Calibrate monitor

[thisbejonas]

Ok I bought the spyder2 express and callibrated my monitor and at the end of the process it said programs such as photoshop would now use the calibrated profile automatically. So I think all is good till I look at my flickr account and all my pics are very dark. So then I open one up in Photoshop to see if it looks dark there as well which it does look a little darker than normal but not as dark as flickr. So then I look at a pic in windows picture viewer and it looks normal. However I notice in photoshop below the image it says ADOBERGB. So I mess around with it for awhile with no results and actually ended up rebooting my computer. Now when I look at all my pics be it flickr or whatever they look normal again as in not dark. I right clickedx on desktop and went to properties>settings>advanced>color managment and it shows the spyder2 profile in the box.

So my question is how do I know my computer is using the profile and if it is why did it look dark and now looks the same as before.

How do I know photoshop is using the calibrated profile.

Do my pics on Flickr look to dark to anyone else?

Thanks for any help I have read alot of the other calibration threads on here but didnt find answers to my questions.

[blinked]

I'm no expert at monitor calibration. I tried long and hard to understand the whole process of calibration. I'm sure someone here can give you a more detailed explanation. I simply made sure that I had photo that I printed open while I calibrated my monitor. When the monitor match the my pic that I had printed. I was satisfied. My prints now match my monitor. I had to make sure I loaded and saved my profile in the software I print with. It may sound a little to easy, but this worked for me.

Peace

[windrider86]

I sure would love to help, but I pretty much have the same questions. My images look fine on the screen but when I print them they are several layers darker than what i am seeing.
I also have the same Spyder.

[thisbejonas]

Originally Posted by windrider86

I sure would love to help, but I pretty much have the same questions. My images look fine on the screen but when I print them they are several layers darker than what i am seeing.
I also have the same Spyder.

Wow I really thought that when you said you had the same questions this thread would really load up with some info, you being a moderator and all.

[Murtasma]

Originally Posted by windrider86

I sure would love to help, but I pretty much have the same questions. My images look fine on the screen but when I print them they are several layers darker than what i am seeing.
I also have the same Spyder.

You need a printer calibrator as well. The monitor calibration just calibrates the monitor. You calibrate your monitor then do a print and calibrate your printer with your printer calibrated. Now your printers calibrated profile will match or at least closely match what is displayed on your monitor.

[jagoble25]

Man I'm reading all these threads on monitor calibration, printer calibration. Sounds to me like i just need to get some guy from MIT to come over and set me up. Damn Gina!

[sybren]

It looks like you have two problems at once:

1. Your images are shot in AdobeRGB and put online in AdobeRGB.
2. Not all the software you're using uses the display colour profile.

The first problem is easily solved: shoot in sRGB instead. If you're not sure about the whole AdobeRGB or sRGB thing, just use sRGB and be happy.

The second problem is tougher, and I can't really help you there - I have no experience with Windows and colour calibration.

[autofocus]

Originally Posted by sybren

It looks like you have two problems at once:

1. Your images are shot in AdobeRGB and put online in AdobeRGB.
2. Not all the software you're using uses the display colour profile.

The first problem is easily solved: shoot in sRGB instead. If you're not sure about the whole AdobeRGB or sRGB thing, just use sRGB and be happy.

The second problem is tougher, and I can't really help you there - I have no experience with Windows and colour calibration.

I agree...the pro lab we use does not want images in Adobe RGB, they want sRGB only from us...maybe this was the case when you had your shots printed. Try sRGB and see if things improve

[gavingoh]

Originally Posted by thisbejonas

Ok I bought the spyder2 express and callibrated my monitor and at the end of the process it said programs such as photoshop would now use the calibrated profile automatically. So I think all is good till I look at my flickr account and all my pics are very dark. So then I open one up in Photoshop to see if it looks dark there as well which it does look a little darker than normal but not as dark as flickr. So then I look at a pic in windows picture viewer and it looks normal. However I notice in photoshop below the image it says ADOBERGB. So I mess around with it for awhile with no results and actually ended up rebooting my computer. Now when I look at all my pics be it flickr or whatever they look normal again as in not dark. I right clickedx on desktop and went to properties>settings>advanced>color managment and it shows the spyder2 profile in the box.

So my question is how do I know my computer is using the profile and if it is why did it look dark and now looks the same as before.

How do I know photoshop is using the calibrated profile.

Do my pics on Flickr look to dark to anyone else?

Thanks for any help I have read alot of the other calibration threads on here but didnt find answers to my questions.

I just had my monitor calibrated after getting comment not issue on brightness/contrast but over saturated. I was working on the LCD which I calibrated so dimm that I did not notice the effect of over saturated. I am using http://epaperpress.com/monitorcal/ but increases the brightness now. Still trying......