Frustrated with color management/monitor calibration

[Shogo]

I just sent in some photos to WHCC for test prints and got them back. Needless to say I am really frustrated with the whole idea of monitor calibration. My test prints look totally different than what my monitor shows. This is even after buying a Huey Pro, running the calibration software wizard (which is very confusing as my monitor can set the brightness/contrast on my monitor multiple ways and the change is so minute that I can have a contrast level of 50 or 100 and both settings provide an appropriate solution to the huey pro calibration prompts). I have also been soft proofing in cs2 and, using WHCC's ICC profile to soft proof, what I see looks nothing like the colors on the print. It seems that my monitor has a very orange color cast to it. I've resorted to just shutting off the huey pro and managing the color by eyesight comparisson of the cs2 softproof with the free 8x10's. Is my huey pro messed up, am I being to picky? Would I be better off buying the calibrator that WHCC recommends (eyeone)? How do you guys ensure your colors match?

[Dale]

One suggestion:

Have you checked feedback on the hueys on line? Pantone seemed to have problem with the hardware on some versions. I checked Amazon feedback, the feedback was either really good, or the units were faulty...

Originally Posted by Shogo

I just sent in some photos to WHCC for test prints and got them back. Needless to say I am really frustrated with the whole idea of monitor calibration. My test prints look totally different than what my monitor shows. This is even after buying a Huey Pro, running the calibration software wizard (which is very confusing as my monitor can set the brightness/contrast on my monitor multiple ways and the change is so minute that I can have a contrast level of 50 or 100 and both settings provide an appropriate solution to the huey pro calibration prompts). I have also been soft proofing in cs2 and, using WHCC's ICC profile to soft proof, what I see looks nothing like the colors on the print. It seems that my monitor has a very orange color cast to it. I've resorted to just shutting off the huey pro and managing the color by eyesight comparisson of the cs2 softproof with the free 8x10's. Is my huey pro messed up, am I being to picky? Would I be better off buying the calibrator that WHCC recommends (eyeone)? How do you guys ensure your colors match?

[ll_coffee_lP]

My Huey Pro works flawlessly. My prints (which I specifically ask for no enhancements) match what I see on the monitor very well. Perhaps you have a faulty unit?!?

c[_]