Newbie Hypothetical Question about Color Managment

[Robert Boire]

Hello,

So this one has been bothering me for a long time...

Support we have two different  monitors that have the same size... say a relatively inexpensive consumer monitor (from Dell for example) and a high end monitor (from NEK for example).  Let us suppose that the high end monitor is not a wide gamut display and that both monitors have more or less the same gamut.  Let us suppose as well that both monitors have been recently calibrated and have accurate profiles.

We are using the monitors to adjust the images, soft proof and ultimately print using a color-managed workflow to a printer that also has a profile. Assume that the images are not out of gamut. So given that and ignoring possible bells and whistles on the monitor what difference does it make to the final print which monitor I use? In other words, if  profiles are meant to provide a "color calibrated" representation of an digital file, why would it make any difference to use an inexpensive monitor compared to the high end monitor?

Thanks

Robert

[Jim Kasson]

Support we have two different  monitors that have the same size... say a relatively inexpensive consumer monitor (from Dell for example) and a high end monitor (from NEK for example).  Let us suppose that the high end monitor is not a wide gamut display and that both monitors have more or less the same gamut.  Let us suppose as well that both monitors have been recently calibrated and have accurate profiles.

We are using the monitors to adjust the images, soft proof and ultimately print using a color-managed workflow to a printer that also has a profile. Assume that the images are not out of gamut. So given that and ignoring possible bells and whistles on the monitor what difference does it make to the final print which monitor I use? In other words, if  profiles are meant to provide a "color calibrated" representation of an digital file, why would it make any difference to use an inexpensive monitor compared to the high end monitor?

The inexpensive monitor is likely to not have uniform colors all across the screen, and, if so, that won't be calibrated out; the calibrator makes its measurements in one area of the screen. The colors are also likely to shift as you move your head. Some expensive monitors have internal lookup tables (LUTs) for making fine color adjustments; inexpensive monitors don't. Some expensive monitors allow adjustment of brightness without losing color calibration; inexpensive monitors don't. Expensive monitors may have some mechanisms to minimize drift over time.

Jim

[D Fosse]

Of course the display has no direct impact on the print. But it does affect your editing decisions, and so it has indirect impact. That's why a good display is essential.

A typical example is the muddy highlights you often see in printed material. This is because it's been prepared on a cheap monitor with little separation over 240, so it all appears white on screen.

There really is a difference between good and bad displays. But that has nothing to do with bells and whistles (that's just marketing).

[darlingm]

... The colors are also likely to shift as you move your head...

This is what ultimately lit the fire for me years ago to replace my consumer-level monitor.  It was calibrated and profiled and I was able to get by with color correcting artwork reproduction on it.  Was having one of those "what is wrong" moments, when I knew I should wind up much closer with the colors I was working with.  Re-profiled my monitor, spent a bunch of time checking everything.

Then, I got out of my chair to head to the printer, but luckily gazed at the screen while getting up.  Saw a huge color shift.  Then I realized the monitor was off-tilt just a little bit.  That's what cost me hours of headache.  Then once it clicked I started playing with it, and could see the color change as I scrolled parts of it away from the center to the bottom of the screen.

IPS monitors don't have this issue, at least not nearly to the same extent.