Monitor Calibration

fernycreekpeter

Newbie

Posts: 1

« on: January 19, 2012, 12:32:57 AM »

I have a Dell 2410 monitor and a ColorMunki calibration device. The monitor is connected to a MacBook Pro. I have been trying to successfully calibrate my monitor for some time and I'm really struggling. Fundamental problem is the baseline to use. If I go to my monitor control panel, there a re myriad of preset options for colour and brightness. Under colour, there are all the usual suspects like Adobe RGB, sRGB and Custom where you can create a seemingly infinite number of configurations. Brightness and Contrast are set to 50 and 50 by default. It's pretty clear that the settings here that precede calibration have a vast effect on the resulting icc profile. My goal of course is to colour match to my printer (Epson Photo) and although that is getting closer using Ilford paper and their supplied profiles I'm still some way from success.

On my most recent monitor calibration attempt, I reset to factory defaults prior to running ColorMunki but then I spotted another issue which I can't explain. If I open the exact same tiff file in both Aperture and PSE9 and place both on the calibrated monitor, the images are different. Some colors subtly so but the Aperture reds are brown in PSE.

Anyway if anyone can offer advice on baseline settings (be they factory of otherwise) for Dell monitors driven by Apple hardware that would be helpful. Any views on the app colour variation also appreciated.


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Terry-M

The Honourable Metric Mann
Forum Superhero

Posts: 3251

Re: Monitor Calibration

« Reply #1 on: January 19, 2012, 10:19:39 AM »

Hi,

Quote

Fundamental problem is the baseline to use. If I go to my monitor control panel, there a re myriad of preset options for colour and brightness. Under colour, there are all the usual suspects like Adobe RGB, sRGB and Custom where you can create a seemingly infinite number of configurations.

The one to use is Custom. I have an Eizo monitor with numerous pre-sets and the instructions make it quite clear that "Custom" is the one to use when calibrating yourself. You must then keep the monitor in that mode for all colour management aware applications.
You are right to leave the Contrast & Brightness at "native" settings, but if you use the advanced mode of the calibration software, you will probably get the option of setting the brightness to obtain a target luminance.
I have an Eye One 2 Display device and the software is possibly similar in principal to that of the ColorMunki.
In Advanced mode I get the option to check contrast but I do always leave at native 50%.
The next stage is to set the RGB "gains" individually to set the colour temperature (6500K).
Next is the brightness adjustment and finally the profile is created.

If you use the basic mode, then the profile is usually created without you having to adjust brightness, contrast or RGB gains. This is often perfectly satisfactory because the calibration process produces a Look Up Table (LUT) for the graphics card to use to set all the colour values. I assume a mac is no different to a pc in this respect.

Quote

If I open the exact same tiff file in both Aperture and PSE9 and place both on the calibrated monitor, the images are different. Some colors subtly so but the Aperture reds are brown in PSE.

It sounds like the image colour space is not being recognised or there is a mismatch somewhere.
I don't know anything about Aperture - is it fully Colour management aware, does it automatically or allow you to set the monitor profile, how does it read the colour space of an image?
PS uses a working space, say Adobe RGB and "tags" the image with that. However, "correct" way for all CM applications to read an image colour space is to embed the profile in the image - you can embed with PS.
I hope that is some help but you really need a Mac expert to comment here.
Terry


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BrianPrice

Sr. Member

Posts: 265

Re: Monitor Calibration

« Reply #2 on: January 20, 2012, 10:54:52 AM »

Hi

I think you have calibrated your monitor correctly -set to 'Factory Default' and leave the rest to the Colormunki.
As Terry said, the difference is in the way Aperture and Elements are handling the Colour Settings. I don't know Aperture, but it is a professional program so you should have similar settings in the preferences. First make sure the photo has an embedded profile (ARGB or sRGB). In Photoshop you have the option to 'Preserve Embedded Profile' or 'Convert to Working Profile' (as set in the preferences), and the Rendering Intent can make a difference - I always use Perceptual.
If the embedded profile in the photo is the same when opened in both programs it should look the same, with just very minor differences due to the different colour engines used. Please note that the profile or colour space embedded in the file has nothing to do with the ARGB or sRGB from the monitor setup.

HTH

Brian


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