Calibrating two monitors with Spyder Elite 4

[exposurenz]

I have a an Apple iMac 2011 and a MacBook Pro (20150 and I am trying to calibrate the two with a Spyder 4 elite so the screens/computers match. When you set up this process do the computers need to be physically connected or do you just run the software separately on each device? 

I have tried separately and the colours are immensely different. Any advise would be appreciated.

Thanks 

[Damien Symonds]

No, they don't need to be physically connected.

I'm sorry, what you're aiming for is almost impossible.  It's very difficult even with good screens, but with POS Mac screens it's a bridge too far, I'm afraid.

I don't have instructions for the S4E, but the S5E ones won't be miles different.  Have you tried following them?  https://www.damiensymonds.net/cal_S5Elite_mac1.html

[exposurenz]

Thanks for the reply Damien! Okay so if you cant calibrate the two to be similar. Lets work on one screen....the iMac. Okay so its calibrated as per your instructions for the spyder pro4. Screen looks good, prints look awful and totally different now. How do you bring theses two within the same range? I am using a Canon Pro 1000, do I need to tweak the screen within the spyder software? 

[Damien Symonds]

38 minutes ago, exposurenz said:

I am using a Canon Pro 1000, do I need to tweak the screen within the spyder software? 

You can't use those prints for monitor verification.  You MUST use pro lab prints for that.  Do you have any on hand?

[exposurenz]

Yes I do, so I'll compare those and then what do you adjust to bring the monitor and printer colours close together? 

[Damien Symonds]

Forget about the printer for now.  We just need to concentrate on the monitor first.

How does it compare to the pro lab prints?

[exposurenz]

They are quite different. The monitor is much more magenta. I'll attach a iPhone pic! 

 

[exposurenz]

Excuse the terrible iPhone photos, just trying to give you an idea of the colour difference! 

[Damien Symonds]

Right.

And what about comparison to the Macbook?

[exposurenz]

 

Almost the same, making the prints look quite green! 

[Damien Symonds]

Excellent.  Then that's the one you edit on.

[exposurenz]

No I mean the same as my iMac! Prints in comparison to both screen look terrible! Both screens are magenta

[Damien Symonds]

Oh, sorry.  When you said "almost the same" I thought you meant the screen was almost the same as the prints.

Ok.  Does your Spyder4Elite have "SpyderTune" like the Spyder5Elite does?

[exposurenz]

Yes I think it does, that option is at the end of the calibration and is this where you can teak colours? 

[Damien Symonds]

Yep.

Remember, you need to make your screen match those pro lab prints as closely as possible.  It doesn't matter if you hate the prints, you still have to match them.

[exposurenz]

Okay I'll give that a go. And you say the best way to correct the screen colour is through the Spyder tune section?

Thanks so much for you time, I really appreciate it.

 

[Damien Symonds]

1 hour ago, exposurenz said:

Okay I'll give that a go. And you say the best way to correct the screen colour is through the Spyder tune section?

It's not ideal, that's for sure, but it's the best available to you, I'm afraid.

[exposurenz]

Hi Damien, with the spyder 4 elite, do I calibrate for laptop or desktop for an iMac? IN one article you say desktop and another you say laptop? And in my studio I have windows and fluorescent lights (nightmare I know) so should I still turn off the ambient light reading on the spyder and turn off all the lights in the studio when calibrating? (even though that isn't my working condition)

Cheers Jess

[Damien Symonds]

Essentially, it's a laptop.  And gosh yes, turn off the ambient light thing.  And yes, keep it fairly dark when calibrating.  I mean, it doesn't need to be pitch black or anything, just dim.

[exposurenz]

Yay, sorted and my prints are looking great! Everything looking fairy calibrated! Thanks again