Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Monitor Calibration - Yes, I Know???  (Read 4369 times)

jemsurvey

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 59
Monitor Calibration - Yes, I Know???
« on: June 01, 2014, 10:14:40 am »

Hi all, need a bit of guidance.  I'm using a NEC PA271W-SV monitored profiled with the Spectraview software using the following settings: D65 white point with Display Luminance: 110cd/m, Contrast Ratio: 250 to 1.  Prints printed with Epson R3000 on glossy Canson Baryta 310 with manufacturer profile have a slight green cast or tint.  Prints look ok viewed alone but alongside monitor you can see the green color difference.  Also prints may be slightly dark.

Couple questions...Do my settings seem a reasonable starting point? (I have in the past used higher luminance and contrast settings but these seem better).  Do you think the luminance value is too low.  Would pirnts appear lighter or darker with a higher monitor luminance?  Would a printer profile created with a Colormunki or Spyderprint make a difference in the output? And which profiling hardware would you choose between the two?

Thanks for any advice,
John Marrocco
« Last Edit: June 01, 2014, 10:18:08 am by jemsurvey »
Logged

hugowolf

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1001
Re: Monitor Calibration - Yes, I Know???
« Reply #1 on: June 01, 2014, 10:50:41 am »

There is no fixed good luminance level, it depends on the ambient lighting in your editing environment. 80 cd/m² and D50 would be good for cave like conditions with 60W tungsten light bulbs. I use 140 cd/m² at D65 in a daylight lit bright space.

You can not use edited images for determining color cast. You need a standard test image (printed unedited), such as the one from OutBack
http://www.outbackphoto.com/printinginsights/pi049/essay.html

or Digital Dog (Andrew Rodney)
http://www.digitaldog.net/tips/

Brian A
Logged

Jim Kasson

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2370
    • The Last Word
Re: Monitor Calibration - Yes, I Know???
« Reply #2 on: June 01, 2014, 10:53:17 am »

Hi all, need a bit of guidance.  I'm using a NEC PA271W-SV monitored profiled with the Spectraview software using the following settings: D65 white point with Display Luminance: 110cd/m, Contrast Ratio: 250 to 1.  Prints printed with Epson R3000 on glossy Canson Baryta 310 with manufacturer profile have a slight green cast or tint.  Prints look ok viewed alone but alongside monitor you can see the green color difference.  Also prints may be slightly dark.

I use 80 cd/m2 as an aim point in a pretty dark room. That may explain the "prints too dark". You also need a light surround on the screen to avoid this.

If you're going to compare the prints to the monitor side-by-side, you're going to have to illuminate the print with a light of the same color temperature as the white point of the monitor. That means finding a D65 light source or doing the more common thing: setting the white point of the monitor to D50. That said, do you really want to do your comparisons side-by-side? That's tough to get right, and anyone viewing your prints won't be able to see your monitor.

Jim
« Last Edit: June 01, 2014, 10:56:28 am by Jim Kasson »
Logged

digitaldog

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 20630
  • Andrew Rodney
    • http://www.digitaldog.net/
Re: Monitor Calibration - Yes, I Know???
« Reply #3 on: June 01, 2014, 12:28:23 pm »

The settings are only reasonable if they produce a visual match to something you're trying to visually match.  ;D

See: http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/why_are_my_prints_too_dark.shtml

You can 'fix' (alter) green to magenta bias is SpectraView within the Custom White Point area of the software.
Logged
http://www.digitaldog.net/
Author "Color Management for Photographers".

jemsurvey

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 59
Re: Monitor Calibration - Yes, I Know???
« Reply #4 on: June 01, 2014, 02:20:20 pm »

Thanks for the replies.  I'm making myself crazy.  I have printed out Andrew's 2014 test print and to my eyes the monitor is either blue or magenta as compared to the print.  I'm know it makes a major difference so I need to determine which it is.  I have done about a dozen profiles to try and match the monitor to the print.  Going to D55 or D50 on the white point does not get any better in terms of the overall color bias, neither does D75 so I'm thinking its green-magenta.  I've read the 'prints too dark' article numerous times and I believe I know what I'm looking for but I'm certainly not an expert.  I would like to try and adjust the magenta bias out but really have no idea where to start with the Spectraview.  Is there any info around that will give me good starting info on how to make those adjustments?

