MacBook LCD: calibration

[f1to128]

Sorry am not too familiar with notebook monitor calibration (in fact never done this before)
hence asking:

Anybody calibrated their MacBook LCD screen before?

Since I will be out and about and access to my calibrated desktop Trinitron monitor will be limited to home use, I figured it may be useful to calibrate the MacBook.

First silly question:

When you use the calibrated MacBook, do you have to set it at a specific angle?
Does your calibrator software or manual make any recommendations?

The screen image looks slightly different with screen tilts, so I was wondering if there's any recommendation for viewing angles.

Second silly question:

What hardware calibrator do you use?

My current calibrator is CRT only, so...

Just an informal survey to aid my purchasing decision

[TamadeZ]

Originally Posted by f1to128 Sorry am not too familiar with notebook monitor calibration (in fact never done this before) hence asking: Anybody calibrated their MacBook LCD screen before? Since I will be out and about and access to my calibrated desktop Trinitron monitor will be limited to home use, I figured it may be useful to calibrate the MacBook. First silly question: When you use the calibrated MacBook, do you have to set it at a specific angle? Does your calibrator software or manual make any recommendations? The screen image looks slightly different with screen tilts, so I was wondering if there's any recommendation for viewing angles. Second silly question: What hardware calibrator do you use? My current calibrator is CRT only, so... Just an informal survey to aid my purchasing decision

i use the spyder 2 ..

it will make your screen looks slightly yellowish ..

but so far the print result i get from printing normal paper is better than before calibration

[sharkey39]

I just used macbk own calibrated screen. I think it should be enough.

[btrenkel]

Originally Posted by sharkey39 I just used macbk own calibrated screen. I think it should be enough.

Can you please explain this? The screen is calibrated or preset by Apple.
But frankly a real color calibration is necessary, once you submit to stock agencies

[Teegongkia]

I was also having problem with my macbook screen intially. Screen was abit too cool initially, however after i used spyder2express, colour become close to print.

Sorry ah TS, just to side track abit, i have another macbook screen problem which is the brightness and contrast still abit too high for macbook screen as compared to prints any one can help?

[f1to128]

Originally Posted by Teegongkia I was also having problem with my macbook screen intially. Screen was abit too cool initially, however after i used spyder2express, colour become close to print. Sorry ah TS, just to side track abit, i have another macbook screen problem which is the brightness and contrast still abit too high for macbook screen as compared to prints any one can help?

Hey no prob about the side track!

hmmm my thinking is that during the calibration process wouldn't the software already help you set the appropriate brightness levels?

but maybe some slight differences is natural, since the LCD is emitting light while prints absorb and reflect light.

also curious to know.

[aselley]

Where is the best place in SG to get spyder2express?

[Teegongkia]

Originally Posted by f1to128 Hey no prob about the side track! hmmm my thinking is that during the calibration process wouldn't the software already help you set the appropriate brightness levels? but maybe some slight differences is natural, since the LCD is emitting light while prints absorb and reflect light. also curious to know.

My spyder2express does not help to calibrate brightness level. What the program suggest is to set it to factory default which is not very helpful to me cos i dunno how to reset to factory default for my macbook (so i set at 50%).

The brightness difference between my screen and prints is quite significant so what i did is to set my brightness to even lesser 33% however my screen still appears to be brightner than prints. Initially, i thought it was the contrast of my macbook which is causing the problem and i went to reset my contrast to its minimum. However there is still some difference between screen and prints.

To aselley:
I got my spyder2express at CP(marina sq) for $159. It should one of the cheapest at the time when i got it ard 3-4 mths ago..

[hazmee]

Originally Posted by aselley Where is the best place in SG to get spyder2express?

S$159 at Cathay.

