Calibrating your monitor

[cleary71]

I was wondering if there is any programs or rules to go by to calibrate your monitor. When I view pictures at home and put them on my website everything looks great, but when I view them at work they always look very dark. I understand that it is probably dependent on every monitor, but I was hoping I could, at the very least, figure out which one is closer to the real world's view. If anyone has any tricks or suggestions I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks!

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[mentos_007]

yes there are. I'd say you how I did this and found it perfect. I went to the lab which makes my prints and asked for colour profile of their machine. They sent me it on my e-mail and then I added it to PS as the main colour profile. Then I took one colourful print. I put the print next to my monitor and played with the buttons on it to suit the colours... After about 3 hours of playing I got amazing results - the same as they are on my print. And now I have the prints that look exactly like pictures on my monitor. No matter if they are black and white or colourful. That is the best way to do this.

EDIT: and I did the same with my laptop which I rarely use for photos but sometimes I just view them on it. Now I see the "reality" and real colours.

[Daniel]

That is the best way to do this.

I disagree here, still the best way to do it is to calibrate the monitor with at least a colorimeter or even better a spectrophotometer. If you are serious about your work, there is no way around it. Go and spend the 200$, it's well worth it.

Some might say, that this is too much money. But hey, you spend 2000$ and more on your camera and lenses, but you are not able to see what your pictures really look like?

[craig]

Of course; What You See Is What You Get color has a lot of options open to interpretation. I calibrated my monitor to my printer. Again; it was a three hour process. My prints mean more than anything to me, so that was the reasoning behind that process.

Monitors and printers and presses vary greatly. Getting a profile from the output device takes a lot of guess work out of the equation. The best way to understand what is happening to your image is through the info and channel palettes in Photoshop.

[Patrick]

I disagree here, still the best way to do it is to calibrate the monitor with at least a colorimeter or even better a spectrophotometer. If you are serious about your work, there is no way around it. Go and spend the 200$, it's well worth it.

Some might say, that this is too much money. But hey, you spend 2000$ and more on your camera and lenses, but you are not able to see what your pictures really look like?

I have to agree with Daniel on this one. I struggled with it for years and frustrated I purchased a colorimeter from B&H last year. The ease of use and results are wonderful. The price seems painful at first but it's well worth the money.

[craig]

So it reads the color off of your monitor? Then what? I could see it's application in translating PMS colors in the Graphic Arts process. I do not see it in the Photo process.

[Unimaxium]

So it reads the color off of your monitor? Then what? I could see it's application in translating PMS colors in the Graphic Arts process. I do not see it in the Photo process.

here is one device that is meant to do this. Basically (as far as I understand; I have never actually used one), what it does it is runs some tests on your monitor and then it uses software to translate the readings it takes into a profile for your monitor so that your computer knows exactly how your monitor will display certain colors. Having a profile for your monitor and a profile for your printer means that your computer will know that if you're seeing a certain color on screen, then the printer will print it in a different way, and the computer will then be able to adjust accordingly to ensure that what you see on screen is what you get in print.

[craig]

Whoa! I like the idea. Somehow I wish I could borrow one as opposed to paying for it.

[Digital Matt]

Whoa! I like the idea. Somehow I wish I could borrow one as opposed to paying for it.

Considering that your monitor will need re-calibrating at least once a month, if not every 2 weeks, it makes sense to buy one.

[mentos_007]

I have never heard about colorimeters, but I think that "my method" is enough for me. $200 is my monthly salary right now so I'm not even willing to get one colorimeter But thanks for the info

[Raymond J Barlow]

I used the Adobe gamma set up wizard, seemed to help me a lot.