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Archive 2017 · Monitor Calibration: Checking-in before pulling the trigger...

Eric Larsen
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · Monitor Calibration: Checking-in before pulling the trigger...

I'm getting back in to post processing after an absence. I'm rusty and seeking up-to-date advice on a monitor calibration scheme.

I'm using a Dell U2711 Wide Gamut display that came with a pre-calibrated profile. That profile is the default and it's pretty good. I want to process toward web and print and think that it would be wise to calibrate the monitor. My PC is home built with a GeForce gtx 560ti card and Win 10. I use LR but PS very infrequently, and likely will be playing around with DXO and DPP in the future for RAW conversion.

From what I can tell looking about online, the X-rite i1 Display Pro is the likely "best" colorimeter option currently for someone in my shoes. Would you concur?

I would consider the Colormunki options but I have read of limitations, planned obsolescence, and software crippling. I've also read of enough problems with the Syder offerings that I've already chosen to stay away from Datacolor. I can afford the i1 but would like to go with something less expensive if it were going to do the job as well on a wide gamut display.

Back in the day, I had a Basiccolor squid that worked well but that's evidently obsolete now and was geared toward CRT monitors. Basiccolor told me it's essentially worthless with current displays.

Any advice/guidance from those more up-to-speed?

Thanks up front!

Eric

Feb 06, 2017 at 03:41 PM

Peter Figen
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · Monitor Calibration: Checking-in before pulling the trigger...

Go with the i1 Display Pro. You won't be disappointed.

Feb 06, 2017 at 06:00 PM

Peter Figen
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · Monitor Calibration: Checking-in before pulling the trigger...

But don't forget to check the Advanced Tab in the software and choose the largest target available there and build a LUT profile not a matrix table profile. And also make sure to choose v2 icc instead of v4 while you're at it.

Feb 06, 2017 at 06:02 PM

Eric Larsen
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · Monitor Calibration: Checking-in before pulling the trigger...

Thank you Peter -- I'm not entirely sure of the difference (LUT is 3-D?) but I've googled your comments trying to better understand them.

Feb 06, 2017 at 08:09 PM

Peter Figen
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · Monitor Calibration: Checking-in before pulling the trigger...

A LUT profile is made from the actual measurements of the colorimeter. A matrix profile just has the tone response curve and the simple coordinates defining the gamut of the screen. A matrix profile is a few kb while a LUT based profile can be up to a couple of megabytes. The improvement in calibration and profile by a lookup table is generally dramatic and using the highest number of patches possible makes a huge difference in how neutral a gray ramp the monitor is displayed. The default patch set just doesn't have enough data points for a good calibration. While the puck and the software will indeed work plugging and playing, you will be very unsatisfied and think you bought a piece of crap if you just use the default settings. And there are some applications and operating systems that don't like the newer version 4 profiles. A case of newer not necessarily better.

I'm telling you all of this from personal experience and use the i1Display Pro for every monitor that is not my Eizo CG277 with its built in calibration system. Now, I have calibrated the Eizo with the i1and it's very very close to that very expensive Eizo puck plus it gets my MBP's remarkably close to the gold standard Eizo.

Feb 07, 2017 at 02:14 AM

Eric Larsen
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · Monitor Calibration: Checking-in before pulling the trigger...

Great information, Peter, thank you! You've probably saved me a couple of frustrating days!

I ordered the i1 and look forward to using it!

Feb 07, 2017 at 08:16 AM

arbitrage
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · Monitor Calibration: Checking-in before pulling the trigger...

Thanks for the info Peter. I need to go back and check what settings I've been using on my iDisplay Pro. Recently I calibrated my 5K iMac and my 2009iMac (using as 2nd monitor) and the profiles that came out were similar but no where near exact...I could easily see different tints to the two screens after the calibrations that were done one after the other in constant lighting. Maybe my settings aren't what they should be so I will go check the software and see if I can try your settings....maybe that will come up with a better calibration.

Feb 07, 2017 at 08:44 AM

Eric Larsen
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · Monitor Calibration: Checking-in before pulling the trigger...

Well, interestingly, I calibrated the monitor last night and there's virtually no way to distinguish the view of the new profile from the default one which was done in factory prior to shipping. I guess that's a good thing but quite an expensive way of seeing that the factory profile was right on!

