I've also had a chance to run a few test prints with a local lab - everything looks good, except that my straight, uncorrected images are running a tad dark.
There must be a way to compensate for this? Change the brightness levels so that it reflects a more accurate rendering?
Straight uncorrected.... a little dark. Like a full stop? 1/3rd of a stop? Sounds like camera underexposure.
Do the corrected prints look right? Match the monitor? If they do then you've properly calibrated the monitor for print matching.
Dark prints are one of the most common complaints of new LCD owners where they've post processed the images but have not properly calibrated their monitor.
The Spyder software will ask or suggest a white luminosity target of between 100 to 120 cd/m2.
If your post processed prints appear too dark and you are currently at 120 cd/m2, you need to adjust this lower, maybe 100 to 110 cd/m2. Initially, your monitor may appear too dark but you will get used to it and it will force you to make adjustments to the images that will brighten them and then when they are printed, they'll be just right.
Of course anyone who views your images on an uncalibrated monitor, where all they've done since turning it on is lower the brightness a bit because they needed sunglasses to read Word documents, will find your images very light and maybe washed out. C'est la vie! The key issue is that your prints for your paying clients will be spot on.
Check with your printer if a paper profile is available. Most good printers can supply one for the type of paper you ask them to print on - even Costco provides them, for each store no less!! Install the profile and then use the "Soft Proof" feature of Photoshop CS3/CS4. I'm not sure if Lightroom has the soft proof feature or not. It will give you a hint of what the image will look like if you allow them to make colour adjustments.
I've used this feature, soft proofed, seen that allowing them to make adjustments created images that looked too blue and selected the "Do Not Adjust" option. The prints were great.
FYI... related but off topic.... check out this Eizo warranty statement on brightness levels. If you read between the lines you will probably want to have your monitor as low as possible just to ensure longevity. Scroll to bottom.... http://www.eizo.com/support/warranty/index.asp
Btw... I've never been able to find anything in the Dell warranty regarding brightness levels.
Oh, I now see that the Spyder3Pro does not allow this. And according to some, a calibration tool that doesn't allow you to set the white luminance level is worthless.
This seems like a true statement. If I can't get the print to match the screen, what's the point?
Oh, I now see that the Spyder3Pro does not allow this. And according to some, a calibration tool that doesn't allow you to set the white luminance level is worthless.
I can't believe that. For 100% sure the Spyder3PRO will set a custom white luminance level. My Spyder2PRO does.
However, if you use one of the "quickee" calibration options I believe it skips that option or perhaps it is where you use the "native" method.
Again, I must apologize as I meant to calibrate my own monitor this past weekend and I have been too busy to get to it. Hence, I can't quite recall the necessary steps in the software. I believe my "2" version is close enough to your "3" that I can comment reasonably accurately once I've refreshed myself with the steps of the calibration.
I can't believe that. For 100% sure the Spyder3PRO will set a custom white luminance level. My Spyder2PRO does.
However, if you use one of the "quickee" calibration options I believe it skips that option or perhaps it is where you use the "native" method.
Again, I must apologize as I meant to calibrate my own monitor this past weekend and I have been too busy to get to it. Hence, I can't quite recall the necessary steps in the software. I believe my "2" version is close enough to your "3" that I can comment reasonably accurately once I've refreshed myself with the steps of the calibration.
.
It's absolutely true that 3 won't allow for luminance setting. 2 Will.
Here's a conversation from dpreview:
"In any case the Spyder 2 PRO package will let you set and acquire a specified White (and black also) luminance during the calibration process.
What ticks me off with Colorvision products is their marketing. They marketed the Spyder 2 PRO which sold for somewhere in the $250 range and did exactly what it should do, and then came out recently with a Spyder 3 PRO which sells for around $159.00. However, if you read the specs on the Spyder 3 PRO, it does NOT indicate that it will let you set White or Black Luminance to a specified setting, whereas the Spyder 3 Elite specifically notes in its specs that it DOES have that feature. That means that people who were aware of that feature in the in the PRO 2 version, may opt for the Spyder 3 PRO version because of the lower price of only around $159 thinking that they are going to get what was in the Spyder 2 PRO version"
So, for $99 I will have to upgrade to Spyder3Elite in order to get the full package.
Oh those buggers! That's almost bait & switch. My apologies, I had no idea.
I think it will be $99 well spent but before you spend it, you may want to play a bit with this freeware that other 2209WA owners who have Spyder2Express calibrators have been using with success. The Spyder2Express is also a crippled unit.
Oh those buggers! That's almost bait & switch. My apologies, I had no idea.
I think it will be $99 well spent but before you spend it, you may want to play a bit with this freeware that other 2209WA owners who have Spyder2Express calibrators have been using with success. The Spyder2Express is also a crippled unit.
I upgraded to Spyder3Elite, followed the directions for setting white luminance - my only question is, I think it told me to reset back to default at some point, but can't figure out how - but I think it's all working. My display is darker, and based on a test print here at home, it seems to be doing what I want it to do - no more dark prints. My white luminance turns out to be 99.
Between switching to all-manual-all-the-time (love it - I will never go back) and upgrading to an industrial-strength computer and calibrated monitor - all within the last 3 weeks, I feel like I've been living on the edge lately.
