

PS has a calibration tool built in that you can find in your Control Panel with the XP

plummy · 06-20-2008, 11:07 PM

^^ whut he said

xqsme · 06-21-2008, 07:50 AM

Use a Spyder software but it is very expensive IMO.

The way I do it is if you have a printer, make a print of your photo and compare it to what your monitor shows. This is I what learned from a friend of mine who used to work on a photo printing shop.
I may be wrong

I use this print as my reference:

Mike Reyna · 06-21-2008, 10:59 AM

Spyder3 Pro is what I use.

06-20-2008, 08:05 PM	#1 (permalink)
Gebber Member Joined: May 2008 Posts: 34 From: Beaverton, OR	Monitor color calibration? This is just a thought that I was having and thought it might be a good discussion question. We post photo's and ask for critique and I notice how some people will say that the color is off or it is too dark. But is it really? My ex wife is a graphic designer and is excellent at color correcting photo's for print publications and she always said that you can't truly tell what it looks like on screen if your monitor isn't color calibrated. Which is very true that the same picture will look different on different monitors. So with that follows a few questions that I have. How many of you color calibrate you monitors? and which calibrations system do you use? How can we critique the color in someone photo? Maybe it is just to dark on your screen? __________________ http://www.jpgmag.com/people/gebber

06-20-2008, 10:45 PM	#3 (permalink)
beansbaxter Administrator Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 475 Blog Entries: 4 From: Seattle, WA My Camera: Nikon D300	Yeah, I need to understand this topic more too... I've been looking at getting a Mac just for the non-glossy LCD's which seem to give better color representations than my glossy LCD. Hmmm.... __________________ “The camera’s only job is to get out of the way of making photographs.” -- Ken Rockwell beansbaxter.com is my blog.

06-21-2008, 07:50 AM	#6 (permalink)
xqsme Member Joined: May 2008 Posts: 63 From: Portland My Camera: Nikon D300 / Just arrived: D3 ;)	Use a Spyder software but it is very expensive IMO. The way I do it is if you have a printer, make a print of your photo and compare it to what your monitor shows. This is I what learned from a friend of mine who used to work on a photo printing shop. I may be wrong I use this print as my reference: __________________ My Photos:Here Last edited by xqsme; 06-21-2008 at 10:23 AM.

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06-20-2008, 10:37 PM	#2 (permalink)
balut Senior Member Joined: May 2008 Posts: 208 From: bellingham, wa My Camera: canon eos 40d	good thread. ive always wandered how my laptop monitor settings is. i also connect it sometimes to my 42" tv. is there any way or a website to check out the color of the monitor?

06-20-2008, 10:57 PM	#4 (permalink)
Killermondodude Senior Member Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 289 Blog Entries: 1 From: Camano Island My Camera: Canon 20d	PS has a calibration tool built in that you can find in your Control Panel with the XP

06-20-2008, 11:07 PM	#5 (permalink)
plummy Senior Member Joined: Apr 2008 Posts: 170 From: Pooptown My Camera: one pixel of awesome	^^ whut he said

06-21-2008, 10:59 AM	#7 (permalink)
Mike Reyna Member Joined: Apr 2008 Posts: 91 From: Snoqualmie, WA My Camera: Nikon D70	Spyder3 Pro is what I use.