Website vs uncalibrated monitors

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Daan B
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p.1 #1 · Website vs uncalibrated monitors

Most clients don't use calibrated monitors. So, when they view your website (online portfolio or work) on those, your pics may not look like you intended them to look. In fact, it may make your images look very nasty (color cast, too much contrast, no shadows, etc). So, this could potentially hurt your sales or acquisition.

How do you deal with that? Just curious...

Jul 05, 2009 at 10:56 AM

RDKirk
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p.1 #2 · Website vs uncalibrated monitors

I find that, if anything, uncalibrated monitors will usually be too bright. That's the the only compensation I make (besides being sure to set my images in the sRGB color space).

Jul 05, 2009 at 01:34 PM

tracknut
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p.1 #3 · Website vs uncalibrated monitors

After seeing a calibration page on someone else's site, I put this up on mine: http://www.pixf.com/color.php

I'm not sure it's solving problems for a ton of my customers, but it makes me feel a bit better

Dave

Jul 05, 2009 at 01:53 PM

Lord Kimbo
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p.1 #4 · Website vs uncalibrated monitors

Personally I don't worry about what the clients monitor is set to (or not set to). They use it every time they sit at their PC so have to assume the colours aren't really bad or they would have done something about it because every website they visit would look off. If anything ... their monitors would most likely be too bright and too cool. Neither are all that big a deal (from a visitors perspective to your website).

I make sure in my initial meeting with clients that I explain colour accuracy and monitor and print calibration as that is part of the services a pro photographer should do not only in post processing, but in printing. They like to hear that and it gives them a sense of security that the one they're hiring (hopefully me) knows what I am doing and they will be please with the final results.

Jul 06, 2009 at 04:51 PM

nathanlake
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p.1 #5 · Website vs uncalibrated monitors

This is one of those things you can't do anything about, so why worry about it. You calibrate your equipment and post images that contain the proper colors. Then hope for the best.

The bottom line, I have had a number of customers complain about the color of my images...until I show them the photos on one of my monitors.

Jul 07, 2009 at 07:01 PM

Brit-007
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p.1 #6 · Website vs uncalibrated monitors

Actually, I have just purchased the ColorMunki and one of the programs included is a software package that you can save your images to. It also attaches your color profile. You send it to someone and they view the images as though it was on your screen.

I have not tried it but it does sound like a good idea.

Jul 07, 2009 at 08:25 PM

Lord Kimbo
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p.1 #7 · Website vs uncalibrated monitors

Please update on us on how that works.

I have never heard of such a thing and can't see how it would work if (for example) their monitor is setup to make everything look pink because they simply loooove pink!

Jul 07, 2009 at 08:31 PM

Brit-007
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p.1 #8 · Website vs uncalibrated monitors

Well this is what they say:

◦Share your masterpieces quickly and easily with DigitalPouch, a self-executable application that allows for color managed sharing and viewing of your images.
◦Simply drag and drop the images you want to transport into the pouch, “zip” it up and send.
◦The receiver doesn’t need to own or install any special software. They simply doubleclick on the DigitalPouch file and they’ll be able to view the images with your embedded profiles in a fully automatic and color managed viewing application. DigitalPouch files are even completely cross platform independent so you can send the same file to Windows or Macintosh users and the color results will match.
◦DigitalPouch also checks the recipients monitor for an up-to-date display profile and indicates if it’a ViewSafe™ or color accurate environment. This provides you and your customer complete confindence that the color integrity of the images is being preserved when viewed by all.

Jul 07, 2009 at 08:40 PM

Lord Kimbo
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p.1 #9 · Website vs uncalibrated monitors

Very interesting ... but i have to see it to believe it ...

Jul 07, 2009 at 08:48 PM

Brit-007
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p.1 #10 · Website vs uncalibrated monitors

I hear ya but will probably not use it. This was just an idea for the poster.

