Should I use 'Screen Savers' in Digital Darkroom?


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humbee

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Dec 17, 2008
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Hi all

1. Is it okay to use screen savers on our LCD monitors? (I set mine after 15 mins of inactivity).

2. I understand that we're suppose to warm up our LCD for about 45 mins before it becomes optimal for color critical work. So will the screen savers 'cool it down', and results in less than optimal color accuracy?

3. Personally, I observed and noticed that even though when the screen saver is activated, the backlighting seems to continue working, and the back of my Dell 2408 WFP remains warm. To me, it appears that the monitor is still awake, and not 'sleeping'.

Any advice. I really don't want to 're-warm up' for another 45 mins if using screen savers 'cools' the LCD down - it'll be wasting too much time.

:)
 

It all depends on how you adjust your system. A screensaver where you have fancy pictures or patterns running across the screen is nothing different from normal screen usage. It's just to avoid having a static image displayed. In the very early days of screens (especially CRT) a static image could burn into the screen (the layer at the inside of the tube where the image is created). So screensavers were just some artificial movements on the screen. Today they are rather used in conjunction with the "system lock" function for confidentiality in companies.
The other option is turning off the screen by not sending any video signals ("blank screen"). If there are no video signals most screens will switch off or go standby today. In this case also the screen will cool down.
Check your system settings (BIOS and system management).
 

I think you are overdoing it. Your DELL monitor should show less temperature color variation - than your external factors. Like working at daylight, and then at night. That has much bigger impact.

Of course, I assume you do calibration with a 'Spyder' or similar. Otherwise you are anyway completely off; and worry about the wrong topic.

Just calibrate every 1-2 months - but do it at the time and lighting you use most when working
 

Thanks to Octarine & Btrenkel for your replies.

1. I do calibrate my LCD using Spyder 3 Elite. Usually, I can achieve around a Delta E of around 0.7 +/-.

2. The screen saver I'm using is the STARFIELD - the one which you see a lot of 'stars' or 'small rocks' flying towards you.

3. I guess Octarine is likely to be correct. My LCD should be in the 'ON' state when the screen saver is activated. Afterall, it remains just as warm, unlike when the computer and monitor goes into a 'standby' mode, and the temperature level of the monitor hardware cools down.

:D
 

2. The screen saver I'm using is the STARFIELD - the one which you see a lot of 'stars' or 'small rocks' flying towards you.
3. I guess Octarine is likely to be correct. My LCD should be in the 'ON' state when the screen saver is activated. Afterall, it remains just as warm, unlike when the computer and monitor goes into a 'standby' mode, and the temperature level of the monitor hardware cools down.

If you see something displayed on your screen then the screen is working. It simply doesn't matter whether it is your image editor, starfield screensaver or any other animation. So your screen IS on. All screens also have a status LED showing whether the screen is operational or in standby.
 

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