Comments
Do the corrected prints look right? Match the monitor? If they do then you've properly calibrated the monitor for print matching.
Dark prints are one of the most common complaints of new LCD owners where they've post processed the images but have not properly calibrated their monitor.
The Spyder software will ask or suggest a white luminosity target of between 100 to 120 cd/m2.
If your post processed prints appear too dark and you are currently at 120 cd/m2, you need to adjust this lower, maybe 100 to 110 cd/m2. Initially, your monitor may appear too dark but you will get used to it and it will force you to make adjustments to the images that will brighten them and then when they are printed, they'll be just right.
Of course anyone who views your images on an uncalibrated monitor, where all they've done since turning it on is lower the brightness a bit because they needed sunglasses to read Word documents, will find your images very light and maybe washed out. C'est la vie! The key issue is that your prints for your paying clients will be spot on.
Check with your printer if a paper profile is available. Most good printers can supply one for the type of paper you ask them to print on - even Costco provides them, for each store no less!! Install the profile and then use the "Soft Proof" feature of Photoshop CS3/CS4. I'm not sure if Lightroom has the soft proof feature or not. It will give you a hint of what the image will look like if you allow them to make colour adjustments.
http://costco.pnimedia.com/help_panel/help/help_panel.htm?activeframe=PrinterProfiles.htm
I've used this feature, soft proofed, seen that allowing them to make adjustments created images that looked too blue and selected the "Do Not Adjust" option. The prints were great.
FYI... related but off topic.... check out this Eizo warranty statement on brightness levels. If you read between the lines you will probably want to have your monitor as low as possible just to ensure longevity. Scroll to bottom....
http://www.eizo.com/support/warranty/index.asp
Btw... I've never been able to find anything in the Dell warranty regarding brightness levels.
.
.
How do I set the white luminance level?
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Oh, I now see that the Spyder3Pro does not allow this. And according to some, a calibration tool that doesn't allow you to set the white luminance level is worthless.
This seems like a true statement. If I can't get the print to match the screen, what's the point?
I wonder if I can return it.
Or upgrade to the Spyder3Elite.
www.SaraPiazza.com - Edgartown News - Trad Diary - Facebook
I can't believe that. For 100% sure the Spyder3PRO will set a custom white luminance level. My Spyder2PRO does.
However, if you use one of the "quickee" calibration options I believe it skips that option or perhaps it is where you use the "native" method.
Again, I must apologize as I meant to calibrate my own monitor this past weekend and I have been too busy to get to it. Hence, I can't quite recall the necessary steps in the software. I believe my "2" version is close enough to your "3" that I can comment reasonably accurately once I've refreshed myself with the steps of the calibration.
.
.
It's absolutely true that 3 won't allow for luminance setting. 2 Will.
Here's a conversation from dpreview:
"In any case the Spyder 2 PRO package will let you set and acquire a specified White (and black also) luminance during the calibration process.
What ticks me off with Colorvision products is their marketing. They marketed the Spyder 2 PRO which sold for somewhere in the $250 range and did exactly what it should do, and then came out recently with a Spyder 3 PRO which sells for around $159.00. However, if you read the specs on the Spyder 3 PRO, it does NOT indicate that it will let you set White or Black Luminance to a specified setting, whereas the Spyder 3 Elite specifically notes in its specs that it DOES have that feature. That means that people who were aware of that feature in the in the PRO 2 version, may opt for the Spyder 3 PRO version because of the lower price of only around $159 thinking that they are going to get what was in the Spyder 2 PRO version"
So, for $99 I will have to upgrade to Spyder3Elite in order to get the full package.
www.SaraPiazza.com - Edgartown News - Trad Diary - Facebook
http://spyder.datacolor.com/s3compare.php
Oh those buggers! That's almost bait & switch. My apologies, I had no idea.
I think it will be $99 well spent but before you spend it, you may want to play a bit with this freeware that other 2209WA owners who have Spyder2Express calibrators have been using with success. The Spyder2Express is also a crippled unit.
Colorimetre HCFR
http://www.homecinema-fr.com/colorimetre/index_en.php
They set the white luminance point using the HCFR software and after that run the standard crippled Spyder calibration.
Here are some Dpreview posts which may be helpful:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1004&message=31498010&q=colorimetre&qf=m
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1004&message=31698353&q=hcfr&qf=m
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/readflat.asp?forum=1004&message=31672592&q=hcfr&qf=m
The Lagom site mentioned is this one which can be used to eyeball check your settings:
http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/
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I think I'm all set.
I upgraded to Spyder3Elite, followed the directions for setting white luminance - my only question is, I think it told me to reset back to default at some point, but can't figure out how - but I think it's all working. My display is darker, and based on a test print here at home, it seems to be doing what I want it to do - no more dark prints.
Between switching to all-manual-all-the-time (love it - I will never go back) and upgrading to an industrial-strength computer and calibrated monitor - all within the last 3 weeks, I feel like I've been living on the edge lately.
Thanks for all the help. Much appreciated.
www.SaraPiazza.com - Edgartown News - Trad Diary - Facebook