correctmyphotos » datacolor spyder

Monitor Calibration-When was the last time you did it?

admin — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 21:24:17 +0000

Calibrate your monitor on Monday.

This morning as I log onto my computer a reminder popped up suggesting that I calibrate my monitor. I have gotten a little lax in calibrating my monitor every Monday morning since the monitor on my new laptop seems to hold calibration longer than my old one. But, that is no excuse for not calibrating on a regular schedule. I have written about the importance and benefit of color calibrating computer monitors in previous posts but since the last time I mentioned it was in June 2009 I thought it was time to mention it again. And, of course, I did calibrate my monitor this morning.

I use a Pantone huey that I have had for a couple of years and within a minute or so my monitor was calibrated. And, WOW, did it make a difference!

How can you tell if your monitor color is off? Here is a image of a GretagMacbeth Color Checker chart. The graduated grey color blocks on the bottom will help you determine if your monitor needs to be calibrated. If they are really grey(and white and black) and not a little blue or magenta or cyan then you are probably okay. If not, you need to calibrate. My guess is that even if you think it is grey, it is not. So, I suggest you invest in a monitor calibrator.

GretagMacbeth ColorChecker Chart

For us amateurs I would suggest either a Pantone huey or a Datacolor Sypder3express. The are available for about $90.00 and well worth the investment. Both companies have more expensive calibration devices, but unless you are a pro I would not spend the extra bucks.

If you are editing photos and trying to Make The Color Right, you really need to have a calibrated monitor unless, of course, if you are color blind like my friends, Dick and Ron. They can save the money because it wouldn’t really make a difference. However, there are ways for color blind people to Make the Color Right and I will cover that in a separate post one of these days.

Wayne http://www.correctphoto.com

Monday is a good day to calibrate your monitor

admin — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 16:32:00 +0000

It is Monday morning and time to calibrate your monitor.

This morning I decided to practice what I preach (click on color monitor in the Tag Cloud section on the right sidebar) and calibrate my monitor. I used a Pantone huey that I have had for a couple of years and within a minute or so my monitor was calibrated. And, WOW, did it make a difference!

How can you tell if your monitor color is off? A simple way is to look at the colors in the header of my blog. The graduated grey scale is there for a purpose. If it is really grey and not a little blue or magenta or cyan then you are okay. If not, you need to calibrate. My guess is that even if you think it is grey, it is not. So, I suggest you invest in a monitor calibrator.

For us amateurs I would suggest either a Pantone huey or a Datacolor Sypder2express. The are available for about $80.00 and well worth the investment. Both companies have more expensive calibration devices, but unless you are a pro I would not spend the extra bucks.

Wayne http://www.correctphoto.com

Did you Calibrate your Monitor Today? I Did.

admin — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 04:58:07 +0000

Practice What You Preach!

A few weeks ago I wrote about the importance of a calibrated monitor when viewing and editing digital photos. (My Computer Screen—Is The Color Right? Does it Matter?) Well, I should practice what I preach. I have been noticing that the “grays” on my laptop seemed a little blue and this afternoon I decided to plug-in in my Pantone huey and calibrate my monitor. It only took a couple of minutes and what a difference it made. My monitor color was off a lot more than I realized. Look at the gray areas on this blog. Do they look a little blue or maybe magenta? Even if you think they are gray, my guess is that they are not. If you have a monitor calibration device from Pantone (X-Rite) or a Spyder from DataColor I suggest you use it. If you don’t, I would recommend getting one. You can buy one for less than $80 and it will be well worth it. My “January Resolution” is to calibrate my monitor at least once a week. We will see how well I do.

Wayne http://www.correctphoto.com

My Computer Screen-Is the Color Right?–Does it Matter?

admin — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 16:47:08 +0000

The other day at lunch I was pontificating on my favorite digital photo theme, “All digital photos need two things-to be cropped and color corrected”, when one of the guys at the table asked, “Does the color of my computer screen (monitor) matter? This is a good question and one that most folks really don’t think about. It is a reasonable assumption that after you spent good money to get a new flat screen monitor or laptop that the screen color would be correct. Unfortunately, that is most likely not the case. There is a good article on Imaging Resource (http://www.imaging-resource.com/ARTS/MONCAL/CALIBRATE.HTM) discussing the issue of monitor color and asks the question, “Who Needs It?” Their answer, and one that I agree with is, “You-If you care about your photos.”

So, how do you tell if the monitor is a little “off color”? A very simple way is to look at the the “greys” in a photo or, better yet, just look at the grey areas of this blog. (Yes, there is a reason we use grey, black and white, on all our websites and blog- www.correctphoto.com, www.pictocolor.com, www.correctmyphotos.com). Do they look a little blue or maybe a little magenta? If so, you should consider calibrating your monitor. And, even if you think it looks grey it may not be. I hadn’t calibrated my laptop monitor for quite a while (and I’m in the business of color) so I decided to do that this morning.

I used a Pantone Huey Monitor Calibrator (http://www.pantone.com/pages/products/product.aspx?pid=79) and was amazed at how much the color was improved. It is a very simple process and the list price is $89.00.

Pantone Huey Monitor Calibrator

Another monitor calibrator is the Datacolor Spyder Express. http://spyder.datacolor.com/product-mc-s2e.php It lists for $79.00.

Datacolor Spyder2 Express

I have used the Huey for a couple of years and it was the first monitor calibrator the was priced under a $100. I know it works, but the Datacolor Spyder is also a good product. You can find either device at a price less than list at a number of online stores. Just do a Google search for either product and find the best deal.

In summary, if you are interested in photos you can be proud of and will take the time to do a little color editing I would recommend investing in a device that will calibrate you monitor.

Wayne www.correctphoto.com