Monitor calibration

[thefonz78]

I worry my monitors brightness is not high enough. Does it adjust brightness and contract as well as colour?

[silversnapper1]

I saw THIS touted as free at one time.

[jet_kit]

Thanks folks. I didn't anticipate this level of response when I posted this thread.
I spent a lot of money on a top-of-the-range 23" Samsung monitor which is supposed to do everything including the toast in to morning, but like most of you displays images much lighter than the printer chugs out.
I haven't yet worked out how to escape from the automatic functions of the monitor even when (if) I get a calibrator, but I'm sure I will.
I'll keep you posted on progress.
Thanks again,
Chris

[hssutton]

Before buying monitor calibration hardware I used this free software based calibration program with excellent results.

http://monitor-calibration-wizard.so...er.com/http://

[jet_kit]

Hi guys,

I've just bought a Datacolor Spyder (don't tell the Missus). It should be delivered later this week. I'll let you know how I get on.

Cheers

[jet_kit]

Spyder arrived this morning, courtesy of Royal Mail.
Dead easy to set up and use. Printer output now matches what's on the screen pretty well. The printed image is a bit darker than the screen image, I'll have to see if there's way of reducing the screen Gamma.
But in general, great bit of kit, thoroughly recommended. It would have been nice if they'd incorporated a 'before & after' screen so that you could see what it's done, but maybe I'm asking too much.
Now, I expect you all to dip into your 'New Lens' kitty and snap one of these things up

[markgozz]

Chris I'm no expert but I do know that there is a difference between the way a monitor shows an image and the way a printer prints an image , it's all to do with YMYK for printers and RGB for monitors ( I think thats the right way round ) . In photoshop CS2 and I'm sure all the others you can click on the View button at the top of the screen and then the Proof Setup option and then Custom , the next window that opens is called the Customize Proof Condition and at the bottom of this window there is a tickable box Simulate paper colour . This will then show you how the image will look when you print it and you can then adjust the image accordingly , but don't save these changes after you print it because the image will not look right on screen once you have changed the settings back .

I hope this makes scenes but if not I'm sure there are a lot more better qualified people on this site that can explain it a lot better than me .

Mark

[jet_kit]

Thanks Mark,
You're more of an expert than me!
I'll give that a try. Thanks.

[hssutton]

"It would have been nice if they'd incorporated a 'before & after' screen so that you could see what it's done"

You don't say what spyder version you bought, but I assume it's a Spyder 3 and this does exactly what you want. A screen comes up after calibration with a clickable before and after calibration. Spyder 2 also as this option.

You can watch a video on the Spyder here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IS9OhkCBUW8http://

[jet_kit]

Thanks,
Obviously too much of a hurry clicking 'next'