Calibration Process

[Ben]

Hi,

I'm interested in taking some of the courses on offer but first I'd like some help to make sure that my monitor is calibrated correctly! The first step is getting some accurate prints done to compare to my screen.

I'm looking at a lab in the UK and they offer two different processes for getting prints done. The first option is for "Photo Prints"  with images printed by a Fuji Frontier Digital Minilab and which are considerably cheaper than the second option for fine art prints which are printed by the "Latest Epson Large Format Printers".  Both processes claim to have "professional colour correction and profiling"

If I were to get a set of the cheaper prints done can I expect the colour and tonal reproduction to be suitable for calibrating my monitor? Or does the printer hardware make a big difference to the prints? And is there a preference for a certain type of paper thats best for comparing the prints to the monitor?

Should I get all of my images printed in the sRGB colour space as that will be the target working space once my monitor is properly calibrated?

I'm using an Asus PA 238Q monitor with a i1 display 2 for calibration. In the past I've used prints from my own Pixma IX6550 printer to try and calibrate my monitor and I've had some prints done at a local lab and in both cases the prints are fairly accurate with no obvious colour casts but there were some shifts in some individual colours. The prints always seem a little darker in the shadows even when I calibrate the monitor to 80 cd/m2 but maybe these are moot points until I get professional prints for a proper comparison.

Thanks.

[Damien Symonds]

The minilab prints are fine. Preferable, even. Avoid gloss paper, go for lustre.

How new/old is your monitor?

[Damien Symonds]

Oh gee, it's LED.  I was afraid of that.

X-Rite discontinued the manufacture of the i1Display2 a few years ago, because it doesn't work well with LED screens

[Ben]

So I can get some prints made up at the lab using the cheaper option thats great.  My monitor is a about four years old old now, possibly a bit older than that. Will that cause a problem? Is it likely to have degraded to the point that it's not suitable anymore?

I knew the i1display 2 had been discontnued but didnt know that was the reason. So it looks like I need to replace it with either the the i1 display pro or the datacolor spyder 5 elite, try a calibration and if I can't get a match with my prints I'll need to look at a new monitor as well?

[Damien Symonds]

20 minutes ago, Ben said:

So I can get some prints made up at the lab using the cheaper option thats great.  My monitor is a about four years old old now, possibly a bit older than that. Will that cause a problem? Is it likely to have degraded to the point that it's not suitable anymore?

Sorry, I didn't mean to suggest there would be anything wrong with your screen.  It's a great screen, it'll serve you well for many years to come.

 

21 minutes ago, Ben said:

I knew the i1display 2 had been discontnued but didnt know that was the reason. So it looks like I need to replace it with either the the i1 display pro or the datacolor spyder 5 elite

Both are great.  See which you can find at the best price.