Screen calibration tool recommendations

[leedogg3]

As per title, I need one of the above as a friend back in the Midlands used to do my screens for me. I think the one he had was a colour monkey/munki??
As I have been leaking cash of late I don't really want to pay over £100 unless necessary.

[markmullen]

I use Colormunki Photo but that will be overkill unless you need to calibrate printers in addition to monitors.

If you're used to Colormunki then the Display is probably the one for you, http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-x-rite-colormun... or even the smile, a less featured version, for a few quid less. http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-x-rite-colormun...

[leedogg3]

markmullen said:

I use Colormunki Photo but that will be overkill unless you need to calibrate printers in addition to monitors.

If you're used to Colormunki then the Display is probably the one for you, http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-x-rite-colormun... or even the smile, a less featured version, for a few quid less. http://www.wexphotographic.com/buy-x-rite-colormun...

Thanks Mark, I'm glad you mentioned printers as I have just purchased a new one and didn't even think about calibrating it. Is it hard to do? And in this case whould I look at the one you have?

It never ceases to amaze me just how much you can spend on photography. Buy a printer, then buy quality paper, then inks, calibration........

[markmullen]

It depends on what quality you want to achieve.

I was using a Canon Pro 9000 Mk2 A3+ printer with expensive inks, and Hahnemuhle Baryta FB350 paper at £4 a sheet, so for me calibration was important, at those prices wasting prints because you're not calibrated becomes a very expensive job. If you just want to bosh out some 10x8s onto cheap photo paper it probably isn't worth it, use the ICC profiles for your printer and ink combination from the manufacturer, or worst case by trial and error and by eye.

I use Colormunki Photo, the actual process is dead easy, using the inks and paper you're planning to use you tell the Colormunki software to print a calibration page, you then scan this with the Colormunki, this refines the colours by a wide degree, then you print another calibration page from within the software and scan that, this further refines the profile. Once you've done that you just tell the computer and software to use the profile you've created for printing.

[leedogg3]

markmullen said:

It depends on what quality you want to achieve.

I was using a Canon Pro 9000 Mk2 A3+ printer with expensive inks, and Hahnemuhle Baryta FB350 paper at £4 a sheet, so for me calibration was important, at those prices wasting prints because you're not calibrated becomes a very expensive job. If you just want to bosh out some 10x8s onto cheap photo paper it probably isn't worth it, use the ICC profiles for your printer and ink combination from the manufacturer, or worst case by trial and error and by eye.

I use Colormunki Photo, the actual process is dead easy, using the inks and paper you're planning to use you tell the Colormunki software to print a calibration page, you then scan this with the Colormunki, this refines the colours by a wide degree, then you print another calibration page from within the software and scan that, this further refines the profile. Once you've done that you just tell the computer and software to use the profile you've created for printing.

Thanks again Mark. I've bought a Canon Pixma Pro 10 and I am planning to use decent paper, although perhaps not £4 a sheet paper. Please pardon my ignorance but once calibrated is it easier to stick to one paper?

[markmullen]

leedogg3 said:

Thanks again Mark. I've bought a Canon Pixma Pro 10 and I am planning to use decent paper, although perhaps not £4 a sheet paper. Please pardon my ignorance but once calibrated is it easier to stick to one paper?

You can create multiple profiles, and change them as you change paper stock, so not a problem.

For a Pro 10 you really want good paper to do it justice, grab a sample pack from http://www.premier-ink.co.uk/ and do some samples, print the kind of thing you do, in my case landscapes, and see which paper suits your work.

[leedogg3]

markmullen said:

You can create multiple profiles, and change them as you change paper stock, so not a problem.

For a Pro 10 you really want good paper to do it justice, grab a sample pack from http://www.premier-ink.co.uk/ and do some samples, print the kind of thing you do, in my case landscapes, and see which paper suits your work.

Thanks Mark, that's about the third drink I owe you!

[markmullen]

leedogg3 said:

Thanks Mark, that's about the third drink I owe you!

You're very welcome, and the excitement when you see your own work printed big can't be underestimated.

Have fun.

[LongQ]

leedogg3 said:

Thanks again Mark. I've bought a Canon Pixma Pro 10 and I am planning to use decent paper, although perhaps not £4 a sheet paper. Please pardon my ignorance but once calibrated is it easier to stick to one paper?

Depending on what sort of paper finish you want you might find it worth considering leaking some more cash in the direction of 7dayshop who have some nice offers on their own brand paper at the moment. I have always found it to be good stuff. It seems to be provided by one of the big names in photo paper production.

As for screen calibration ... I have an Eye One from some years back. On my Laptop screen I gave up trying much of a calibration adjustment as the blue range was so far from adjustable that it was not worth the effort. My 22" monitor is much the same. They are both LED. Whether newer calibration devices improve on that situation I don't know. If you know your friend could get some useful adjustments with your screen then it makes sense to invest. But then make sure your working environment is set up to take best advantage of the tuning.

I have an older Canon A4 printer that can produce excellent results ... sometimes ... if the application and the printer driver are getting on at the time.

If you want some practical pointers about Canon printers, different papers and dealing with the need for profiles there is some interesting reading at Northlight Images. http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/articles.php