Monitor Calibration

[Debz77]

I'm unsure about whether I have to calibrate my monitor. I don't have a printer at the moment and I send away to a company. I have to convert my images to their profile and i'm wondering whether I should convert to this profile before I carry out any colour correction?

Someone has recommended Spyder sofware to calibrate my monitor but should I only be doing this if I have my own printer? Also do printers have their own software for this?

I'm very confused about this and would welcome some advice.

Many thanks.

[Norman]

Welcome to the forums.

You should use a calibrated monitor particularly if you are changing colour balance within your software. After all, you may spend time removing a yellow colour cast in an image when, in fact, it's your monitor that is out of whack. I'm guessing that your printing company are suggesting a 'colour space' that should be applied to your images. Just changing to your printing company's recommended colour space will not be enough. What software are you using? If the company can provide a printer profile and you use Photoshop you can proof colours and see how they will appear when printed. You can also have 'out of gamut' colours highlighted.

There is some info on my photobox.org.uk web site (in my sig) and links to other sites that have a wealth of information.

[Monobod]

Yes, I agree with this. If your screen is not showing colour correctly, any adjustments you make to get it looking right before you send it off to be printed, will in fact, spoil what may have been a perfect image.

The way calibration works is reasonably simple in principle. You hang a sensor in front of the screen and the calibration software displays a selection of pure colour tones, which are of a known location in the colour spectrum. The sensor reads these colours and compares what it sees with that which should be seen. A colour substitution map is prepared by the software (known as a profile) to correctly display the colours.

Out of gamut colours are those which fall outside of the printer colour range, AdobeRGB has a wider selection of colour shades than sRGB. Your monitor may not be capable of displaying AdobeRGB (Check the techy bit in the specification). If this is the case, you will not see what the camera has seen, taking images in AdobeRGB is only worthwhile if your printer can print them, but most can these days.

As monitors can deteriorate with time, it is good practice to calibrate your screen at regular intervals. Professionals will do this daily, but once a month or two is probably good enough for us. Your eyes (brain) will adjust to small changes with time, so you will not notice this deterioration happening. Older screens are often more prone to this than new ones.

[Norman]

I don't think debz77 has come back to check for replies. A drive-by posting perhaps?

[Monobod]

Perhaps others will take some help from this then. Not wasted IMHO.

[Debz77]

Have had problems with connection lately but really appreciate your input. In fact as a novice i'm now beginning to realise colour calbration is quite an eye opening, so thanks guys.

Off to India next week so colour is going to be a real issue!

D

[Monobod]

Have a good trip. Look forward to seing some photos.