Monitor calibration with i1 Display 2

[Guigui]

Hi there !

I bought an i1 display 2 from Gretag Macbeth and installed the Eye-One Match 3 driver for Windows.

I am trying to calibrate my monitor which is a Samsung Syncmaster 226BW (I know, not really professional gear...). All goes fine until I am asked to manually adjust the RGB balance of the screen in order to center all three RGB indicators, which I find to be impossible after countless attempts at tweaking color balance. Somehow, one of the three colors is always off-balance (especially the blue indicator, which is almost always stuck on the left whatever I do).

Several questions :

- Did I get something wrong ?
- Is it possible that my screen is so crappy that it can't be calibrated ?
- Should I seriously consider buying a high-range professional monitor (Eizo, LaCie, Nec...) ? What do you guys use ?


One more thing :

I'm fairly new to the concept of "color managed workflow", so this might sound like a stupid question, but here goes : when I first calibrated my monitor (which I have been using for years for personal use (movies, web browsing, etc...), I find the general display to be less contrasted, less colorful and generally less appealing than before. Is this normal ? In other words, does calibrating your monitor for printing mean that you cannot fully enjoy all the potential brightness and contrast for other purposes than just proofing & printing ?

Thanks !

[digitaldog]

I am trying to calibrate my monitor which is a Samsung Syncmaster 226BW (I know, not really professional gear...). All goes fine until I am asked to manually adjust the RGB balance of the screen in order to center all three RGB indicators, which I find to be impossible after countless attempts at tweaking color balance. Somehow, one of the three colors is always off-balance (especially the blue indicator, which is almost always stuck on the left whatever I do).

Don't. Set it for native white point and forget that step, it buys you nothing anyway but more banding.

[dct123]

Hi there !

I bought an i1 display 2 from Gretag Macbeth and installed the Eye-One Match 3 driver for Windows.

I am trying to calibrate my monitor which is a Samsung Syncmaster 226BW (I know, not really professional gear...). All goes fine until I am asked to manually adjust the RGB balance of the screen in order to center all three RGB indicators, which I find to be impossible after countless attempts at tweaking color balance. Somehow, one of the three colors is always off-balance (especially the blue indicator, which is almost always stuck on the left whatever I do).

Several questions :

- Did I get something wrong ?
- Is it possible that my screen is so crappy that it can't be calibrated ?
- Should I seriously consider buying a high-range professional monitor (Eizo, LaCie, Nec...) ? What do you guys use ?


One more thing :

I'm fairly new to the concept of "color managed workflow", so this might sound like a stupid question, but here goes : when I first calibrated my monitor (which I have been using for years for personal use (movies, web browsing, etc...), I find the general display to be less contrasted, less colorful and generally less appealing than before. Is this normal ? In other words, does calibrating your monitor for printing mean that you cannot fully enjoy all the potential brightness and contrast for other purposes than just proofing & printing ?

Thanks !

If you calibrate your monitor with the Samsung on-screen controls you should be able to bring all 3 color bars to show a green center bar. if your monitor will not allow this, then you may have a defective monitor. When you move red or green controls up or down this also affects the blue balance. Try auto balance if all else fails, then tweak from there. Remember, the goal is to match the screen to your prints. Most monitors are too bright and/or contrasty...they make your images 'pop' off the screen, and sure, the images look great, but that is not likely how they will print.  Also, different media sometimes need different settings. Try selecting a workspace in photoshop for the particular paper you're using if you're having difficulty color matching that media, a canvas for instance...choose that canvas as your soft proof match in your workspace settings.