Recently switched to a mac pro with cinema display. Just getting around to calibrating the monitor.
With the gamma on a mac usually set @ 1.8 as opposed to the 2.2 of the pc what happens to the color when you either publish on the web or just send an email photo to a pc user.
Is there a great color shift?
If so how do you control that without frequently changing the calibration setup on the mac?
For best results calibrating your monitor, pair your spyder 3 colorimeter with this software called "Color Eyes Display Pro", cause this software is compatible to specifically calibrate Apple Cinema Displays and Eizo screens. You'll be getting pretty accurate results calibrating using this software. The supplied Spyder 3 software sucks big time.
The Spyder3 Elite software works well with any display as it is ultimately configurable, allowing unlimited choices of gamma, black/white luminance values as well as color temperature.
Other than the GUI gamma that is actually 1.8 , web images are best set to the same standard that sRGB is based on : 2.2.
When in doubt you can also choose native for monitors that give you problems if you set the gamma to something other than native.
Chris Bunjamin wrote:
For best results calibrating your monitor, pair your spyder 3 colorimeter with this software called "Color Eyes Display Pro", cause this software is compatible to specifically calibrate Apple Cinema Displays and Eizo screens. You'll be getting pretty accurate results calibrating using this software. The supplied Spyder 3 software sucks big time.
Well, that pretty much sucks from my point of view. I just got this spyder 3 device because my previous pantone color vision calibrator didn't have software compatible with the mac. I could have saved myself that cost and just bought the Color Eyes Display Pro. Their website states that it works with any device.
My photo budget is getting really L-O-W since adding the mac pro and cinema display. Pretty big ticket items as you all know. It won't accomplish anything but I think I'll send an email to the Spyder guys to let them know how I feel. Can't help but wonder if everyone who bought a crappy product wrote to the maker of that product if it would make a difference.
One more thing. Have you guys read this bit of info regarding calibrating with the spyder?
"Also please ensure the colorimeter (Spyder) has been plugged into a Rear USB port. Front or keyboard ports, powered hubs, do not provide enough power to drive the colorimeter properly"
So everytime I want to calibrate my monitor I have to crawl behind the desktop, disconnect those things that are plugged in back there, like printers, scanner, etc. that you don't plan on changing often, instead of being able to use the usb hubs on the monitor or keyboard?
The further you try to force a monitor away from it's native gamma (which is typically close to 2.2 for modern LCD's) the greater the risk of introducing monitor banding. IOW, they will work at their best at or close to 2.2.
When using color savvy applications, all images will be be rendered as normal. When using other types of apps, things may appear bit darker than normal, but not really a problem.
No, and the same thing applies to any USB device that needs to draw power in any real quantity from the bus. It's also a CYA statement—on the Mac Pros, both the front and rear ports have enough power (this isn't true of many PC cases, though, which is why that warning is there).
Despite the comments made early on, the Spyder3 software is by no means useless, the Spyder3 hardware works fine, and you can create a usable profile using what you've got. ColorEyes Display Pro is a more powerful piece of software, but it's by no means mandatory.
dylan21 wrote:
With the gamma on a mac usually set @ 1.8 as opposed to the 2.2 of the pc what happens to the color when you either publish on the web or just send an email photo to a pc user.
Use of 1.8g on a Mac dates from prior to OS X, but it just won't die.
Personally I find that a gamma of 2.2 is too contrasty to match my printer. Randy Hufford at Photoshop world recommended tweaking your monitor profile to match your printer output once you know you have that set. I have been doing this for some time, and it works well.
(I know this is contrary to what most recommend, but in real world use this is the only place you can make any kind of an adjustment to tweak the setup to improve the match).
I use a gamma of 2.1 and a white point of around 6200 ... my prints almost exactly match my viewing box.
Wayne Fox wrote:
Randy Hufford at Photoshop world recommended tweaking your monitor profile to match your printer output once you know you have that set.
That's great advice as long as you are only ever going to view your images on YOUR monitor and only ever print on YOUR printer. If you need to share images with others for use, you may not be sure what your are sending them or what you will get back from other printers. Macs, or any other system are very configurable. If you are not getting accurate representation on your monitor because the output from your printer doesn't match, it's not necessarily the monitor's fault. It would seem to me a custom profile for the printer would be more in order rather than altering your monitor to match.
Wayne, I agree with you. I have used a custom profile for the printer and color calibrated the monitor for some time now.
Because I was using a pc until a month ago I had few concerns regarding color settings for web or outside printing.
However, now that I've switched to a mac it appears from my reading that the whole ball game has changed. I am using both Aperture 2.0 initially and CS3 for final proofing and such stuff as cannot be accomplished on Aperture.
By the way, I'm really liking this program more each day. Not PS but doesn't pretend to be.