Thanks again for all the help.
John
Logged

Jim Kasson

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2370
    • The Last Word
Re: Monitor Calibration - Yes, I Know???
« Reply #5 on: June 01, 2014, 03:09:35 pm »

 I have printed out Andrew's 2014 test print and to my eyes the monitor is either blue or magenta as compared to the print.  I'm know it makes a major difference so I need to determine which it is.  I have done about a dozen profiles to try and match the monitor to the print.  Going to D55 or D50 on the white point does not get any better in terms of the overall color bias, neither does D75 so I'm thinking its green-magenta. 

If you're still comparing the print and the monitor image in the same visual field, do you have a source of illumination for the print that attempts to match some Dxx spectrum?

If you print out a grey step wedge, does it have a color cast with respect to the image on the monitor? What if you print it out using the B&W mode of the printer driver? If you hold up an unprinted sheet of the paper you're printing on next to the monitor as it displays a 255/255/255 image, do they match? Does the source of illumination that lights the print also light the monitor? It shouldn't. Are the light levels of the monitor when set to 255/255/255 the same as the surround on the print? Make sure the size of the white surround on the monitor is the same size as the white surround on the print.

You see where I'm going with this. Try and remove as many variables from the mix as you can, including your printer profile.

Jim

JRSmit

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 922
    • Jan R. Smit Fine Art Printing Specialist
Re: Monitor Calibration - Yes, I Know???
« Reply #6 on: June 01, 2014, 03:11:49 pm »

What puck are you using?
And what lighting do you use for examining print?
« Last Edit: June 01, 2014, 03:14:17 pm by JRSmit »
Logged
Fine art photography: janrsmit.com
Fine Art Printing Specialist: www.fineartprintingspecialist.nl


Jan R. Smit

heheapa

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 14
Re: Monitor Calibration - Yes, I Know???
« Reply #7 on: June 02, 2014, 12:20:49 am »

Few comments:

1. Are your viewing from a  monitor with Photoshop and Soft-proofing enabled with your paper profile?

2. The ambient light may get green-magenta bias if your room is painted or you windoes glass is with Green or Magenta tinted, etc. As your print show more yellow and green compare to the monitor (6500k), I think it's common as if you have a lot of green plants outside the room.

3. 110 cd/m is probably a bit bright for softproofing as you saw darker prinout.

4. If you really want to be match perfectly for the printout and screen, then you may need to consider a GTI or JUST lightbox with brightness control.
Logged

jemsurvey

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 59
Re: Monitor Calibration - Yes, I Know???
« Reply #8 on: June 02, 2014, 07:35:28 pm »

Thanks all again for the replies and ideas.  I am printing from Lightroom and my print viewing is a series of Ott-Lite's that give me good even lighting but yes there is some spill over to the monitor.  I am using the Nec puck and software.  My B&W prints using Epson ABW are neutral with no color tint and density-wise look good.  I will try printing more test as per Jim's suggestions and let you know where I'm at.
Logged

Jim Kasson

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2370
    • The Last Word
Re: Monitor Calibration - Yes, I Know???
« Reply #9 on: June 02, 2014, 08:06:31 pm »

  My B&W prints using Epson ABW are neutral with no color tint and density-wise look good. 

Do they match the B&W images on the monitor in color?

Jim

jemsurvey

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 59
Re: Monitor Calibration - Yes, I Know???
« Reply #10 on: June 04, 2014, 10:05:38 am »

Do they match the B&W images on the monitor in color?

Jim

I assume you mean a B&W print made with the color profile.  I'll have to check that.
Logged

Jim Kasson

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2370
    • The Last Word
Re: Monitor Calibration - Yes, I Know???
« Reply #11 on: June 04, 2014, 10:21:17 am »

I assume you mean a B&W print made with the color profile.  I'll have to check that.

No, I mean the B&W print using the B&W data path in the Epson driver. I'm trying to get the ICC printer profile out of the picture, so we can make sure that your monitor and viewing conditions are OK, or find out where they're insufficient in isolation.

Jim

jemsurvey

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 59
Re: Monitor Calibration - Yes, I Know???
« Reply #12 on: June 04, 2014, 04:28:36 pm »

No, I mean the B&W print using the B&W data path in the Epson driver. I'm trying to get the ICC printer profile out of the picture, so we can make sure that your monitor and viewing conditions are OK, or find out where they're insufficient in isolation.

Jim
Ok, after reading that again its obvious what you mean.  I will look again and see.
Thanks
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up