It wasn't difficult and I did run the measurements using the suggestions Peter made above. So the next step is to post some images and get some feedback on how they look on everyone else's calibrated monitors.

Feb 13, 2017 at 03:59 PM

Alan321
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · Monitor Calibration: Checking-in before pulling the trigger...

The factory profile is valid for a specific calibration (e.g. "screen brightness"). Now that you have the i1 Display Pro you can create profiles for different viewing conditions that require brighter or dimmer screen brightness and still get the best colours on the screen.

Feb 14, 2017 at 02:19 AM

dgdg
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · Monitor Calibration: Checking-in before pulling the trigger...

Peter Figen wrote:
But don't forget to check the Advanced Tab in the software and choose the largest target available there and build a LUT profile not a matrix table profile. And also make sure to choose v2 icc instead of v4 while you're at it.

tag. I'm due for a regular calibration.
I want to check this.

Feb 14, 2017 at 08:58 AM

Eric Larsen
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · Monitor Calibration: Checking-in before pulling the trigger...

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that those two sentences save me about two days of frustration!

Feb 14, 2017 at 09:38 AM

IrishDino
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · Monitor Calibration: Checking-in before pulling the trigger...

Just calibrated my new 32" 4k monitor using Peter's suggestion (vs. the default ICC4 + matrix)

I thought I wouldn't see much difference, but it was a pretty big change overall.

Feb 21, 2017 at 05:53 PM

Jeffrey
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · Monitor Calibration: Checking-in before pulling the trigger...

'Pre-calibrated' monitore with profiles may be pretty close, but you need to do it often, as the unit breaks in and then ages. It's also important to set your room lighting properly and then calibrate, and use the same lighting for working. My Spyder Pro works great, but they all do so go with any of them.

Feb 22, 2017 at 03:59 PM

Eric Larsen
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p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · Monitor Calibration: Checking-in before pulling the trigger...

I hear you on the room lighting, Jeff, but my monitor was factory profiled in 2011 and it was really close two weeks ago when I calibrated it. I will probably make a number of profiles based on ambient lighting (day, night, sunny, overcast, etc.).

Feb 23, 2017 at 01:32 AM

Peter Figen
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p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · Monitor Calibration: Checking-in before pulling the trigger...

You're better off trying to get your editing room to a more or less constant state of ambient light. Chasing a bunch of different lighting conditions is never a good idea.

Feb 23, 2017 at 02:07 AM

Eric Larsen
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p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · Monitor Calibration: Checking-in before pulling the trigger...

Okay, thanks, Peter. I don't quite have that option currently (open loft) but will be moving this year. I will be looking for a room with more light stability...or perhaps make a hood.

Feb 23, 2017 at 09:28 PM

skid00skid00
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p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · Monitor Calibration: Checking-in before pulling the trigger...

Are you people saying that you think the room lighting affects the *process* of calibration?

I calibrate in a dark room. I don't want external light to pollute the readings...

Feb 24, 2017 at 09:52 AM

howardm4
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p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · Monitor Calibration: Checking-in before pulling the trigger...

yes, it can. Like you, I calibrate in a darkened room even though I do NOT *use* the monitor in a darkened room

Feb 24, 2017 at 11:27 AM

Eric Larsen
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p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · Monitor Calibration: Checking-in before pulling the trigger...

skid00skid00 wrote:
Are you people saying that you think the room lighting affects the *process* of calibration?

I calibrate in a dark room. I don't want external light to pollute the readings...

I think more importantly, varying light in the room in which you do your viewing changes how the image looks on the monitor. As such, you want to, at a minimum, keep your viewing ambient light consistent and, if you print, using ambient light that mimics your print viewing illumination.

Or that's how I understand it.

Feb 25, 2017 at 01:07 AM

skid00skid00
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p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · Monitor Calibration: Checking-in before pulling the trigger...

I've got multiple calibrations, at various brightness levels. I can easily switch between them as the room gets darker during the afternoon, or depending on which room lights I have on.

I've also got a 50 candela setting for surfing the web in the dark, so the light level doesn't keep me awake longer than I should stay up!

Feb 25, 2017 at 01:16 PM

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