Why should I calibrate my monitor?

[lleyva]

Is monitor calibration just for better/more accurate prints? My problem is that the images do not look good on my laptop. When I view them on my desktop monitor they look better but still not that great. Now, when I look at them on a mac notebook, they seem to pop more and overall exposures look better.

Will monitor calibration fix an out of wack monitor to show better the images I take? Not sure what drivers are being used. The laptop is an Acer. Or should I save the money and apply it towards a new laptop?

[tukaniray]

You'll need some color bars that you can put on all of your screens to calibrate.

There are also some tools that plug into your USB that help with calibration.

Tools like this - - >> http://www.pantone.com/Pages/product...t.aspx?pid=562
The Huey Pro.

But there is still no guarantee that your prints will come out better. Because the printers are calibrated differently also. That's why print shops usually look at your photo you bring in and still adjust a bit so that the print will come out the printers the same as Their monitors.

-Ray-

[deep_creek]

another vote for the Pantone Huey Pro here. Easy to work with and is fully compatible with Win 7 32 & 64 bit flavors. It is so nice to get a print back that looks just the way you edited it. Without a calibrated monitor, any color corrections you make in PS are kind of self defeating.

[revjvegas]

I use the Spyder 3 and it does help, but monitor calibration is only 1/3 of the equation. You need to have a work flow from camera->PC->printer.

If you're using an epson printer with epson paper, then be sure to get the profiles from epson's website for the paper you're using (or whatever brand)...assuming of course that you are printing from some sort of photo editor which handles color profiles.

And if you are using paper for which there is not already a profile, you may also want to calibrate your printer.

Here's a pretty good site a found a while back in which the author has some good articles explaining color management

[JohnT]

Pick up a copy of Color Management for Photographers by Andrew Rodney. You will learn more than you ever wanted to know about the topic.
http://www.amazon.com/Color-Manageme...4116368&sr=1-1

This one is supposed to be good, too, but I haven't read it:
http://www.amazon.com/Real-World-Col...ref=pd_sim_b_1

[linque]

WINDOWS ONLY: You can use Calibrize to get things fairly close, but it is probably not as good as a Spyder. It helps to squint your eyes when you're going through the calibration tests. I also use the NVIDIA controls to adjust instead of using the monitor buttons.

Not sure what Mac has to offer.

[billbunton]

Originally Posted by JohnT

Pick up a copy of Color Management for Photographers by Andrew Rodney. You will learn more than you ever wanted to know about the topic.
Amazon.com: Color Management for Photographers: Hands on Techniques for Photoshop Users (9780240806495): Andrew Rodney: Books

This one is supposed to be good, too, but I haven't read it:
Amazon.com: Real World Color Management (2nd Edition) (0785342267228): Bruce Fraser, Chris Murphy, Fred Bunting: Books

Rodney is really good if you want to understand enough to use color management, and learn how to use it. Fraser et al is good if you really want to understand the science behind it. In other words, get Rodney's book unless you're a true geek, in which case get both :-)

(And if you read Fraser and still want more, PM me for another title...)

[dminton]

Save your money for a better laptop. You can try and calibrate a cheap screen, but it'll still be a cheap screen. Save your money for a better one.

Not only will your photos look better and look correct, but your eyes will thank you for not making them strain from looking at a muddy, dark screen.

[ronocnikral]

i guess i don't know what you mean by "better" laptop...

you'll need a real monitor as david points out. not a cheap panel LCD. if you don't have a lot of money, you can salvage a crt from somewhere. we found an HP monitor that has a good color gamut and were having excellent results. now we are on macs...

[tukaniray]

You can still use your good HP Monitor on the Mac ... just get the DVI to VGA adapter ... and you are still good to go.

I use LG and Dell monitors along with the Apple Monitors at our office with a MacPro.

-Ray-

[ronocnikral]

we still need to print something from our mac. our HP monitor is the bomb!!

if we like our results from the mac, we will sell the HP. If not, we will need to hook it up to the imac and edit from there....

IPS panels are what is really needed if you are serious about color mgmt.

[tukaniray]

If you get an iMac ... than get the Mini DVI to VGA to plug up your HP Monitor.

-Ray-