Color Calibration between laptop screen and LCD Screen - Software needed?

Drew1992 · Mar 27, 2011

I have a new laptop and an LCD Screen/T.V. and would like to edit images using PS CS5 and Lightroom 3 using dual monitors(LCD screen as one) and have read about how important color calibration is between monitors and for print output as well.
Can this be accomplished in Windows or do I need to buy software such as X-Rite i1?
I am sitting in front of both the laptop and LCD Screen with the monitors "mirrored" and the color is VERY different between the two. I am clueless about how to go about this. Any advice or info. to point me in the right direction would be greatly appreciated!
Anyone use the X-Ritei1, Spyder 3, or the more expensive version that's out there? I welcome any input on whichever one you have and use or have tried in the past.
Thanks!

spacefuzz · Mar 27, 2011

You will have to buy some software that comes with a gizmo to assist with calibration. It is definitely worth it.

Garbz · Mar 28, 2011

Drew1992 said:
Can this be accomplished in Windows or do I need to buy software such as X-Rite i1?

It's not software that you're after, the software is free. It's the hardware. The X-Rite i1 Display 2 is a colourimeter which measure the output and the software just prepares a compensation table. Even without two monitors it's a good idea to use a calibrated screen. That is usually the way to go. But a word of caution laptops are notoriously hard to calibrate. Their colour and tone curve changes even with the slightest viewing angles. In extreme cases the laptop software may not get the calibration right at all.

Drew1992 · Mar 28, 2011

Thanks Spacefuzz for your input

Drew1992 · Mar 28, 2011

Thanks Garbz, I appreciate the advice. Indeed, I am finding it difficult to edit on my laptop, constantly changing the angle/view. I am considering getting a desktop.
Combining that and my ignorance regarding color calibration, I am frustrated and don't know where to begin!
I am hesitant to edit anything else until I get my screens calibrated.
Thanks again for your input and have a great day!

Drew1992 · Apr 4, 2011

Update:
I purchased the Spyder 3 Elite and calibrated my laptop and LCD Screen. I tried the studio match feature and can't quite get an exact match with both of the screens. I tried re-calibrating several times, but still find that my LCD Screen seems a bit off compared to the laptop. Is this normal? Have any of you ever gotten an exact match? Should I edit on the LCD screen and just make sure my print output(which I don't plan to print my prints myself, but upload them to a lab) matches my LCD screen? Any suggestions?

Josh66 · Apr 4, 2011

Could it be the angle? LCD screens are typically very picky about viewing angles...

Drew1992 · Apr 4, 2011

Yes, it's definately the angle on the laptop screen and also the LCD Screen color seems not as warm, color a bit cooler than the laptop. Also, the LCD Screen(which is only 3 months old) seems a bit fuzzy(noise?).
Very frustrating. Thanks for the quick reply!

Josh66 · Apr 4, 2011

Do they have a glossy or matte finish?

I find that the glossy ones look sharper, but the matte ones look more accurate to me. They look more like a print, if you know what I mean.

ghache · Apr 4, 2011

any new calibration device will do,

Wach out of TVs. I tried to calibrate mine with a color munky and the result was not really good.

computer screen came out perfect and matched my prints.

Josh66 · Apr 4, 2011

ghache said:
Wach out of TVs. I tried to calibrate mine with a color munky and the result was not really good.

I noticed that my TV has the option to calibrate it (or I could hook it up to the computer and do it that way) too... I haven't tried yet, because I was worried that it might be worse than it is. And it isn't bad now. I've viewed slideshows via the card reader in my blu-ray player, and they looked just as good as they do on my computer. I think I'm just going to leave it alone...

Drew1992 · Apr 4, 2011

The laptop screen looks more glossy-like and the LCD is more Matte. I never thought about that.

Drew1992 · Apr 4, 2011

After I calibrated this LCD screen(T.V.) it looks MUCH better! Before calibration, it looked totally different from my laptop and now it is pretty close, but still not exact. I think maybe it depends on what kind of LCD screen you have?

WesternGuy · Apr 10, 2011

Drew1992 said:
Update:
I purchased the Spyder 3 Elite and calibrated my laptop and LCD Screen. I tried the studio match feature and can't quite get an exact match with both of the screens. I tried re-calibrating several times, but still find that my LCD Screen seems a bit off compared to the laptop. Is this normal? Have any of you ever gotten an exact match? Should I edit on the LCD screen and just make sure my print output(which I don't plan to print my prints myself, but upload them to a lab) matches my LCD screen? Any suggestions?

Drew, I have a very similar situation, only difference is that I have two LCD screens, one is a rectangular screen (Dell 23" model) and the other is square (Dell 19" model), and the 19" is also a bit older. I have tried a studio match using the Spyder 3 Elite product, and find that I can come close, but I can never get a perfect, exact match. I suspect it has something to do with the different resolution of the two screens together with the fact that they are different shapes (not convinced yet that shape is a factor, except that it does influence resolution). I suspect that if I did want to get a perfect match, then the two screens would have to be the same size and shape (giving the same resolution) and from the same manufacturer, and seeing that they are both from Dell, even if the screens were the same size and shape, I have no guarantee that they would be from the same manufacturer. The fact that I can get a very close match, says something about the "calibration technology" and, maybe the screens themselves. The match is so close that I doubt most people could tell the difference. It is only when I do the "gamut" comparison" when the calibration is finished that I can tell that the matches are not 100% perfect. Personally, I would rely on the LCD screen as I suspect that the resolution is higher and the colours may be a little truer when compared to the laptop screen. I have a little Netbook that I use for downloading and limited viewing of my images when travelling and I would definitley not rely on its 12.5" screen for determining the colour of my prints. Hope this helps, I too would be interested in others experience with "studio matching" of different monitors, as yours is the first I think I have come across that has involved any type of studio matching.

Cheers,

WesternGuy

Drew1992 · Apr 12, 2011

Thanks WesternGuy for your input. I appreciate you sharing your experience. I am still having issues and am tempted to throw something at the LCD screen! I am doing research on monitors and I think I may just can the LCD/T.V. screen idea. Too much headache and the calibration no matter how many times I've tried it, is still off. The LCD screen looks too saturated, too sharp, and just doesn't have the clarity I was hoping for.
Thanks again!