thoughts on monitor/printer calibration and display light.

[RyanLilly]

So, this is partially me thinking out loud and partially a question or two.

I for one have not calibrated either of my computer monitors, but my question is, when a screen is calibrated so the colors look true on a print, or, throughout you work flow for that matter, what color temp light is that print to be viewed under. I would guess natural sunlight, but photos are seldom displayed outdoors. Also photos in exhibits or shows are typically light with halogen lighting. Another thing, a few years ago most people used incandescent lighting in their homes, but now, compact fluorescents have become very popular. Photos (everything) look different in each of these lighting situations.

Secondly has anyone ever adjusted the white balance of a print intentionally wrong in order for it to look correct under given light?

example- making a print that you know was going to be in an office with fluorescent tube lighting.

 

[Mike_E]

After the print is made the natural color correction of your eyes takes over and the temp of the lighting is not really an issue.

The old masters (and everyone else for that matter) used to paint by candle light and this made some difference but a candle power is different than most any electric light.

 

[WDodd]

This is along the lines of what Mike said but your eyes do automatically adjust to the different color temperatures of different light sources. At least you won't notice the difference. The camera however does notice this.

Calibrating your monitor will make your images appear more accurately on your screen and therefore make your prints appear more like your monitor. I never thought this would be a big deal until I calibrated my monitor and now I can't believe I waited so long.

 

[RyanLilly]

yeah our eyes do adjust, but I think that much of that is the human brain calibrating out eyes based on the memory of colors. Actually no that I just typed that I think that I have changed my mind.

Now, think of the brain having different "color spaces." If I wear a blue shirt in sunlight then walk inside, the shirt does appear to be a diffferent shade, at first, but my brain remembers what it was supposed to look like and uses that information to "Convert to an indoor color space" using the known color information from my clothing as the base for convertint the rest of the setting.

Wouldn't it be interesting to do a test in a controlled environment, intentionally altering colors, like switching red and blue, Apples are now blue and pictures of the sky are red, even thought the human eye would sense the real colors, could the human brain switch them, so apples would be perceived as red?

This sounds similar to the guy who wore prisms that flipped everything he saw upside down, but his brain adapted and flipped it back over.

Wow, I think its time for more coffee, so I can stop thinking about this and do something constructive.

-Ryan

 

[EOS_JD]

alibrating your monitor will allow the colours to be shown correctly on the monitor.

To then have a correct printed copy, you'd also need to have a calibrated printer. Both very different output devices. Having a calibrated monitor does not always equal great prints.

 

[WDodd]

Does anyone here have their printer calibrated? I just got a printer and the color matches up pretty well but I was wondering how expensive/difficult it would be to calibrate my monitor as well.

 

[EOS_JD]

Does anyone here have their printer calibrated? I just got a printer and the color matches up pretty well but I was wondering how expensive/difficult it would be to calibrate my monitor as well.

You can buy profiles for printer/ink/paper combinations. they are not too expensive and many people use them.

Using one profile will not be enough. As papers change, so does the look of ink on that individual paper. Also I use Epson inks in my R2400 but if someone else uses another set of inks from a different manufacturer theirs would produce a different look too. So look for profiles for your printer/ink/paper combo. They are available in many places - check out forums and ebay.

Personally I don't use them but I think I would gain a bit from their use. My prints are fairly accurate and I've no complaints so not going to change at the moment.