Weekly Poll: Do you calibrate your monitor?

[wycombiensian]

I calibrate now - I just got my Sypder 2 Express this week. It made a big difference to my MacBook Pro screen, and less difference to my external monitor (an old-ish Samsung LCD), but was still definitely worth doing.

My prints had never been way off what I was seeing, but there was always that nagging feeling when I was making adjustments in Aperture that I was actually making things worse not better.

That was especially true with skin tone/ white balance combinations where minor changes can make big differences. At least now I can be more confident that what I'm seeing is what's actually there.

And even thought the Spyder 2 Express doesn't technically support creating multiple profiles for multiple monitors - in my case, my laptop screen and my external LCD - I found a simple workaround for that.

[shootoften]

When I first started into digital, my monitor wasn't calibrated. I used to print my own pictures, and I would drive myself nuts trying to get the prints to match what I was seeing on my monitor. After many "choice words", and a lot of research, I broke down and purchased a Spyder2. If I had only known it was that simple to get my prints to "better match" what was on my screen, I would have started calibrating from the get go. It certainly saves me a lot of frustration!!!

[drec]

i was talking to the people who run the lab where i get my prints done about color profiles and the rest so he gave me his eye one to use. i can now see a huge improvement in prints as i'm set up for this one lab

[Richard]

I have to calibrate if I expect prints to look like what was on the screen... I use a spyder 2 express, works fine for me - I do color adjustment work in a darkened room so ambient light calibration isn't an issue for me.