Monitor Calibration - Macbook Pro

[DotKomrade]

I'm curious whether anyone uses screen calibration and if so what system? The reason I ask is that I recently did some processing for someone using the default colour profile on my macbook pro, and the images all looked pretty *** on her older macbook pro.

I then started messing around with the different profiles, but it's hard to tell what is actually right. For instance, the sRGB profiles look much cooler than the default. I got hold of a program called SuperCal which seemed like it did a pretty good job, but now I'm thinking of investing in a spyder system.

I'm bothered because I've never really looked into it and now I'm worried about all the other stuff I've designed or processed that probably looks totally wrong on other systems...

 

[bwana]

I'm bothered because I've never really looked into it and now I'm worried about all the other stuff I've designed or processed that probably looks totally wrong on other systems...

No point worrying - it probably does. I've got an older spyder2express and it does a great job. A colourmeter is a must if accurate colour is important.

 

[SubliminalThought]

I'm bothered because I've never really looked into it and now I'm worried about all the other stuff I've designed or processed that probably looks totally wrong on other systems...

If the 'other' systems are not calibrated either then calibrating won't be as effective. It will let you at least work at a known standard, depending which colour profile you choose to calibrate to - and also get prints the way you want them if you are able to tell your processor to not apply any colour changes - which they sometimes do.

I use the spyder3 pro - mainly for the reason that i work on 3 computers (total of 5 screens) and i want them all to be the same when looking at my images. I take the images to wherever they get printed at digital eye or kodak and sometimes its different to whats on screen (probably cuz they apply some changes). As bwana said - no point in worrying unless delivering accurate colour to have printed and you have the printers to print accurate colour.

 

[InTheCube]

This has worried me too. I have an Acer 15.4" laptop, a 19" LG LCD Screen at home, and a 23" Samsung LCD screen at the office. I've tried using Adobe Gamma on each screen to calibrate it, but there are still very noticeable differences in color between the 3 screens. I've got the 2 external LCD screens pretty much the same, but I just can't seem to get the laptop screen to match either of them close enough. Trying to get ALL 3 to be the same is an even harder mission.

I've only noticed these differences in the last 2 months, since I've started doing more and more graphic design work, for screen and print (as a result of doing more and more web design work - I'm a software/web developer). I must conclude that my Acer laptop monitor is pretty crap, and will have to seriously investigate LCD screen quality for my next laptop upgrade.

 

[bwana]

I've only noticed these differences in the last 2 months, since I've started doing more and more graphic design work, for screen and print (as a result of doing more and more web design work - I'm a software/web developer). I must conclude that my Acer laptop monitor is pretty crap, and will have to seriously investigate LCD screen quality for my next laptop upgrade.

I wouldnt conclude anything until after calibrating everything with a colourmeter. Software calibration is only slightly better than doing nothing.

 

[DotKomrade]

Hey thanks for the info. I spoke to a guy called Kevin Shoulder (or something) who does calibration on site for R600. Makes more sense to me to buy a spyder 2 for R1400 though... Peace of mind and all that...

 

[bwana]

Hey thanks for the info. I spoke to a guy called Kevin Shoulder (or something) who does calibration on site for R600. Makes more sense to me to buy a spyder 2 for R1400 though... Peace of mind and all that...

Makes much more sense. If you're using your laptop in various places then the lighting isnt constant and you may well find yourself needing to recalibrate on a regular basis. I use my spyder to calibrate everything from my plasma to my netbook.

 

[InTheCube]

So what is this Spyder thing you talk about. How does it work? Is it a hardware device? Does it come with bundled software?

Please explain as I am very interested.

 

[bwana]

So what is this Spyder thing you talk about. How does it work? Is it a hardware device? Does it come with bundled software?

Please explain as I am very interested.

It's a device that measures the colours being outputted by your monitor. The software then produces a custom profile.