Monitor Calibration - Your Results

[accesser]

I have a Spyder 3 that I use to Calibrate my screens from time to time,

I'm curious to know how close or far from perfect other members get when running a calibration with standard consumer screens.

The following is my 24" Samsung after Calibration (Red Line)
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[Damo77]

You can't judge "perfection" of a screen by how close its gamut is to sRGB. All screens have different gamuts, some close to sRGB, some smaller, some larger. Just because your red triangle doesn't match the green triangle, you shouldn't curse your screen for being "imperfect". After all, the sRGB standard was created back in the day of CRT screens, so it would be pretty surprising if it matched exactly.

It's better to judge the quality of a screen by its calibration gray ramp. You get a gray ramp at the end of an X-Rite calibration - do you get one with the Spyder as well?

However, I love the idea of this thread. It would be fun to see the gamuts of various screens. I'll post the gamuts of my screens when I next calibrate.

I should also mention that the "horseshoe-shaped graph" that you can see there isn't proportional. It's much bigger in the green section than the other parts. So, even though it looks at a glance as though your screen falls well short of the green extremity of sRGB, the truth is it's pretty close - much closer than the reds, in fact.

[Damo77]

In Windows XP you used to be able to view 3D comparisons of colour gamuts. I miss that functionality. I don't think it exists in the newer OSs. Macs have it, though.

[accesser]

Thank you ! for the technical reply, I can see I'm going to have to read up on this a lot more

One thing that always makes me say WOW about some of the pros photos posted in AP is the white balance they are able to produce for nature shots.
Its something I've yet to come close to mastering

[Damo77]

Because your screen is a bit smaller than sRGB, you should keep an eye out for these issues (http://www.damiensymonds.com.au/art_smlgmt1.html).

[Damo77]

One thing that always makes me say WOW about some of the pros photos posted in AP is the white balance they are able to produce for nature shots.
Its something I've yet to come close to mastering
If you shoot Raw, this (http://www.damiensymonds.com.au/trainingmodules.html) might interest you.

[accesser]

Some reading for after dinner thank you

[ameerat42]

Thanks 4 that info Damo77. Am.

[I @ M]

Interesting thread and even more interesting replies from Damo. :th3:

Being a Spyder3 Pro user I have never seen the calibration diagram that shows with the elite so I can't show results from our screen but to me the true test is in the printing and so far the only times that prints have mismatched the colours on the monitor are when the printer ( name withheld to protect the guilty ) mucked up once and then when we have not seen things correctly on the monitor twice.

White balance has become a non problem with raw particularly with the later Nikon sensors as they seem to either get it right in the camera or with very minor correction in software.

Which brings me to the other point ---- Damo, when are you going to start producing material for "proper" editing software rather than just Adobe? :D

[ameerat42]

I am remiss, Accesser. I would like to acknowledge your input into this discussion in seeing a good point to raise and investigat.
Am.

[CapnBloodbeard]

This is something I struggle with too - I may have completed a calibration cycle, but how do I know that what I have is correct? I'm not skilled enough to tell by eye, and I get greatly different results depending upon what settings I choose.....difficult stuff! I share your pain! Except I'm a gretag macbeth i1 user myself :)

[accesser]

This is something I struggle with too - I may have completed a calibration cycle, but how do I know that what I have is correct? I'm not skilled enough to tell by eye, and I get greatly different results depending upon what settings I choose.....difficult stuff! I share your pain! Except I'm a gretag macbeth i1 user myself :)
I think this is one of the many hurdles that once overcome will improve the end result quite a lot, I have dual screens and both are calibrated but my pics will look different on each .. sigh

[Damo77]

Which brings me to the other point ---- Damo, when are you going to start producing material for "proper" editing software rather than just Adobe? :D
Ha ha! I have to stick with what I know!

[Damo77]

This is something I struggle with too - I may have completed a calibration cycle, but how do I know that what I have is correct?
The ultimate proof of calibration is printing. If your screen matches your prints (from a reputable lab), then it's all good. If you're getting prints done for the first time, please read this (http://www.damiensymonds.com.au/art_viewprints.html) first.


I get greatly different results depending upon what settings I choose.....difficult stuff!
Can you elaborate on this? What different settings are you trying?


Except I'm a gretag macbeth i1 user myself :)
Have you seen my steps here? http://www.damiensymonds.com.au/art_cal1.html

[Damo77]

I have dual screens and both are calibrated but my pics will look different on each .. sigh
Aye, so true. It's damned hard to get different screens to match perfectly. All colour management requires a bit of tolerance.

[Damo77]

An Apple Cinema Display 20", calibrated with an i1D2. Gee they're lovely screens! Look at that smooth gray ramp:

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[accesser]

Thanks for posting that, I was reading the first couple of links you posted today very very helpful info