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01-14-2017, 07:51 PM   #1
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Monitor Calibration -Datacolor or X-Rite?

Just bought a Asus PA248Q monitor and test prints from lab are a good full stop under, overall is flat compared to what I saw on export.

Have seen mixed thoughts on which calibrating tools work the best for the money.

Any thoughts would be appreciated!

Brian

01-14-2017, 08:13 PM - 1 Like   #2
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Monitor calibration is always a good idea, though it may not solve your print problem. Dark/flat prints when compared to monitor display is very, very, very common. Does your editing software support "soft proofing" using icc profiles for your lab's printer/inc/paper mix? Contact customer service at the lab to see what they recommend to help you get consistent and expected results.


Steve
01-14-2017, 08:40 PM - 1 Like   #3
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QuoteOriginally posted by stevebrot Quote
Does your editing software support "soft proofing" using icc profiles for your lab's printer/inc/paper mix? Contact customer service at the lab to see what they recommend to help you get consistent and expected results.


Steve

Most good labs have the profiles available on their web page and it makes a big difference to do your final soft proofs that way before print. and a properly calibrated monitor definitely helps. If you print a lot at home the more sophisticated options with X-rite will let you calibrate the printer (and scanner and camera for that matter) worth it if you print a lot at home for sale , or if you use your home setup to proof before sending to a lab for larger prints
I'm fortunate at thee moment in that a friend just bought a 60" canon so he will do large prints for me and i have his profiles loaded for that purpose
01-14-2017, 08:59 PM   #4
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Steve, sure my lab will work with me on getting a profile that works. Using LRcc and Photoshopcc, DXO for my editing.

So yes on the soft proofing, but need to set it up with my lab I guess.

Thanks for your help!


Brian

---------- Post added 01-14-17 at 10:12 PM ----------

QuoteOriginally posted by eddie1960 Quote
Most good labs have the profiles available on their web page and it makes a big difference to do your final soft proofs that way before print. and a properly calibrated monitor definitely helps. If you print a lot at home the more sophisticated options with X-rite will let you calibrate the printer (and scanner and camera for that matter) worth it if you print a lot at home for sale , or if you use your home setup to proof before sending to a lab for larger prints
I'm fortunate at thee moment in that a friend just bought a 60" canon so he will do large prints for me and i have his profiles loaded for that purpose
For now I send all to a lab for print. But will look on their website for profiles. Thanks

01-15-2017, 09:19 AM - 1 Like   #5
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I also have an Asus monitor (MX-25AQ), did a lot of research and came to the conclusion that while the sensor in the XRite is better, the Spyder was easier to use. As I'm no pro, and I was able to get the data color spyder pro for a good deal ($99 @ Hunts photo), and have been happy with the results. It allows for different profiles depending on ambient light, but I've only set up one and it seems to be OK (so long as I edit in the afternoon)!!

At any rate I agree re soft proofing - as I print at home (got the Canon Pro 100 for $50) I used the printer profile and was able to tweak my output via trial and error so it automatically applies around +2/3 stop exposure (or should I say "printer") comp - and my prints pretty well match my screen, though the color temp may need a little tweaking yet (a little warmer than my monitor). Obviously for a lab you'll want to apply to the exported files.
01-15-2017, 10:45 AM - 1 Like   #6
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I'm a fan of X-Rite and I have no experience with Datacolor. Monitor calibration is important for the first stage, but having a correctly-calibrated printer profile is equally important for the second stage.
01-15-2017, 11:12 AM - 1 Like   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by Storm Chaser Quote
Monitor Calibration -Datacolor or X-Rite?
I've been using i1 Display Pro from X-Rite for several years now without any drama's, in fact on real colour critical stuff I use the X-Rite ColorChecker Passport too.

02-10-2017, 10:36 PM - 1 Like   #8
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I tried the native WinBlows monitor calibration tool.

Yawn.

I tried a few online tools.

Bigger yawn.

So having a gift card for Amazon I did some web research, and settled on the X-Rite Color Munki Display.

Still yawning, but my monitors are all calibrated now. A bit darker (no more eye strain from staring at the sun for hours and hours). The colors are a bit warmer. and every month the software pesters me to re-calibrate.

Really, I am not sure about the whole process. I got interested in calibration to improve editing my photos, and my printing of them. You know, get the output to match what I see on the screen. Everyone said that was the way to printing happiness.

And now I read about printer profiles and 'soft proofing'.

What next?

Sheesh!



OK. The Color Munki thing does what they say it is supposed to do. And it mostly does it without trouble.

Well if you don't count my WinBlows XP Pro machine. Everything installed, and I began to calibrate the monitors, and the software never could see the colorimiter. I tried everything. Drivers. Settings. Web forums. Editing files to try and fake it out. Oh well, that machine is resting now, waiting on a hard drive upgrade and a reinstall of the OS. Maybe Linux. Gotta try that out.

Maybe the colorimiter will work on that. The guys on the Linux forums say it will.

Easy Squeezy

No Pain

No Stain
02-17-2017, 08:19 PM - 1 Like   #9
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I have a similar Asus PA238Q (23" version). I use a Datacolor Spyder 3 Pro . When I set the monitor to the RGB profile, Spyder 3 does almost zero correction on it - ie. the monitor was correctly calibrated at the factory.

For my other 2 monitors - a pair of HP LP3065 30", the Spyder 3 does a fairly big amount of correction, and it useful. The picture is matched very well between those 2.
Not matched between the 3, though. I am doing my own prints with a Pixma Pro-100 and have not noticed dark prints.
05-17-2017, 12:05 PM   #10
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I just got a spyder elite pro 5, (white balance cube, monitor and printer calibration tools), haven't calibrated my new Dell 92715 yet but i calibrated a 6 year old dell hooked up with a new laptop and side by side they are almost a perfect match (given the limitations of the old monitor and of mediocre laptop screens)
Once i'm done settling everything where it will sit in my new studio space i will calibrate the p2715 and a 55" 4k ips LG hooked up , along with the pro 10 printer (which i will calibrate for every paper i use with the ink i use)
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