Monitors for B&W

[Bruce Watson]

Are certain monitors better than others if only used for B&W ? Haven't been able to find info on this topic, thanks.

Nearly all available monitors are color monitors. Since you aren't interested in hue or saturation, what you need is a monitor that will calibrate (and you MUST calibrate it) to a solid neutral axis (sometimes called the gray axis). IOW, you need a neutral axis that gives you linear transition from black to white.

The best calibration systems tweak the hardware to give you that solid neutral axis. They then use this axis to establish linear axes from neutral to red, green, and blue. You don't care about this, but the point is that without a solid neutral axis, it's difficult to get a solid R, G, or B axis. They do it for color, but you benefit from it for B&W.

Third party calibration "pucks" can't access the display hardware. What they do is make look up tables (LUTs) to translate what the display does "naturally" into linear transitions. Not as good a solution as tweaking the hardware directly IMHO. But often sufficient, at least for color work.

Hardware calibration capable displays include the Eizos and the NEC SpectraViews. There may be others, IDK.

Hardware or software calibration, if you don't calibrate your color monitor, your B&W will inevitably be off. Because the monitor's neutral axis will be off, and you therefore won't get a nice linear transition from black to white.

Personally, I've always used NEC SpectraView monitors. I've done a ton of B&W with mine, and get a good solid match between monitor and print.

[paulr]

I would not buy a monochrome display for image processing...

+1

I was going to say this too, but wasn't sure the x-ray monitor was monochrome. If it is, then forget it. It's important to be able to soft proof the actual colors of you print materials. This makes a difference in any tonal decisions you make. A much bigger difference than an infinitesimal increase in accuracy over an Eizo or NEC.

[Bill Burk]

I was going to say this too, but wasn't sure the x-ray monitor was monochrome. If it is, then forget it. It's important to be able to soft proof the actual colors of you print materials. This makes a difference in any tonal decisions you make. A much bigger difference than an infinitesimal increase in accuracy over an Eizo or NEC.

Haaa, you are right. Soft-proofing the paper base. Never mind the x-ray monitor then.

[Shootar401]

I have an 24" Eizo with a built in calibrator. Best $1700 I've spent on a piece of computer hardware.