Monitor Calibration

[gedstar]

Hi All

Just thinking about purchasing a Monitor Calibration Hardware/Software

Basically I have a dual monitor setup running off a NVIDIA GeForce 660GTX 2GB both on DVI connection.

Is there any hardware/software Monitor Calibration kits that will calibrate the two monitors. Please note my budget is around €100

Have checked around but not sure what to go for, have seen this but not sure if it will do dual monitors
http://spyder.datacolor.com/portfolio-view/spyder4express/

I think Tom Mann may be the man to help me here

Cheers in Advance

Ged

 

[Tom Mann]

Hi Gedstar -

I use a very similar video card (http://www.pugetsystems.com/parts/Video-Card/ASUS-GeForce-GTX-770-2GB-DirectCU-II-OC-9469 ) and also use two monitors. However, I don't even bother trying to calibrate my lower quality monitor because all I use it for is non-color-critical things like menus (in PS and AI), email, iTunes, etc.. Anything that's color-critical goes on my better monitor.

Five or so years ago, I used a predecessor to that Spyder 4 Express calibrator, but at the time, I only was using one monitor, so the issue didn't come up. However, the link that you provided answers your question. At the top of the page, it says, "Simple Affordable Solution for color calibrating a single display...". I doubt they would say that if it would work on multiple displays.

For the next few years, I started using two monitors with a Color Munki hardware calibrator. I know it could calibrate both displays, but after calibrating both displays once or twice, I just dropped back to calibrating my main display (for the reasons given above).

I was extremely happy with the Color Munki system, but just a couple of months ago, I upgraded my main display to a NEC PA242 wide gamut monitor and switched over to the NEC Spectraview color calibration system. The sensor is a re-branded version of the X-rite i1 Display Pro that comes with special software to load the color profiles directly into the LUT of that particular series of NEC monitors. I'm pretty sure that it also has the ability to calibrate multiple displays, but again, I never do this.

Sorry I can't be of more help, but when I was going through the same decisions, I found it very useful to download manuals for the products I was considering to determine their detailed capabilities & specifications.

Tom

 

[gedstar]

Thanks Tom for the detailed reply, you have provided more than adequate information for me. Reading what you said it makes more sense just to calibrate one monitor after all I only have Photoshop displayed on the one monitor anyway, silly me wasn't thinking.

Cheers

Gedstar

 

[gedstar]

Hi Again Tom

After reading a review looks like the Spyder 4 Express would suit my needs, review below
http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/reviews/profiling/spyder4express.html

Can I just ask one more question, possibly a silly one, but after calibration is done do I need to change the Monitor Profile in Windows in Color Management and the Color Profile in Photoshop, at present I use ProPhoto RGB in Photoshop and on both displays.

Thanks in Advance

Gedstar

 

[Tom Mann]

That was a very useful link, Gedstar. I presume you saw the comparison table and that the version you are interested in is clearly limited to one monitor and you are now only going to use it for you your main monitor.

"...after calibration is done, do I need to change the Monitor Profile in Windows in Color Management and the Color Profile in Photoshop..."

In principle, one must change the monitor's icm file, but in my experience, this is always done automatically by the software that comes with the hardware calibrator, so you don't have to do it manually each time you run the calibration software.

OTOH, I always give a unique name (containing the date of the calibration) to each profile that is produced. At least in Windows systems, these are retained, and having old monitor profiles available gives you the opportunity to temporarily try old ones to check if your newest profile has suddenly become quite different from older ones. This could be due to a hardware problem, accidentally setting the monitor's controls incorrectly when profiling, the puck wasn't laying flat on the monitor, so ambient light was leaking in, etc.
--------

Your question about "Color Profile" in Photoshop requires a bit more explanation.

Unfortunately, IMO, Adobe (and much of the field) uses confusing terminology in this area, and this causes massive confusion among users. Specifically, Adobe doesn't always distinguish between color profiles which define the color space being used internally to represent colors (ie, "Working spaces" such as sRGB, Adobe, ProFoto, etc.), and output device color profiles (eg, monitor and printer profiles).

Photoshop's "working color space" most certainly does NOT have to be changed after monitor calibration/profiling. Continue to use whichever color space you like. Like you, I use ProFoto a lot, and hardly ever change it unless I know I'm going to be grinding out a bunch of non-critical sRGB images. Switching the working color space to sRGB then saves me a final "convert to..." step after each image is done.

In contrast, the monitor profile used by PS absolutely MUST be changed each time you re-calibrate your monitor. Fortunately, PS looks at the Color Management section of Windows and automatically uses whichever profile is currently set as the default monitor profile. Since this is updated automatically by the calibration software, you usually don't have to manually set this inside of PS.

About the only time you ever have to manually specify an output device color profile is if you are soft-proofing and want to see how your image will look if printed on a CMYK based offset press or an NTSC TV, or some other output device. This is specified under "View / Proof setup", NOT in "Edit / Color Settings".

HTH,

Tom

 

[gedstar]

Hi Again Tom

Thanks again for your detailed information, which I found most helpful. Yes I will only be calibrating one monitor. Seems to make sense considering I only view PS images on the main monitor.
Spyder4express has been ordered and looking forward to delivery of same.

I actually decided to purchase this after I was viewing an RGB image with Red, Blue and Green circles and I noticed that on my monitor the blue actually looked more purple than blue and the Red and Green just didn't look right!

Just want to say a VERY VERY big thank you for your advice and help. It's very much appreciated.


[h=3][/h]

 

[Tom Mann]

Thanks for the kind words. I'm glad my comments were of some use. When it arrives, let us know how it goes.

Best regards,

Tom

 

[gedstar]

Hi Tom

Just an update, just received the Spyder4express and calibrated the main Monitor and noticed a big difference straight away, RGB colors actually look perfect now.
Totally amazed at the difference.

Another thing I noticed, loaded the Spyder4express profile into windows Color Management for the second monitor and both monitors are displaying the same and correct colors. :lol:
Thanks again for your help.

Gedstar