Monitor Calibiration

[natek313]

I am looking more seriously at calibrating my monitor so that my prints are a little more true to what I produce in Photoshop.

After doing some research, I am considering purchasing the X-Rite Eye-One Display 2 monitor calibrating tool. However, I'm just wondering about the compatibility of it with my monitor. I am using a 22" Gateway HD2201 monitor (LCD). I've looked at tutorials on how to use the monitor calibrator, and I do have a concern. My monitor does not allow me to adjust the RGB channels.

In the tutorial, the guy said that if the monitor doesn't allow for RGB channel adjustments, then you can just skip that step during the calibration process.

Do any of you know if bypassing that step is going to produce inaccurate results in calibration?

[zona5101]

I can't speak for that tool, but I have a spyder3 and it also has provisions from adjusting rgb during set up. I skipped that step. It calibrates fine. I don't know awhole lot about what it does, but after the eye samples the color from the monitor it writes some type of adjustment file that loads at startup and adjusts the monitor based on the calibration. I am not sure what manually adjusting the rgb would do that the monitor adjustment file wouldn't correct. Maybe a question for their service desk...also will give you an idea about their service level.

[natek313]

Thanks, Bruce.

I thought about contacting X-Rite a while after posting this question. I think I'll try contacting them tomorrow.

How do you like the Spyder3? Which model of the Spyder3 do you have, and how do you like it - results, user-friendliness, etc.?

[zona5101]

Spyder 3 pro ($155 @b&h/adorama). I like it fine but I have nothng to compare it to. I have a dual monitor set up and it has the ability to keep track of the adjustments for each. I don't print at home so I can't tell you about that part. I do know my monitors needed adjustment and I am getting more consistant results from stuff I send out. Funny, it was all prompted by a comment I posted here, about a pic I thought lacked separation between the hair and background. It looked like the same color. Another poster said I must have been smoking something...after purchase and calibration I went back to that post and it was amazing how far off my monitor was...
Good luck with it.