An Alternative to the iMac Display?

[steverap]

In my workflow - including Photoshop, Epson P800, X-Rite ColorMunki - I’ve become frustrated with the P3-based display on my 27” iMac (late 2015). The color disconnect between monitor and printer is especially frustrating: the color cast of or some colors in many prints do not match what’s on my screen. What’s the best alternative - NEC, Eizo, Benq?

[Aram Hăvărneanu]

Have you calibrated everything correctly? How are you viewing your prints, and what's the ambient light around the monitor? The fact that it's P3-based should not matter (unless you consistently print outside P3). The display is very accurate (though, unfortunately it's glossy). It's possible that some better display might provide you with better results, but before jumping ship you should understand exactly what is wrong with the current one.

[digitaldog]

In my workflow - including Photoshop, Epson P800, X-Rite ColorMunki - I’ve become frustrated with the P3-based display on my 27” iMac (late 2015). The color disconnect between monitor and printer is especially frustrating: the color cast of or some colors in many prints do not match what’s on my screen. What’s the best alternative - NEC, Eizo, Benq?

Why are my prints too dark?
A video update to a written piece on subject from 2013

In this 24 minute video, I'll cover:

Are your prints really too dark?
Display calibration and WYSIWYG
Proper print viewing conditions
Trouble shooting to get a match
Avoiding kludges that don't solve the problem

High resolution: http://digitaldog.net/files/Why_are_my_prints_too_dark.mp4
Low resolution: https://youtu.be/iS6sjZmxjY4

[smthopr]

In my workflow - including Photoshop, Epson P800, X-Rite ColorMunki - I’ve become frustrated with the P3-based display on my 27” iMac (late 2015). The color disconnect between monitor and printer is especially frustrating: the color cast of or some colors in many prints do not match what’s on my screen. What’s the best alternative - NEC, Eizo, Benq?

I think the only difference between the iMac screen and the others may be screen uniformity and black level.  And that doesn't seem like your issue here.

So, something else is amiss here.  Check out Andrew's link and see if that helps you.  Keep in mind that the type and color of the light in which you view your prints makes a HUGE difference to the perceived color and brightness of the prints. Unless you match the viewing light to your display color and brightness, you'll never get a perfect match.  The good news is that our eyes do adjust to the print viewing light, and we don't always need a perfect match.  And in real life, we don't usually control the viewing light for our prints anyways, so we can only be "close enough".

[steverap]

Thanks to everyone for your replies.

Yes, I calibrate my display monthly with an X-Rite ColorMunki with i1Studio software. I usually use these settings: D65 white point and 100 cd/m2, though I have tried other profiles (e.g. D55). I also create my own ICC Profiles (with the same X-Rite tool) to use with my Epson P800 printer.

I understand the difference between images on a screen (projected light) and prints (reflected light), and thus I also understand the importance of the type and color of the light under which prints are viewed (I have a pair of lighting fixtures with 2500 lumens, daylight 5000K bulbs). Indeed I have found that if I view my prints outdoors (in the shade on a sunny day) they look much, much better.

My frustration is that I cannot expect to be able to show my prints to people under those ideal conditions. However, it sounds like I will have to live with that frustration.

So, the consensus is that there is little reason to believe that switching from my iMac display to a NEC, Eizo, or Benq display will make much difference?

Steve

[digitaldog]

Just worry about Display to print matching as after, there is no display in the equation and our eyes adapt to other Illuminant.

[steverap]

Sorry, Andrew, I do not understand your reply. Steve

[digitaldog]

Sorry, Andrew, I do not understand your reply. Steve

Did you watch the video? It's addressed there too.
You can't control how others illuminant your prints. And unless they do so with a completely inappropriate illuminant, doesn't matter.
Take a white piece of paper and view it under any tungsten light; looks white. Then take it outdoors. Looks white. Your eye adapts to the illuminant. This has been true for paintings, photography and anything else we view long before displays were used to edit color and tone. You need to know the display and print being viewed NEXT to the display produce a visual match. Then if what you saw is what you got there, move the print elsewhere (or a painting etc) and unless it's totally unfit for viewing that object (a 5watt nigh-light bulb), your eye will adapt to the illuminant.

[steverap]

Yes, not only did I watch the video (months ago), I bought your book :-)! Thanks for the response, Steve

[digitaldog]

My work is done.