How to calibrate without calibration hardware

drcarl

I know I need calibration hardware, yet just do not have it yet.

Before me, my computer, monitor and software DO have a million settings many of which I know nothing about (yet).

I just acquired a new LCD and sent my CRT to the back room.





With my fresh calibration print in hand (which looks a little yellow to me), I was just about to calibrate my monitor to the print when I read what arodney, (one of those kind, patient and knowledgeable teachers helping us ride without training wheels), said:

"DO NOT adjust the display to match the print! That's about the most insane and ineffective color management solution you can use and one that will simply fail using a modern copy of Photoshop. Calibrate the display using the huey.”

See, I don’t HAVE calibration hardware….so what can I do in the meanwhile?

I sit in subdued, full spectrum (Ott) light.

I wonder which settings to adjust first, the Computer or the Monitor?

Why does the 8x10 Smugmug calibration print appears to me (and others) to be on the yellow side? (--probably for a different thread)


Following are the details of my setup.

I wish I know how to set each and every one of the variables, and in which order to set them. Would someone review the list, below?

My eyes are already taking-on a square-ish shape from all-day reading here. I get it about the eyedropper and will study that concept/technique more.

Thanks to this forum, I have learned a lot...about the soft proofing...about profiles....still...my (however rough) calibration and settings questions remain...I'll post this while I keep reading.

I suppose it's fun to be ignorant while it lasts?

TIA

dr carl

CALIBRATION LIST

(Computer, Graphics card, Monitor, Software)

XP Home / 512 RAM (non-expandable)
Sony Vaio – Radeon Card / ATI management?
Sony SDM-H95 19" LCD Monitor
Photoshop, Lightroom and more...

COMPUTER - Display settings

Display Properties / Settings

Screen Resolution

1280x1024

Color Quality

Highest (32 bit)

Display Properties / Advanced


General Tab

96 dpi (selected)

Adapter

Mobility Radeon 7500

Monitor

Screen refresh at 70 Hertz (could select 60 Hz)

Open GL Tab (checkable selections)

[X] Quality vs. [ ] Performance
[ ] Convert 32 bit textures to 16 bit
[X] Enable page flipping
[ ] Disable dithering when alpha blending
[X] Enable KTX buffer region extension
[ ] Force 16 bit Z-buffer
[X] Wait for vertical sync
[ ] Enable texture compression





Full scene anti aliasing

Disabled (selected), 2 samples, 4 samples

Anisotropic texture filtering

Disabled (selected), High quality, Highest quality

Level of detail (slider) Fuzzy-Sharp (set at Sharp)

Direct 3D Tab

[X] Wait for vertical sync
[X] Compressed texture format
[X] W Buffer support
[ ] Alternate pixel center

Z Buffer bit depths [X] 8 bit stencil

(Dropdowns)
16
16, 24 (selected)
16,24,32

Anti-aliasing
(Dropdowns)
Disabled
Application preference (selected)
Always on

(slider)
2X (<--selected) or 4X

Dithering method when alpha blending

(Dropdown)
Use Error Diffusion dithering (selected)
Use Ordered Dithering
Disable Dithering

Options Tab

[ ] Show D3D warning messages
[X] Enable ATI Taskbar icon application
[X] Show ATI icon on taskbar
[ ] Disable quick resolution feature

Overlay Tab – THX Logo

(all items grayed-out and not selectable – might be due to another selection made?)
(all are Sliders all appear at mid point)
Brightness 0%
Contrast 100%
Saturation 100%
Hue 0.0
Gamma 1 (slightly right of the left end of slider position)
[ ] Display warning message

Troubleshoot Tab

Hardware acceleration slider
None – Full (set at full)
[X] Enable write combining

Color Management Tab

Current Monitor: Default Monitor (should say Sony?, -don’t have install disc yet)
Default Monitor Profile: srgb color space profile
(If I click the “add” button, there are LOTS to choose from including AdobeRGB 1998, sony_I65, {ezprints understandably won’t apply because it’s a printer profile}, srgb color space profile, and MANY others)

Displays Tab

At least ONE of the tabs is intuitive – won’t list details here

Color Tab



….there is an interesting box displayed here with a color pattern of all colors; dark center and bright on the edges, star pattern. I think this might be used to indicate a proper balance if one knows how to read it)

All selections on Default
Desktop Brightness Slider, midway between Min and Max
Color Curve {just like curves in Photoshop} Moveable Control Point on Color Curve,
--individually moveable for R, G and B

MONITOR Settings - 74.9 kHz – 70 Hz

Backlight

0-100 (set at 90)

Contrast

0-100 (set at 100)

Brightness

0-100 (set at 50)

Screen (set on Auto)

Phase
Pitch
H Center
V Center

Color

9300 K
6500 K
sRGB



User – adjustable (selected with the following, 128 is default)

R – 132 (0-255 range)
G – 128 – non adjustable
B – 128 (0-255 range)

Gamma

Gamma 1
Gamma 2 (current setting)
Gamma 3

Sharpness

5 (0-10 scale)

SOFTWARE - PHOTOSHOP
(I have, yet have not installed CS3 nor Lightroom yet; settings should be similar)

Workspace

sRGB IEC61966-2.1 (<-selected)
Sony SDM-HS95_D65
Sony SDM-HS95_D93
e-srgb
Adobe RGB 1998
(MANY others)

Any other Photoshop settings?
Any other 'other' settings?
(I will soft proof with ezprints printing profile)

arodney

You can't calibrate and profile a display with any degree of repeatability without hardware. Just as you'd be hard pressed to drive exactly at the speed limit without a speedometer. The same set of RGB numbers should produce the same color appearance everytime you view them. You can get into the hardware game for $70! How many prints do you make and how long do will it take to save $70 is wasted material (and time)?

Here's a primer and the reason why, anything less than an instrument is not effective:

http://www.takegreatpictures.com/HOME/Columns/Digital_Photography/Details/Color_Management_and_Display.fci

drcarl

You're right...

arodney wrote:

You can't... ...you'd be hard pressed to drive exactly at the speed limit without a speedometer.

At first, I had some snappy answers. Something about "I bet ~I~ can."

After thinking about how I paid $85 for a fast-read, digital thermometer that's made me King of Perfect Meat Doneness, well, you're right.

Even though I don't yet have more than one monitor, and don't know about the advantages of being able to control the Gamma and White Point? settings, I am looking for a Huey Pro.

I'd still like to learn the effects of all the settings I posted...Google, I guess.

Thank you for your input.


--dr carl

HarlanBear

Just to add another opinion on this, I use the ColorVision Spyder2 express and it works great. But I do not print at home, so do not calibrate the printer. So not sure how it works for printer calibration, but reviews are good. Others may have another opinion of the Spyder. I just saw that Adorama has the express version for $55 on-line. Circuit City has it for $70.

And I echo what Andrew says about calibrating; absolutely necessary or you're just shooting in the dark. I had problems matching prints from any lab to my monitor until I got the Spyder. Now, all match and have used ezprints as well. Just softproof as you said.

arodney

drcarl wrote:

After thinking about how I paid $85 for a fast-read, digital thermometer that's made me King of Perfect Meat Doneness, well, you're right.

Got one too (Pocketherm by Comark). Worth every penny!

Good instruments are worth having.

drcarl

bear - great price on the spyder! --I've been looking at spyder vs. huey...huey wins on speed and the ambient light sensor

andy - my thermometer is from Thermogenics and has a teeeeeny and long needle point, and reads in 3-4 seconds...more of a pants than a shirt pocket size...and bright red so I don't leave it behind after BBQ-in and drinking elsewhere...I love it.

Thank you for the input(s)

Carl