Do you need to calibrate your monitor if you don't print?

[jwbryson1]

Is calibration necessary just to get your prints to match your screen, or do you want to calibrate your monitor even if you don't make prints?

 

[rexbobcat]

Is calibration necessary just to get your prints to match your screen, or do you want to calibrate your monitor even if you don't make prints?

Even if your monitor is calibrated, your prints may not match because of different printer profiles. You really need to calibrate both.

But yes, I calibrate even though I don't print a lot because it affects how the image looks on other screens as well.

 

[matthewo]

I can tell you its a pita without a tool. My pixma 9000 pro sometimes is acurate and sometimes not. Tried many profiles, but I need to find a way to print a sample page and tweak.

 

[12sndsgood]

I have a friend who has been churning out photos. On her laptop her I believe gamma and brightness were super high, so everything she edited she would drop the exposure down and whenever she would show them off they were very dark. if your sharing your photos I would say get it adjusted.

 

[coastalconn]

If you have a smart phone, email a picture to yourself. If the colors are really different, or too bright/too dark, you should think about calibrating. My thinking is 90% of the world probably view pictures on their phone...

 

[Tony S]

It's a good idea to have your monitor calibrated in some way, especially if you are going to participate here on TPF helping folks out by making comments/critiques. It's kind of important to have what you are looking at close to what the image poster intends.

 

[invisible]

Is calibration necessary just to get your prints to match your screen, or do you want to calibrate your monitor even if you don't make prints?

The fact that you don't print today doesn't mean that you won't print tomorrow. Sometimes you even have to print in a hurry (e.g., someone wants to buy your photo as a Xmas gift and it's already Dec. 20, or some agency wants to license your photo as stock and they need it NOW). Calibrate your monitor and be ready for that day.

 

[Mully]

You need to adjust your monitor....it will save big headaches in the future.

 

[jwbryson1]

I just bought Spyder4Pro from B&H for $140. I hope it works well.

 

[skieur]

The reality is that CRT monitors are different from flat panels. LCD panels are different from LED monitors and then there are differences from one brand to another. The age of the monitor also makes a difference. The colour space you use either Photoshop RGB or srgb makes a difference as well. Then you get to the software that is being used on the particular web site. You really don't know what the colour and gama parameters are going to be. Most flat panels are adjusted for extreme constrast which makes them look better in the bright stores but does not necessarily work best in home lighting.

The only approach that is useful is to test your photos through a variety of monitors at home and at work to see how close your photos are to how they should look in your opinion.

skieur

 

[12sndsgood]

I just bought Spyder4Pro from B&H for $140. I hope it works well.

That's what I have and have liked it so far. which reminds me i'm due to redo mine and take it to work to calibarte my work moniters.

 

[jwbryson1]

I just bought Spyder4Pro from B&H for $140. I hope it works well.

That's what I have and have liked it so far. which reminds me i'm due to redo mine and take it to work to calibarte my work moniters.

I have an ISP monitor (IPS?). Does it matter?

 

[Garbz]

I have an ISP monitor (IPS?). Does it matter?

Why yes it does. IPS means that you can actually calibrate quite well. If you didn't have an IPS display calibration would be far less effective.
Does the IPS display mean you only need to calibrate once? No. All displays drift. Calibrate every 14 days or so.

 

[ronlane]

I just got my monitor calibrated this weekend and I can attest that it makes a huge difference to my eyes. It was worth it even though I don't print a lot of pictures, but just to see the white's as a bright white and not dull, it helped me in post and to see the real image.

 

[John27]

It's always a good idea to have an accurate baseline. There will be variations in monitors in here and there, but they will only amplify issues if the baseline isn't as close to accurate as possible. Also, if you ever send a picture to a photo lab to be printed, chances are their printers will be very accurate, and so your monitor needs to be as well.

Also, many smartphones now (including all iPhones, and the iPad) have IPS displays. They are sharp, high resolution, and color accurate (to a degree). This increases the chances that an image adjusted on an uncalibrated monitor would render poorly. Also, if your monitor is displaying a stop or so underexposed, you could find yourself compensation and OVER exposing your images in your camera to match your monitor, when the monitor really should be matching the actual image!

Just my $0.02. Tools are nice but you can ballpark calibrate any monitor in a matter of minutes right from within Mac OS or Windows 7. It's not going to give a pro level result but it'll get you close, and I don't see any reason not to do it. It might take some pondering before investing in a tool, or purchasing a new monitor, but to spend 5 minutes with a built in color profile / monitor calibration setting in your OS and double checking it with a color calibration website? Why not! Can't think of a good reason NOT to.