What did you use to calibrate your monitor?

[Reyna]

Any software recommendations? Or input? Thanks!

 

[SCraig]

You need a colorimeter to properly calibrate a monitor. There are several models available. I use a Spyder 3 on one monitor and an Eye1 on another (because it came with the monitor). Software alone will still be subjective.

 

[KmH]

What display type do you have? TN, PVA, or IPS?

You can also use a spectrophotometer.

A colorimeter can only calibrate a display. A spectrophotometer can calibrate/profile displays, printers, scanners, and projectors.

Most print labs recommend the X-RITE brand calibration tools and software.

Xrite EODIS3 i1Display Pro

X-Rite i1Display 2 Color Calibrator for LCD, CRT, and Laptop Displays

ColorMunki Photo - Monitor, Printer & Projector Profiler

 

[Solarflare]

Hey, cool, thats a lot cheaper than I would have expected !

Still a lot of money, but definitely affordable.

 

[davisphotos]

I use a Spyder3, and mostly just calibrate my primary monitor. The secondary I let default to what an average client monitor might be like as sort of a de-facto proofing screen.

 

[KmH]

It's actually pretty inexpensive if you consider what is does for you, and how often re-calibration is needed.

To produce consistent client work, re-calibrating at least monthly is recommended. Of course re-calibration is also required if the ambient light falling on the display changes.

One of the big pluses of having a calibrated display is being able to reliably soft-proof prints before they are ordered for a client.

 

[Helen B]

I use an i1 Display Pro colorimeter with i1 Profiler software for my two main monitors (one used in the studio, tethered, and one for editing), and a DTP94 with ColorEyes for the softproof monitor. I used to use an i1 Pro spectrophotometer for the main displays, but switched to the Display Pro. A good colorimeter may be better than a spectrophotometer for the darker values on your screen because a spectrophotometer loses accuracy in low light levels. We recalibrate every two weeks. The i1 Display Pro with I1 Profiler will do real-time profile correction for changes in ambient light, if you need it.

The i1 Pro has been superseded by the i1 Pro 2, which I would strongly recommend over the i1 Pro if you are considering a single instrument for both display and printer.