Monitor--The weak link in color management

[carl geyer]

This concept started offline with Ken Lee. I have an original G4 and Apple Cinema screen. I use a luminence of 80 and 5500K for my monitor settings. Rarely do I have major changes when printing to an Epson 3800. My scanners are outsourced to drum or else I use Epson 4990 for MF or 4 x 5. My 35mm scanner is a Nikon 4000. IT8 targets by Silverfast. I feel that many have upgraded and spent many dollars only to be disappointed when printing.

[bspeed]

It's a shame, that there does not seem to be any real world testing of monitors.

I have only found a few monitors tested with calibration tools, at www.tomshardware

some of the expensive ones did not perform to the level of thier cost.

I think it's easy to be "chasing your tail" trying to get monitor -print matching, esp when you have several types of paper to use :) I try not to think about it too much, lol.

[jvuokko]

hi,

One good monitor test site is http://www.prad.de/en/monitore/reviews.html
It is more concentrated to image and color quality than gaming performance.

[Brian Ellis]

Disappointed in what way? Are you talking about the print and the monitor image not matching? I've always calibrated my monitors with basic Spyder or similar tools and except for the inherent difference between a back lighted image and a reflected light image my prints and the monitor match almost perfectly, using three different kinds of papers and the profiles provided by the manufacturers. My current monitor is an inexpensive Dell 17 inch. However, I'm not doing critical professional work where for example a color in an ad has to match the actual product.

[D. Bryant]

This concept started offline with Ken Lee. I have an original G4 and Apple Cinema screen. I use a luminence of 80 and 5500K for my monitor settings. Rarely do I have major changes when printing to an Epson 3800. My scanners are outsourced to drum or else I use Epson 4990 for MF or 4 x 5. My 35mm scanner is a Nikon 4000. IT8 targets by Silverfast. I feel that many have upgraded and spent many dollars only to be disappointed when printing.

I've recently purchased a NEC Multisync LCD that is really fantastic. NEC produces SpectraView software that provides a very integrated solution for monitor calibration and profiling. SpectraView supports several major colorimeters and controls the calibration and profiling processing completely not requiring the user to make any physical adjustments to the display controls during the calibration process. It's quite amazing to watch the software operate.

The color, luminance, and sharpness of this monitor is very very good. Definitely the best display I've owned or used.

Don Bryant

[Ken Lee]

"I use a luminence of 80 and 5500K for my monitor settings."

"...and except for the inherent difference between a back lighted image and a reflected light image my prints and the monitor match almost perfectly"


Manufacturer-supplied profiles can be quite good, and custom profiles can be even better - but as these fellows have pointed out, getting the monitor luminance down to the level of reflected paper, is definitely the solution to the... frustration.

[Ron Marshall]

I recently purchased a Dell 2209WA. It matches my prints very closely. It is profiled and I use an ICC profile in Photoshop for the paper I am using.

[seawolf66]

Question: I thought the monitors were supposed to set at 6500k not 5500k ?

[pherold]

6500K is a good starting point. If the ultimate goal is to match your printer's output, and he is viewing the prints under lighting that is a little warm, it's not surprising that he would move the Kelvin temperature aim down to something warmer like 5500.

[Paul Kierstead]

When I used my iMac for photo stuff, I never calibrated it; never felt the need. I just used the apple-provided one. When I bought the Big Mac and starting using my Samsung monitor with it, the need to calibrate became obvious, even without a print; the greens were garish and the greys were kind of brown. After calibration (Old Spyder and Optical), it still isn't perfect -- the greens are still kinda neon -- but much better and good enough outside of that one problem. Well, good enough for me. So, I think, there is a lot of "it depends" in this whole equation.

[Ken Lee]

Call Chromix (http://www.chromix.com) or visit their web site.

I wish they would write a book.

[neil poulsen]

Are you using Epson papers? Not that it's necessary, but if not, where are you getting your paper profiles and where in the printing process are you applying your paper profiles?

Also, 80 cd/m2 seems very low for Apple Cinema Displays. I've heard of Apple reps recommending higher values for these monitors. Why so low?

[carl geyer]

NP: The papers that I use are Velvet Fine Art Paper, and Harman Gloss FB Al for color or Harman Matt FB Mp Warmtone for B & W. I create my own profiles every several weeks when I recalibrate my monitor. Presently, using an Apple Cinema 30". My present temperature is 5500K and I have moved the luminence to 90 cd/m2. For B & W I sometimes use other profiles. I print with Photoshop CS3 allowing photoshop to manage profiles. The monitor is warm as I like to print in a low luminance room. If you ever visit Boston I have many prints hanging throughout Lahey Clinic. My last show is hanging at Lahey Lexington which is an off site. Thanks, Carl

[neil poulsen]

Do you look for and specify printer profiles in the drop-down menu just below the drop-down menu where you specify that Photoshop determines colors or manage profiles?

For example, what's the name of the printer profile that you specify for Velvet Fine Art Paper? It's in specifying a correct printer profile that a lot of people can slip up. So, I ask this question just as a check. Do you know where to place a printer profile for non-Epson papers, so that it's visible in this drop-down menu?

A luminance of about 90 cd/m2 is about right in a darker room I think. But to turn an Apple Cinema display down this low could be a source of part of the problem that you're experiencing.

With all this said, I find that color management is an aid, it's not a perfect solution. After all, you're comparing an emissive with a reflected image, and there's bound to be differences somewhere in the ranges of hues, brightnesses, and saturations that are possible. I always have to do some degree of interative printing to get the result I want.

[D. Bryant]

6500K is a good starting point. If the ultimate goal is to match your printer's output, and he is viewing the prints under lighting that is a little warm, it's not surprising that he would move the Kelvin temperature aim down to something warmer like 5500.

That's part of the problem being discussed and ignored here. Ambient editing light shouldn't be confused with a standardized viewing lamp lighting which runs about 6500K for lamps of this type such as Solux and OTT. Monitor luminace should be set to match the luminace of the viewing lamp. Monitor/display gamma should be set to 2.2.

Don Bryant

[jim kitchen]

raymond723,

?

jim k