Info at: http://www.xrite.com/product_overview.aspx?id=1115

Jul 07, 2009 at 08:58 PM

nathanlake
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p.1 #11 · Website vs uncalibrated monitors

Brit-007 wrote:
Well this is what they say:

◦Share your masterpieces quickly and easily with DigitalPouch, a self-executable application that allows for color managed sharing and viewing of your images.
◦Simply drag and drop the images you want to transport into the pouch, “zip” it up and send.
◦The receiver doesn’t need to own or install any special software. They simply doubleclick on the DigitalPouch file and they’ll be able to view the images with your embedded profiles in a fully automatic and color managed viewing application. DigitalPouch files are even completely cross platform independent so you can send the same file to Windows or Macintosh users and the color results will match.
◦DigitalPouch also checks the recipients monitor for an up-to-date display profile and indicates if it’a ViewSafe™ or color accurate environment. This provides you and your customer complete confindence that the color integrity of the images is being preserved when viewed by all.

Note the last line of this "ad".....DigitalPouch also checks the recipients monitor for an up-to-date display profile and indicates if it’a ViewSafe™ or color accurate environment. This provides you and your customer complete confindence that the color integrity of the images is being preserved when viewed by all.

It says nothing (and I checked their website) about what happens if it is not ViewSafe or color accurate. I can only assume it is not fixing the problem, just telling poeple if it is not accurate.

Jul 07, 2009 at 09:00 PM

Lord Kimbo
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p.1 #12 · Website vs uncalibrated monitors

This makes more sense (nathanlake's post).

The recipient of the file/image can have up-to-date video drivers and monitor drivers, however, if they change any of the monitors hardware RGB values (for example the monitor comes at default with a value of 50 for each of the RGB values and the scale goes to 100) and the person decides to make the red 70, blue 30 and green 100 resulting in something that they think looks good (but in fact is way off), no software will know that the person has changed the monitor colour settings on the monitor itself.

Jul 07, 2009 at 09:05 PM

Brit-007
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p.1 #13 · Website vs uncalibrated monitors

I here you all. I will probably not use this feature but just posted as an idea. I purchased the unit just to profile the monitor a little more accurately as well as to profile the printer. I normally do not send files to clients, just the final product so this is not an issue for me at the moment.

I was just posting a possible option.

Jul 07, 2009 at 09:49 PM

nathanlake
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p.1 #14 · Website vs uncalibrated monitors

Brit-007 wrote:
I here you all. I will probably not use this feature but just posted as an idea. I purchased the unit just to profile the monitor a little more accurately as well as to profile the printer. I normally do not send files to clients, just the final product so this is not an issue for me at the moment.

I was just posting a possible option.

I would think this might have some benefit when dealing with other professionals, but not the typical private customer....say from an event or portrait shoot.

Jul 07, 2009 at 09:51 PM

kosin
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p.1 #15 · Website vs uncalibrated monitors

Go to the nearest Best Buy (or any large electronic store) and look at that wall of 20 or more LCD TVs. Each TV is set to its default settings and looks different comparing to the others. On most of them picture isn't that superior at all, but people are still buying them...

Just leave some kind of note/info on the home screen explaining to the visitors why your work may look differently on their screens...

Jul 07, 2009 at 10:13 PM

jjlphoto
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p.1 #16 · Website vs uncalibrated monitors

Brit-007 wrote:
.....◦The receiver doesn’t need to own or install any special software. They simply doubleclick on the DigitalPouch file and they’ll be able to view the images with your embedded profiles in a fully automatic and color managed viewing application.....

Seems all it really is, is a color aware picture viewer app for those who do not have Photoshop or similar.
Means nothing if the users monitor is still running at 275cd/m2 and 9600K

Jul 08, 2009 at 12:08 AM

Steady Hand
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p.1 #17 · Website vs uncalibrated monitors

Since your clients are paying for the best service and best pictures (and best photographer)....

Buy a laptop.

Calibrate it.

Install your photos on it.

Send them the laptop.

Make sure it is an Apple "AIR" model so it will fit into an envelope (ala Steve Jobs presentation) and the postage won't be too much expense.

This was posted for humor.

Jul 11, 2009 at 03:09 AM


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