For high-end monitors that come with an ICC profile already made for it, is it necessary to perform additional color calibration with a spider? I know it is still necessary to adjust the gamma/brightness/contrast, but what about color?
For example: I just got a new IBM C220p 22" CRT monitor…
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What he said. If you are that serious about color, realize that a monitor’s profile changes throughout the day. The best time to do an initial calibration is about an hour after it’s been turned on.
The colour slightly shifts as the monitor warms up, this is easilly noticeable on older monitors in the first few minutes after you turn them on, the shift is more subtle after that, but it’s still there.
I don’t know the details, but I think part of what causes profile variations is the operating temperature of internal components and how that might affect their performance. Also, there can be variations in line voltage that might affect your display. And, of course, if you’re not in a room with controlled, consistent lighting, such as if there is a window nearby, simple variations in light quality can affect your perception of colors on the monitor. I would guess that most variations are usually pretty small and thus are more, as Scott said, just a matter of how picky you are. Personally, I rarely recalibrate my Iiyama monitor yet have long had pretty consistent results with it in terms of how well the displayed/perceived color matches up with printed results.
If my monitor has a premade ICC profile, there is no need for me to use a spider to recalibrate it right? It would mean they already had the colors precalibrated at the factory?
Allen, Every purchaser of that model monitor was furnished the same profile. Your particular monitor was not individually adjusted to match the profile. Monitors of the same model vary. If you want a profile that is accurate for your particular monitor, you’ll have to create it yourself under the conditions that you expect to use the monitor ( Lighting, ambient temperature, etc .) . How good is "good enough"? When you’re happy with the results. Use the generic profile, if it gives you results that you’re happy with .
Or you might say "I bought a car, and it was tuned up at the factory when I bought it, so I never have to tune it up again, right?"
Age and operating conditions will affect your monitor, as well minor irregularities in the manufacturing process. .
No, it comes down to exactly what Brent said, If you are happy that is all that matters. But if you get files from customers, and they are not happy with minor (or not so minor) shifts in color, well, then, you have to ask yourself, "do you feel lucky." Well, do ya punk?
So the spider is for constantly adjusting the monitor throughout the day?
No, once a monitor is warmed up, it stays pretty constant. You just have to wait for it to warm up before you calibrate it (hence the 1/2 to 1 hour wait after turning it on)
If my monitor has a premade ICC profile, there is no need for me to use a spider to recalibrate it right?
Wrong, a profile describes the way the monitor displays colours. You need to calibrate on a regular basis to keep the monitor "in line" with profile.
It would mean they already had the colors precalibrated at the factory?
No, the profile you get is likely a "canned" profile, it is representative of the majority of that kind of screen, but there are variations and their accuracy is questionable.
But if I have a "professional grade" monitor [like my IBM C220p 22" CRT], the color accuracy will be more accurate from the start, and I will have less need to calibrate it, right? Colors from a pro monitor will not shift enough to really need calibration as much?
I’m just curious if there is need for me to invest in a spider for this monitor.
My opinion is that your IBM display , while better than typical "consumer grade" displays, will still have it’s analog components degrade at the same rate of other CRT’s . That’s a question of physical construction of the electronics. Resistors are resistors . Over time, component values change, which changes the current flow and voltage divider networks. That means that the video will change , in a subtle way, as time goes by, as a function of component heating and degradation. If you want the same image accuracy from your display 3 months from now, you’ll need to recalibrate it and create a new profile. Since its a CRT, you have the option of using Adobe Gamma and see how that works out for you. Many people don’t need anything more than the Adobe Gamma utility for their purposes.
Even though your monitor may have an icc profile already supplied, I would recommend reprofiling it with a good colorimeter such as the spyder because the profile will change due to factors such as ambient lighting in the room and the CRT monitor’s phosphors will gradually fade in intensity over time. I reprofile my monitor on a monthly basis or whenever I install an upgrade to my graphics card driver.
I recommend reading Color Management by Bruce Fraser, Chris Murphy and Fred Bunting.
On Sat, 23 Apr 2005 01:04:20 -0700, wrote:
But if I have a "professional grade" monitor [like my IBM C220p 22" CRT], the color accuracy will be more accurate from the start, and I will have less need to calibrate it, right? Colors from a pro monitor will not shift enough to really need calibration as much?
If my monitor has a premade ICC profile, there is no need for me to use a
spider to recalibrate it right? It would mean they already had the colors precalibrated at the factory? You might think that you don’t need it for some time. However, the phosphors wear out which is usually noticed by a loss of brightness. As the three colors do not necessarily wear out at the same rate, you need to create new profiles from time to time. I have found that my Sony 400Ps (now over 5 years old) is not as bright as it once was..
Besides, how do you know that the profile that comes with the new monitor was generated for that particular unit? Jim
