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Archive 2012 · Setting up SpectraView II Software

  
 
Twisties
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Setting up SpectraView II Software


I am using a NEC PA271W, SpectraView II software and a ColorMunki in a W7 environment. Images are shot in RAW and mostly processed in LR4.

What do you recommend in setting up the SpectraView II software for getting the closest match between:

What I see on my monitor and what I get from a typical professional commercial printer (typically Nichols in Salt Lake City)?

What I see on my monitor and a home-based printer (presently an Epson R800)?

Beyond setting the monitor up properly, can anyone point me to a resource on the rest of the printing process?

Thanks!



Oct 22, 2012 at 11:18 PM
Mike Pearson
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Setting up SpectraView II Software


Hi Twisties,

First, I am by no means an expert in this area. But I think you are taking the wrong approach so I’ll say so on the basis that the real experts will correct any errors.

A couple of years ago I got into printing pretty heavy for a short time (I only have so many walls). The approach my research lead me to, and which worked for me, was to set the monitor based on the conditions under which the picture would be viewed.

I saw a lot of folks saying you should always set the color temp at 6000K, others saying 6500K etc. That did not work for me. Further research found folks saying that if you were going to view the pictures under noon outside light those color temps were just fine, but if you were going to be viewing them in the average house you needed to set your monitor a lot warmer. That worked for me. I ended up at 5000K.

The next thing is how bright the screen should be. Again I found that if you were going to view under bright light you wanted a bright screen. In my house it is not that bright and I essentially ended up setting my monitor at the lowest brightness that kept good contrast – it is a trade-off.

So, once you have your monitor set your next step is accounting for the printer. I sent my files out for printing. In that situation your printing company should have profiles you can load into photoshop to do soft proofing. That is, the profile they send you shows you what your file would look like coming off their printers. Because you have your monitor set to the lighting where the picture will be viewed what you see is what your file would look like off their printers in your viewing setting.

All that is fine in theory, but you will want a test print because while you can get close you will rarely be exact. In my case my test print came back with a print in which the reds were a wee bit stronger than the soft proof and I kept that in mind when adjusting the files.

So, I guess the short way to say all that is that you want your monitor set so that white looks the way white will look in the place you will view it. If the light reflecting off the white in the picture will be warm light, the white will look warm there and you want your monitor to show that. If the light will be dim where you will view the picture then the light reflecting off the white in your picture will be dim and you want your monitor to show that.

Just my two cents from my experience.



Oct 23, 2012 at 12:42 AM
howardm4
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Setting up SpectraView II Software


Great advice Mike.

The point is to use whatever settings are required to make the softproof match as close as possible to what the print will look like when displayed in it's intended place.

I, for one, use 95cd/m2 and around 6000k (sometimes a little less but not as low as 5000 (YMMV)) on my PA241. Then I use the white point match feature of Spectraview to try to get my iMac closer than just setting a K number will give me (I end up w/ a specific CIE X/Y value that is off the normal curve line).

Also, set the PA to something like a black point contrast ratio of 300:1 (lower for matte papers). The normal max contrast of 800+ isn't achievable in the real world of paper and ink.



Oct 23, 2012 at 09:31 AM
Twisties
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Setting up SpectraView II Software


Thanks!


Oct 23, 2012 at 07:04 PM





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