LCD to print density

[Craig Murphy]

I'm having trouble getting used to looking at my LCD for a density match to print.  Never an issue with my CRT.  In other words what looks good on screen is printing too dark on my 9800.  This NEC 2690 is new for me.  Not quite sure how I should be approaching this.  The profile is already using 100cd/m which is on the low end to begin with.  Is it just that you have to make images look overly bright on screen with lcd's?  Kind of guess at how its going to print?

[digitaldog]

I'm having trouble getting used to looking at my LCD for a density match to print.  Never an issue with my CRT.  In other words what looks good on screen is printing too dark on my 9800.  This NEC 2690 is new for me.  Not quite sure how I should be approaching this.  The profile is already using 100cd/m which is on the low end to begin with.  Is it just that you have to make images look overly bright on screen with lcd's?  Kind of guess at how its going to print?
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You setting up the soft proof for Paper White/Ink Black?

100cd/m2 is way too low for this unit. I initially calibrated to 120, NEC told me to use 150 as 120 is just at its lower useable limits. Of course, you need to view the prints with this in mind (a dimmable GTI light box is invaluable).

[Jack Varney]

Rodney,

Please clarify a point for me regarding the luminance settings. Wouldn't setting a higher luminance value make a bright monitor/dark print difference even greater?

[digitaldog]

Rodney,

Please clarify a point for me regarding the luminance settings. Wouldn't setting a higher luminance value make a bright monitor/dark print difference even greater?
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The profile for the display and printer should compensate here but you need to target luminance to viewing conditions of the print as well as ensuring you're not working with too dim a display compared to the ambient light around the display.

So you have one issue, older CRT displays that couldn’t reach very high luminance levels. You had to keep the ambient light very low around these units (16-25 lux for a display putting out 85-95 cd/m2). The brightest object you should be seeing is the display, not the lighting around the display.

Now we have LCD's that can produce much higher luminance values (they were designed for office environments). So now we don't have to work in dim caves. OK, what about the viewing conditions of the print? You have ideally a light box with dimmer like those from GTI. You don't have to keep the display luminance way low and you don't have to dim the box way down either but you do want to dim the box such that you get good screen to print matching.

So, there's no fixed luminance to aim for. You can be so low that you have to really compensate for the rest of the lighting in your studio, that's no longer much an issue with LCDs. Out of the box, they can usually do 200-300 cd/m2, you need sun glasses (and you'll probably not going to match that to a light booth).

You want the display to be as low as comfortable, the higher you drive em, the less they will last.

120-150 cd/m2 for an LCD should be a good sweet spot for not getting close to over driving them nor making them too bright for a good light box.

[Craig Murphy]

I am using soft proof with paper white checked off.   Still a disconnect between print and monitor though.  I do have to work on getting a proper viewing area set up.  Anyone using the Solux bulbs to view prints?

[rdonson]

Anyone using the Solux bulbs to view prints?
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Based on Andrew's recommendation of Solux I bought their Print Viewing setup (4 - 50W bulbs in a track light).  Works wonderfully.  It's made a huge difference in my print evaluation.  My Ott light is now used for reading not print evaluation.

[Craig Murphy]

I just ordered the same thing.  Thanks for the confirmation.  I suppose I could have  gone to Home Depot, bought a track and four fixtures, then only the bulbs from Solux for less money but maybe their hardware is a little better.

[Craig Murphy]

Received the new Solux unit.  The light fixtures are better quality then the cheap units you can buy at Home Depot etc.  I'm using the 4700 degree bulbs.  They register neutral with my color meter.   I'm having a hard time seeing any color or density imbalance in the soft proof between my monitor and prints.  Yeah.  This is great.  The bulbs are set up reading 540 lux at the point where I would look at a print. I have them right over my 9800.  I figure to be able to get a better peak at prints coming out also.   Can't get them any higher though.  I suppose this is where a dimmable light box is better as you can match your screen to viewing lux better.  Color temp reads through Spectraview at  4400k.  Pretty close to my color meter reading. (4270k)
Still have to work on eliminating some light spill over on my monitor.   Doesn't seem to make much difference viewing though.