[hazmee]

Originally Posted by Teegongkia My spyder2express does not help to calibrate brightness level. What the program suggest is to set it to factory default which is not very helpful to me cos i dunno how to reset to factory default for my macbook (so i set at 50%). The brightness difference between my screen and prints is quite significant so what i did is to set my brightness to even lesser 33% however my screen still appears to be brightner than prints. Initially, i thought it was the contrast of my macbook which is causing the problem and i went to reset my contrast to its minimum. However there is still some difference between screen and prints.

Generally, that's the problem with most LCD monitors nowadays. Manufacturers tend to make it ultra bright. Maybe that's what consumers want nowadays. Bigger, brighter...etc.

On my Dell monitors, I had to set the brightness to 0 just to get a proper calibration. I even had to pull the brightness even lower by adjusting RGB values.

On the Macbook, the default profile from Apple is simply too blue for me. It's best to adjust the brightness of your LCD in a dark room to prevent ambient light from disturbing the calibration process. Since you are using the Spyder2Express, there's no way for you to measure the LCD brightness so the best way to do it is to adjust the brightness to your comfortable level. Make sure the shadows and highlights are visible then proceed with calibration. I did that for mine and it works great. Try these and see if it works for you.

Hope that helps. Cheers!

[macingrouch]

on contrary for me, my macbook screen is too warm... after manual calibration and calibration using a calibration software, and pulling my hair off, i gave up and decided to use Colourmatch RGB profile for my LCD. Looks more or less okay now.

[Teegongkia]

Originally Posted by hazmee Generally, that's the problem with most LCD monitors nowadays. Manufacturers tend to make it ultra bright. Maybe that's what consumers want nowadays. Bigger, brighter...etc. On my Dell monitors, I had to set the brightness to 0 just to get a proper calibration. I even had to pull the brightness even lower by adjusting RGB values. On the Macbook, the default profile from Apple is simply too blue for me. It's best to adjust the brightness of your LCD in a dark room to prevent ambient light from disturbing the calibration process. Since you are using the Spyder2Express, there's no way for you to measure the LCD brightness so the best way to do it is to adjust the brightness to your comfortable level. Make sure the shadows and highlights are visible then proceed with calibration. I did that for mine and it works great. Try these and see if it works for you. Hope that helps. Cheers!

Thanks for ur great advice. One point i am not very sure is the part on making sure shadows and highlight are visible. How did you do that?

[hazmee]

Originally Posted by Teegongkia Thanks for ur great advice. One point i am not very sure is the part on making sure shadows and highlight are visible. How did you do that?

Before calibrating, take a look at this site: http://www.photofriday.com/calibrate.php and follow the instructions. Adjust with the brightness settings on your Mac accordingly. Hope that helps. Cheers!

[Teegongkia]

Originally Posted by hazmee Before calibrating, take a look at this site: http://www.photofriday.com/calibrate.php and follow the instructions. Adjust with the brightness settings on your Mac accordingly. Hope that helps. Cheers!

Thanks alot man.

[tricked]

Hi guys, do u encounter a purple colour shift?

for example what u capture should be in blue but turns out purple on a spyder2express calibrated mac lcd.

[Teegongkia]

Originally Posted by tricked Hi guys, do u encounter a purple colour shift? for example what u capture should be in blue but turns out purple on a spyder2express calibrated mac lcd.

Did you set ur white balance correctly? Got photos to show?

[tricked]

yup, 5500k according to calibrated studio lights.

[Clown]

Originally Posted by tricked yup, 5500k according to calibrated studio lights.

do you mean your studio's general overhead lighting is at the specific color temperature of 5500k white?

[tricked]

yeah, i think. thats what the studio owner tells me...

[Clown]

Originally Posted by tricked yeah, i think. thats what the studio owner tells me...

erm ok that's not impossible..

but anyway, unless you're calibrating for print and you have 5500k lights for viewing the proofs, your studio lighting condition shouldnt be much of an issue.

if you're sure you've calibrated your screen correctly, and used a greycard when you're taking your pictures for whitebalance, theoratically your color shift shouldnt happen.

would you mind elaborating your studio / strobe / camera / computer / calibration device setup?