Can anyone help explain monitor calibration?

[Shutteraddict]

I have noticed lately, that the RAW files I process look great on my Toshiba labtop, but a bit overly contrasty and darker when I view them on many other monitors. This makes sense, seeing as when I upload to my laptop, the shots always seem softer and less contrasty then on my Canon T2I's LCD. I have googled a bit to try and get help, but I don't have the external calibrators that usually are suggested, nor the money for one right now. Can anyone point me in the right direction regarding any methods to solve this problem? It would be greatly appreciated. Thnx

[Jonbar18]

If you have Windows7, you can use the built in calibration tool (hidden somewhere in the display menus), but you might have trouble changing some of the setting on a laptop (for example, I can't change the contrast). I believe iOS has a similar tool.
Also, laptop screens are really tricky. They have really small field of view, meaning the image you see changes when you look from a different angle. Try it: tilt the screen back, and it gets darker and has a lot more contrast. Close the screen a bit, and you'll probably start getting a negative. Newer laptops are handling this a bit better, and are fine for basic edits, but it can be the cause for your inconsistency.

[Madog]

While doing my own research on color management issues I came across this site
LCD monitor test images it may help.

[Bruce A]

Calibrating your monitor for best picture quality is not necessarilly the same as calibrating your monitor for the best similarity between photographic images on your monitor and the printed hardcopy. Otherwise we wouldn't need hundreds of dollars worth of calibration hardware and software to do it correctly. As far as laptops go - they are not calibration friendly. Google monitor calibration for photographers/photography.

[ravncat]

Originally Posted by Bruce A

Calibrating your monitor for best picture quality is not necessarilly the same as calibrating your monitor for the best similarity between photographic images on your monitor and the printed hardcopy.

To try and simplify/clarify - There's calibration and profiling.

Calibration is adjusting your monitor for maximum contrast range, while maintaining neutral tones and maximizing the range of color it can display.

Profiling, Is mapping what data points are displaying what colors exactly. The goal is to say that, 0,0,155 is a specific blue, and we want to recreate the same blue. this process uses an external device (like a spyder, colormunki or other spectrophotometer) - or can be approximated with a downloaded profile that won't be as accurate as building a custom one.

Originally Posted by Bruce A

As far as laptops go - they are not calibration friendly..

This was true of LCDs back in the day, they've gotten alot better. There are still some gotchas for laptops - The screen brightness fades, in fact it loses about 50% brightness if the backlight is kept on maximum for a year - you can prolong this by using a lower backlight setting from the beginning. The other major thing, is laptops tend to have fewer direct controls for calibration - it's pretty much all through software, so in that sense, they're definitely not "friendly" but there's alot more control now than there was on laptops more than 6 years back...

The other big gotcha for laptops is that they tend to travel, and a given profile / calibration is generally best done for a given viewing condition, if you make multiple profiles for different areas (say regular workspace, dining room, living room) it's not that big a deal.

All monitors shift in color slowly throughout lifespan, and this is especially true of CRT monitors, which also should be calibrated and profiled after a warmup period of around 30 minutes or so (minimally). In general one should calibrate and profile periodically, depending on monitor use, probably once a month is fairly healthy - but if you are living on photography, once a week is common.



- To that end, you can use the above sites to try your hand at calibrating your monitor as best you can, it will help your display, but without profiling, you're not going to gain the real benefits of color management workflow.

[Shutteraddict]

Thanks alot guys, I truly appreciate it. I will see what I can do with the given advice.