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Author Topic: Calibrating Macbook Pro Monitor  (Read 1076 times)

John Hollenberg

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Calibrating Macbook Pro Monitor
« on: July 21, 2022, 11:18:29 am »

I have a friend who has a 2019 Macbook Pro and an Epson P900 printer.  Since I know nothing about Macs (Windows guy with NEC monitor with Spectraview), I am seeking advice on calibrating her monitor.  She is an amateur photographer with a good artistic eye.  She has Lightroom Classic and is just starting to learn how to use it. Here are a few questions:

1) Can the Macbook Pro be calibrated/profiled sufficiently to provide a good screen to print match?  If so, what hardware/software do you recommend?
2) Would she be better off getting an external monitor that could be better profiled (as well as providing a larger screen)?  If so, what monitor would you recommend?  My guess is that she would be willing to spend up to $1,000 to $1500 for external monitor if that is a much better solution?

I read through other threads on the forum but couldn't find a good answer to my questions.
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vjbelle

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Re: Calibrating Macbook Pro Monitor
« Reply #1 on: July 21, 2022, 06:01:50 pm »

If your friend is serious about printing then I would recommend that she invest in a monitor (27 inch is a good size).  MBP monitors can be profiled but they will never match the accuracy of a good external monitor.  I used to use NEC monitors for years but they no longer make monitors for my photographic needs - I believe they have ended production of their photographic line.  When my NEC died I decided to buy an Eizo CS2740 and couldn't be happier.  Software is free and very accurate.  The monitor is beyond anything I had owned in the past with regards to color accuracy and screen uniformity.  It is a 4k monitor that will work very well with an Apple computer.  They are hard to find or at least were and are at the upper end of your friends budget but she will never regret the purchase.  Her printer can easily be profiled for very little money and along with the profiled monitor she will have a very good color managed workflow. 

There are less expensive monitors like BenQ, Apple, Dell, Asus, etc but they are not in the same league as Eizo. 

Victor B.
« Last Edit: July 21, 2022, 06:14:39 pm by vjbelle »
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MichaelKoerner

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Re: Calibrating Macbook Pro Monitor
« Reply #2 on: July 23, 2022, 01:54:06 am »

+1

John Hollenberg

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Re: Calibrating Macbook Pro Monitor
« Reply #3 on: July 23, 2022, 08:48:45 am »

When my NEC died I decided to buy an Eizo CS2740 and couldn't be happier.  Software is free and very accurate. 

Thank you for your thoughtful comments.  Would you get the one with the EX4 calibration sensor or buy a different calibration solution?
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vjbelle

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Re: Calibrating Macbook Pro Monitor
« Reply #4 on: July 24, 2022, 07:10:15 am »

I have an Xrite i1pro Display Pro but it is no longer available and I doubt any better than what Eizo packages with their monitor.  The price that Eizo is charging for the colorimiter seems very reasonable. 

Victor B.
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vjbelle

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Re: Calibrating Macbook Pro Monitor
« Reply #5 on: July 24, 2022, 04:14:56 pm »

If your friend does get this monitor I suggest that she does not automatically accept the default screen resolution which I find to scale too large (Text, Windows, etc) for me.  Instead she should see how the other resolutions appear to her as one may be much more to her liking.  I have settled on the middle of the road screen resolution scaling (3008 X 1692).  Fonts on the desktop are smaller but very legible and programs don't take up too much screen space.  Im sure one resolution or the other will be acceptable.  Regardless they are all very clear. 

Victor B.
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John Hollenberg

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Re: Calibrating Macbook Pro Monitor
« Reply #6 on: July 24, 2022, 05:12:12 pm »

Thanks Victor.  I told her about the options, she is weighing them.  We will see what see selects.  I think she should get the external monitor.
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Lessbones

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Re: Calibrating Macbook Pro Monitor
« Reply #7 on: July 24, 2022, 05:23:03 pm »

the i1 display pro is still available, it's just called the "colorchecker display pro" now and is sold by Calibrite, the company that bought X-rite consumer products.  It's certainly better than the internal calibration sensor on an eizo monitor, unless you have access to a spectrophotometer to do a sensor correlation in the eizo software
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TechTalk

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Re: Calibrating Macbook Pro Monitor
« Reply #8 on: July 25, 2022, 02:40:25 pm »

It's certainly better than the internal calibration sensor on an eizo monitor, unless you have access to a spectrophotometer to do a sensor correlation in the eizo software

That depends on the Eizo model as the internal sensors are not all the same. Still, a separate colorimeter for comparison and verification is a good idea. A spectrophotometer and sensor correlation, as you suggest, an even better option.
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vjbelle

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Re: Calibrating Macbook Pro Monitor
« Reply #9 on: July 25, 2022, 09:20:09 pm »

It's certainly better than the internal calibration sensor on an eizo monitor, unless you have access to a spectrophotometer to do a sensor correlation in the eizo software

I believe that the EX4 monitor calibration sensor that is bundled with the monitor is an external device.  I have not seen the sensor but have read that it looks like a Spyder calibration sensor. 

Victor B.
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