# Colour Correcting Your Monitor



## flowin (Feb 17, 2011)

I do a lot of video editing, and I am noticing that my screen is not the exact colour scheme as the Plasmas or LCD tvs when it is outputted. Is there a tool or program that will allow you to properly correct a monitor for video?

I am using a Mac Pro with an LCD cinema display


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## Andrew Pratt (Feb 16, 2007)

There's a few tools that you can use to calibrate your computers display. Data Color's Spyder is one option (link) but there are others as well.

One thing to note though is that while its ideal to calibrate your display the vast majority of plasma's and LCD TV's are going to look VERY different....there's just so much variability on consumer TV's.


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## flowin (Feb 17, 2011)

That's very true, will keep in mind. Thanks for the link, i will check it out.


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## Guest (Feb 19, 2011)

I prefer the i1Display 2 ... never had much luck with the Spyder products but have been very happy with my D2.

X-Rite: Get exactly the color you need, every time, anywhere in the world.


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## boukman2 (Apr 6, 2009)

if you look for 'display' in preferences, you will find a self calibration tool. not the same quality as the fancy tools mentioned above, but it might do for starters.


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## screature (May 14, 2007)

mguertin said:


> I prefer the i1Display 2 ... never had much luck with the Spyder products but have been very happy with my D2.
> 
> X-Rite: Get exactly the color you need, every time, anywhere in the world.


+1 The X-rite is far superior.


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## screature (May 14, 2007)

boukman2 said:


> if you look for 'display' in preferences, you will find a self calibration tool. not the same quality as the fancy tools mentioned above, *but it might do for starters.*


Not really even comparable to creating a colour profile using a colorimeter. The built in calibration process in OSX is still highly subjective based on the viewers eye, colorimeters are based on empirical data collected from the colorimeter and processed via the software supplied with the colorimeter.

Calibration via a users eye is next to worthless other than to adjust you monitor to how *you* want things to look, in terms of profiling it is pretty much worthless.


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## eMacMan (Nov 27, 2006)

boukman2 said:


> if you look for 'display' in preferences, you will find a self calibration tool. not the same quality as the fancy tools mentioned above, but it might do for starters.


Usually quite adequate for non-pros. Current versions are more accurate than back in the days of Jaguar and OS 8 and 9. However they are more difficult to use. Suggest having the desktop image set to plain neutral grey when doing the calibration. That will make it much easier to detect subtle colour shifts.


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## screature (May 14, 2007)

eMacMan said:


> *Usually quite adequate for non-pros*. Current versions are more accurate than back in the days of Jaguar and OS 8 and 9. However they are more difficult to use. Suggest having the desktop image set to plain neutral grey when doing the calibration. That will make it much easier to detect subtle colour shifts.


Can be... depends on the colour acuity of the user. Any degree of colour blindness (like being tone deaf for music) means it is worthless.

For the "average" user the OSD controls on the monitor are adequate for that matter. Just sayin'. But it doesn't sound like the OP is the "average user".


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## Guest (Feb 19, 2011)

The built in software calibration is better than nothing ... it's at least a step in the right direction without shelling out for hardware and software for the task.


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## boukman2 (Apr 6, 2009)

*which to adjust?*



flowin said:


> I do a lot of video editing, and I am noticing that my screen is not the exact colour scheme as the Plasmas or LCD tvs when it is outputted. Is there a tool or program that will allow you to properly correct a monitor for video?
> 
> I am using a Mac Pro with an LCD cinema display


there is another issue of course, and that is that the tvs you are comparing it to may also be misadjusted. or it may be that you are seeing the differences between the types of screens and, even perfectly calibrated they just aren't going to look the same...

if you are using the built in calibration on the mac, pay attention to what kind of lighting you have in the room you are working in. for instance, if you adjust it while you have fluorescent lights on, you will end up with greenish images, under tungsten you will get yellowish, although it will seem fine at the time. i suspect either daylight or full dark would be the best situations for doing eyeball calibration.


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## Guest (Feb 19, 2011)

Also worth noting if you're doing TV related work make sure to use a target gamma of 2.2 (not 1.8 which is the default on some hardware in OSX).


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## screature (May 14, 2007)

mguertin said:


> The built in software calibration is better than nothing ... it's at least a step in the right direction without shelling out for hardware and software for the task.


Better than noting I suppose... but still *next* to nothing in my experience.


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## eMacMan (Nov 27, 2006)

mguertin said:


> Also worth noting if you're doing TV related work make sure to use a target gamma of 2.2 (not 1.8 which is the default on some hardware in OSX).


Since most printers and labs use PC standards this really applies to anything requiring calibration. Again working with a grey screen and using the correct gamma will work wonders when trying to use the built in color syncing. The reason for the grey screen is that your eye will quickly tell you if you did not get a good sync. 

Another thought, especially with the current crop of super glossy monitors, is to make sure that room or light reflections are kept to a minimum.

Built in sync certainly does a good enough job on my old eMac that I can send images to a photo lab, request zero correction and get an excellent match to screen about 98% of the time. This even though I spent many years running photo labs.


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## flowin (Feb 17, 2011)

Thanks for all the info guys. Much appreciated. I will try one or some of these. Thanks.


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