How Often?

[Patrick]

I've seen critiques on here and other forums stating either an image is to dark,light or the colors aren't right.

Just curious how often you calibrate your monitor?

I'll be the first to admit during my off season I slack but it usually averages once a week or every two weeks.

 

[davebmck]

Maybe once every three months.

 

[eyeye]

I have just started doing it but it really messed up my comp and I have no idea how to fix it!

 

[chrisburke]

usually every other month i give it a quick check.

I have just started doing it but it really messed up my comp and I have no idea how to fix it!

shouldnt have message up your comp... just your monitor.... easiest thing to do is set it back to default, and try again.

a lot of times though, its not messed up, its actually right, your just use to seeing it messed up... now your seeing it properly (unless you did the calibration wrong.

 

[Aye-non Oh-non Imus]

I get a reminder every 30 days.

 

[Josh66]

I do mine monthly (roughly).

 

[Phelan]

As someone who's never calibrated a monitor before, what is the procedure for doing so?

 

[TwoRails]

Probably not as often as I should: maybe every several months...

 

[eyeye]

sorry, yes my monitor. I don't really know what to do. I have messed with it endlessly. I have managed to get my light room and photo shop to be right but everything that is on the internet (firefox or IE) is almost neon. Its quite strange. I think I might try uninstalling firefox and reinstalling and see if that helps

 

[AlexColeman]

I have it do it automatically, when it shuts down.

 

[DSLR noob]

As someone who's never calibrated a monitor before, what is the procedure for doing so?

I'm still awaiting this answer.

 

[TwoRails]

As someone who's never calibrated a monitor before, what is the procedure for doing so?

I'm still awaiting this answer.

I use the poor-man's method: I use the calibration utility in my image editor to set things up, then use that profile as my monitor profile.

From recommendations from other members, however, I'm thinking about getting the Spyder Pro 3 system:

Review - Monitor calibration with the Spyder 3 Pro

Datacolor | Spyder3Pro Display Calibration System from | S3P100

TR

 

[ksmattfish]

Every two weeks or so. If I haven't done it a warning pops up after 20 days. I don't notice a change in my monitor in two weeks, but I'm using a device that I set-up and get going, and it works by itself so it's easy to do.

There are different ways to calibrate a monitor. You can make/order a print with no corrections, and hold it up to your monitor, and see if you can make them match.

Many full service photo labs offer advice and/or calibration kits that help their clients calibrate to their printers.

You can buy a calibration device and software. I'm using a Monaco Optix XR, which was highly recommended at ShootSmarter.com when I bought it. It's at least 4 years old, but it works great. I've been ordering most of my prints without correction from Mpix.com for several years now.

 

[Patrick]

Well maybe I'm being just a little anal about it then.
My worst fear is receiving a large print order and the prints not looking just as they did on my monitor. Not to mention having to explain to the client why the prints are taking so long I use WHCC and the prints are always dead on.

One thing that always bothered me on critique sites. Unless your monitor is calibrated you've got no business commenting on on colors or darkness. But there always those who don't understand just how important it is.

 

[eyeye]

Well that isn't exactly true Partick. I was told my skin tones were green by someone who had a calibrated monitor. When we received the prints they were very much not green. But then I calibrated and have had nothing but trouble. It seems comments with color, contrast, etc should be given and taken with a grain of salt.