Proper Monitor Calibration for working with Images

[DaltonSkyGazer]

Been thinking on this topic past few weeks, so I thought I would start a new thread. What is best and easiest way to achieve proper monitor calibration when working with images? What monitor qualities should one look for when purchasing a monitor which will be used for photo intensive tasks? I know many members work in photography field and use PS day in and day out feel free to pipe in!

[Lonnie]

This is a great topic Jeff.
I've done what I think is excellent work, only to find that the masses are not seeing the same image as I am.
It's kinda disheartening.

[Zombie]

Well from being in development and espicaly being a tester I need to make sure my monitor setup at work matches whats going to be printed out and general look and feel

For this purpose it boild down to 2 things
Graphics card
Display

On the graphics card it is a bit hard,since I only test for 3 different graphics cards,Nvidia,Ati and the intel
What you need to make sure,especialy in the nvidia side is to uncheck any enhacning of video/display settings. They are numerous and I dont have the check sheet anymore

On the display it can be easy if you have acces to a colour pallet printed by a top end true colour printer.
but in general setting the color effect on the screen can help you getting closer. most monitors have either warm or cold. This normally sits at 9300k or 6500 k. with a 6500 k the image might turn out to be too yellow,aka warm. with 9300k it will look to blue,aka cold. If the monitor can be set to custom you need to get either a true colour chart and load a chart on the screen. Then its all tweaking of screen settings. I prefer to rather tweak on the hardware level first,so using the screen buttons and trying to get as close as possible and then using graphics drivers to get it spot on.
other settings on the screen to look out for- Contrast,by default its normally set to 50,as is brightness,if contrast is out on the screen then it can affect image views and you end up strugling more with software. so first match brightness,contrast on both screen and graphics card driver.

Unfortanatly getting the correct colour pallet printed out is the biggest problem,My wife works as a graphic designer at a corporate id company so true colour on the screen is a must,I use the pallet from one of the big printers they have there and lucky in that sense

[DaltonSkyGazer]

Reading up a bit I see an IPS monitor is preferred monitor these days for accurate color representation for graphic work.

[Lonnie]

I think this is a pretty important subject, especially for the AP'ers.

Until very recently, I have been doing my processing on an uncalibrated monitor that I thought was properly calibrated. It wasn't until I looked at my images on another screen and saw just how bad they really were. The computer I was using was a new Macbook Pro with the anti-glare LCD screen. After doing some research, I found that Apple sends these out with the LCD calibrated to make images more "contrasty" and in richer colour to make images "pop". It does exactly that but it's wrong and most everyone else was seeing my processed images as "blotchy".

Here's the different processing between my monitor that was set up incorrectly from the factory and one that I believe is a lot closer to proper calibration. If the first image appears better to you than the second, I would have to say your monitor is NOT properly calibrated.
*Note: If the second image appears better, it DOES NOT mean your monitor is properly calibrated.

[Zombie]

Found some websites that helps with images you can use to calibrate
Monitor Calibration Guide

[Lonnie]

I knew I seen another thread about this awhile back. you can find it here;
Monitor Calibration

[Phil Leigh]

I'm not sure I'm following this - the 2 images you posted appear to be differently processed - there are different processing artefacts clearly visible at extreme zoom and gamma/brightness/RGB channel level levels are different. Monitor/video card calibration might lead you to process the brightness/colour differently of course, but the different artefacts I'm seeing wouldn't be caused by "calibration" changes... I'm puzzled.

My monitor (and printer) is very well calibrated using a hardware calibrator and a reference image that I sent to a pro print processing shop.

Your first image (challenge_4.jpg) looks MUCH better than challenge_4_image_.jpg - it has far fewer processing artefacts and the background is much smoother/cleaner.

Look at my screen capture of the 2 images viewed in MS Picture Manager at 400% zoom...

[Phil Leigh]

OK - I think I've answered my own question!

What's going on here is I am seeing differences in the way that Jpegs are rendered (and artefacts are handled) on-screen in different viewers/browsers.

MS Picture manager (and IE) apply auto sharpening and other "treatments" to jpegs to make them look better. This has the odd effect that in those viewers, the first image looks better than the second. If I open your jpegs in PixInsight (which does NO processing unless you ask it to) then the second image looks way better than the first.

I don't think this has anything to do with calibration per se (which is about correct brightness/gamma/colour levels).


I never usually work with jpegs, hence my initial confusion - I now need to retract my original vote!
regards
Phil

[Lonnie]

I guess long story short,
I want my screen calibrated so I see what most everyone else sees.

When I process my images with my screen set at the factory setting then post them, almost everyone here sees them as blotchy, I don't.
I spend countless hours processing not only for myself but for the entire community and I really want them to see the image as I see it. My only option is to calibrate my screen so I see what I believe they see.
What I truly like about this hobby is the satisfaction I get from others enjoying my images. It almost makes it pointless if I process great images and everyone else only sees them as crappy.

A better thread title for me would be "Proper Monitor Calibration for Forum Viewing/Posting".