Is easy color management available?

[Goldilocks]

 I once found a webpage that had squares and went from black to light changing every few seconds. It was obvious that my CRT monitor was very red in the dark areas.  (I've tried searching for it but I can't find it. I guess it wasn't bookmarked on any of the computers that I use- thought it was). Would anyone know of what site I'm talking about or a simple site or approach for visually "calibrating" your monitor? I just found a Triniton by Dell. an Ultra Scan P990, manufactered in 1998. (Someone was throwing it out). I'd like an inexpensive approach to "calibrate" my monitor(s). I'm using sRGB and I use mostly HP's snapfish for prints (since my photoprinter's ink is watersoluble and fades easily and I don't consider them to be my permanent photos.
Also, I recently purchased a HP Pavillion laptop, which doesn't bomb out like my old desktop. How would you recommend setting myself up, color settings, etc. so that I can use my Triniton with my laptop when I don't need the portablility. Also, what would you recommend that I do to "calibrate" and best see the screen on the laptop when I'm not near my 19" Triniton? I also, don't know what is involved in hooking up a laptop to a CRT monitor, but if no one here can tell me, I'm sure to find some 30 or under year old that would be able to answer that. Color theory, technology, graphics cards, visual seeing, color compatability with different hardwares and advice from others is what I need the most from this site.
Thanks,
Linda (Goldilocks)

[digitaldog]

Forget it, visual calibration doesn't work! That is if you want the same pixel values to produce the same color appearance day in and day out (which is what should happen).

Read this and examine the optical illusion:

http://www.takegreatpictures.com/HOME/Colu...and_Display.fci

[dwdallam]

Forget it, visual calibration doesn't work! That is if you want the same pixel values to produce the same color appearance day in and day out (which is what should happen).

Read this and examine the optical illusion:

http://www.takegreatpictures.com/HOME/Colu...and_Display.fci
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=74085\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I use a Spyder hardware calibration system for my monitor. I get great images that match 98% what I see on screen after I did it (Using Costco Profiles and printing on the specified printer). I bought their 2nd to higest end model. Perfect prints, but you need to get use to soft profing and then converting your image beofre printing it (See Dry Creek profiles, which Costco uses).

[Goldilocks]

I use a Spyder hardware calibration system for my monitor. I get great images that match 98% what I see on screen after I did it (Using Costco Profiles and printing on the specified printer). I bought their 2nd to higest end model. Perfect prints, but you need to get use to soft profing and then converting your image beofre printing it (See Dry Creek profiles, which Costco uses).
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=74412\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Hi. Thanks for the info. I don't have a grasp of what soft proofing is. Seems when I look at sites, they get very technical and I'm missing the general point. Can someone give me a beginners definition of soft proofing and a modest price (under $150) to calibrate both my Trinitron Dell P990 monitor (manufactured in 1998) and my HP Pavillion Brightview widescreen laptop to use with Costco's Snapfish print system and  Canon's s70 powershot raw format, jpeg and Canon's s80.  I was hoping to be able to use either monitor from the same laptop, depending upon my whereabouts and the quality expected for that particular print. I'm assuming I can get ICC profiles to handle the task. Am I correct? But I don't understand the process in total as it applies to my needs. I'm not making a living doing this, so I'm not interested in upgrading my hardware any more than I have already done. Any further explanations or direction to send me to would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Linda,
(Goldilocks)

[digitaldog]

Hi. Thanks for the info. I don't have a grasp of what soft proofing is.[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

[a href=\"http://www.ppmag.com/reviews/200409_rodneycm.pdf]http://www.ppmag.com/reviews/200409_rodneycm.pdf[/url]

[Goldilocks]

HI Stephen,
If you are still reading this topic do you have any other advice to enlighten me?
Linda
(Goldilocks)

[photopat]

Goldilocks.
Andrew has already linked you 2 times to 1 (written by him self) site (and a pdf) about this, and he knows what hes talking about.

I will however try to simplyfie this for you.
But before I do that I'll just add that your moitors (whatever the brand they would have been ,and if you have used them alot) could be hard to calibrate since they are about 8 years old...
And the laptop will never calibtrate to the standard of critical color adjustments due to the nature of laptop screens.

Soft proofing= viewing the image in PS as it will print on the selected meida (paper,inc and rendering intent)
with the profile made for the above named combo.

All paper/inc/printer combos have their limits and the image will most of the times not print as it looks in "normal" view in PS (even if the monitor is  well calibrated ).

But you can adjust the image in PS  (with curves,levels hue/saturation layers etc)so the print (with the limitation of paper ,inc ,printer can produce) comes as close as it can to the image seen on the screen.

This is done when softproofing (viewing how the print will print with the used combo of inc,paper,profile etc).

Patrick.

[Goldilocks]

Yes, thank you everyone, especially Andrew. It is trying to figure out what that combination for me entails (Spyder calibration?, ICC profiles for the camera and monitor and Costco's Snapfish printing? and the cost for my needs. I think I know enough now to call B&H photo and video and ask the proper questions as to what they would recommend to purchase.  If you have a better method of figuring out what would be best for my needs, taking into account my hardware, camera and cost factor I'm open for suggestions. I don't know if there is compatibilty/support problems for the items that I presently own/use that I am not aware of and should be aware of before jumping into buying calibration stuff. (I get that feeling as I search the sites)

Also, if one does not need to edit in Photoshop: Example edit in Raw Shooter, convert to jpeg (maybe edit in some other software for jpegs and/or Noise Ninja) and send out to print at Costco's SnapFish would that work or do you have to utilize Photoshop for the color calibration to be close to effective? I don't always need to use Photoshop for each picture.  Presently, I am NOT printing in Adobe 1998 color space, just sRGB. Again I'm not sure if I have support/compatibility problems. I'm sorry if I sound like an incompetent pain in the ---. I'm just trying to solve my issues without going out buying and spending time and money on something that doesn't work right for me. (And boy is that easy to do in this tech world. I'm sure we have all done it at least once if not more than once)

Everyone, thanks for your information, input and most of all patience.
Linda
(Goldilocks)

[photopat]

Linda:

Also, if one does not need to edit in Photoshop: Example edit in Raw Shooter, convert to jpeg (maybe edit in some other software for jpegs and/or Noise Ninja) and send out to print at Costco's SnapFish would that work or do you have to utilize Photoshop for the color calibration to be close to effective? I don't always need to use Photoshop for each picture. Presently, I am NOT printing in Adobe 1998 color space, just sRGB. Again I'm not sure if I have support/compatibility problems. I'm sorry if I sound like an incompetent pain in the ---. I'm just trying to solve my issues without going out buying and spending time and money on something that doesn't work right for me.

You don't have to utilize PS for the calibration..This is done with a separate application that comes with the hardware calibrator.

Once the calibration is made it will create a display profile so that your display is calibrated all the time (you would normally  recalibrate every 2 weeks since displays drift) in all applications as this will be the default display profile used in your system.

This is equally important in all applications where you edit/view your images/RAW's in.

I'd get a Spyder if I were you so you can calibrate your display's , and maybe start with
the low end kit if money is an issue Spyder2express
This can then be upgrade to theSpyder2pro at a later stage (if you find it necessary).


Patrick.

[Goldilocks]

Thanks Pat and everyone else. You all have been a great help.