Silvia2 Posted December 28, 2017 Share Posted December 28, 2017 Hi I've just followed the Spyder 4 Pro instructions (software version 4.5.9) for calibrating my desktop screen (Dell U2410). Everything worked perfectly except for the step where the spyder is supposed to measure brightness and then pause and give you the measurement (which should be between 70-110 as recommended in the instructions, and if not you should then have the option of adjusting the brightness until it falls within this range). My calibration process does not pause and gives no brightness value, it just works straight through the calibration process until it asks you to remove the spyder and press Finish. So I have no idea what my brightness measurement is. Anyone know why this is happening? When I previously used my Spyder on a laptop screen with an earlier software version I did get this step. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damien Symonds Posted December 28, 2017 Share Posted December 28, 2017 Oh darn, this is really annoying, isn't it? You'll probably have to do this, I'm afraid: https://www.damiensymonds.net/2013/10/how-to-properly-re-install-spyder.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia2 Posted December 29, 2017 Author Share Posted December 29, 2017 Thanks Damien!! I followed the re-installation steps, after a few hick-ups (seems to be a bit temperamental) the brightness step now seems to work . Have kept it at the original software version of 4.5.4. Will try update to 4.5.9 later and see if it changes anything. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia2 Posted December 29, 2017 Author Share Posted December 29, 2017 Hi again. I've now gone through the proper calibration process and when I got to the brightness, my brightness reading was too high. I've now reduced brightness to zero and the reading is 109-111. I can't reduce brightness below zero. Is it ok as is? Many thanks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damien Symonds Posted December 29, 2017 Share Posted December 29, 2017 Well, how's your print comparison? Ultimately that's what matters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia2 Posted December 30, 2017 Author Share Posted December 30, 2017 Ok I see, thanks. And I would compare based on using the printer's colour profile in Photoshop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damien Symonds Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 No no no no no. Definitely not. The printer's profile doesn't come into this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia2 Posted December 30, 2017 Author Share Posted December 30, 2017 I guess for brightness it doesn't, but what about checking the colours (at the end of your instructions Part 12 you have a section on colour). If I print without softproofing then the printed colours will look different to what is on screen surely? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damien Symonds Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 Only a tiny minority of very vivid colours. 99% of the colours in 99% of your photos should print exactly as they look on your screen, no lab profile required. This is SO important. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia2 Posted December 30, 2017 Author Share Posted December 30, 2017 ... So the aim is to get the on screen colours to look close to the print and if they don't to change preset until it's close. and thus no colour profile required.... (which would be great). Was just confused by your article on soft proofing. But I think I understand what you mean now... slowly getting there (sorry for the hassle) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damien Symonds Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 Right. So ... how close are they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia2 Posted December 31, 2017 Author Share Posted December 31, 2017 I will need to redo my prints next week, due to above misunderstanding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damien Symonds Posted December 31, 2017 Share Posted December 31, 2017 No, there should be no need to redo prints. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia2 Posted January 1, 2018 Author Share Posted January 1, 2018 Thanks, I understand now!! The colours seems to compare quite well. I may have to go a tiny bit warmer. The screen is brighter than the print - nothing I can do about that because my brightness is on 0. Pity the screen has this drawback. Thanks very much for your assistance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damien Symonds Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 https://www.damiensymonds.net/desktop-monitor-brightness 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia2 Posted November 20, 2019 Author Share Posted November 20, 2019 Hi Damien This is rather a late reply , I got side tracked by two large contract jobs back then, which have now come to an end. So I have time again to focus on my photography. Thanks very much for your info on how to get my screen birghtness down. I moved the RGB sliders down to 50 and it helped!! I have now spent so many hours and days working through all your calibration notes and following all the steps, I had new photos printed from my lab just to be sure, I've calibrated at night in the dark. Using Spyder 4 Pro. I just can't get it quite right and have come to the conclusion that it's quite likely my light. Why I say this is when I compare my prints to the images on the screen: In my usual lighting conditions my prints look darker and colours not quite similar (and less contrast), but then as a test I thought I'd shine my cell phone torch light on the prints and I could then see what I see on the screen (colours and contrast are almost a perfect match). I have two fluorescent "CW" globes but they look slightly warm to me (1110Lm, so with two I supposedly have 2220Lm but it doesn't feel very bright to me). I took the globe to the lighting shop and they told me that CW means 6000K (I'm not convinced though because it really doesn't look cool). I wanted to get a globe of 4000-4200K but to no avail (still looking), however, this would make my room even warmer (if I'm to believe my CW globe is 6000k). I feel it needs to go cooler. We don't have the best lighting shops around so unfortunately I'm not able to make much headway with asking them things or being able to find the correct product. Anyhow, my light is not right above me, it's about 1-2m to the right on the celing. Should I aim to get a light right above me? Am not sure where's the best placement for the light. What is the best colour for walls - would 15% grey be acceptable? Thanks very much. Silvia      Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damien Symonds Posted November 20, 2019 Share Posted November 20, 2019 Oh, any pastel-ish wall colour is fine. As long as it's nothing garish that throws cast around. I know it's a hassle for a desktop computer, but have you tried setting it up in any other rooms, that might be better lit, to see what you see? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia2 Posted November 20, 2019 Author Share Posted November 20, 2019 Thanks Damien. No I haven't tried moving it around but I will try. But I've jus had another photographer friend visiting and he agrees my CW globes are not cool, definitely not 6000K. So I'm pretty sure this is the problem and I'm aiming to have new cool down lights installed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia2 Posted November 21, 2019 Author Share Posted November 21, 2019 Hi again Damien I've sorted out my light problem I think. I've now recalibrated to be able to note down the exact steps I need to follow for this monitor, so it's repeatable on a monthly basis (this monitor is not easy to calibrate, more so because I have to use the sutom mode to be able to use lowered brightness! ). I can't get the colours right again, too warm/yellow. In your notes somewhere you say then to adjust the rgb sliders for the monitor to make it cooler, because the max white point given by Spyder is 6500K. I've only been adjusting RGB in the "Gain" menu of the monitor. Can I also adjust RGBCMY in the monitor's "saturation" menu? I feel the colours are too saturated. Is adjusting the monitor's contrast also an option or should I not touch this at all? Thank you so much. *custom mode  Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damien Symonds Posted November 21, 2019 Share Posted November 21, 2019 4 minutes ago, Silvia2 said: I've only been adjusting RGB in the "Gain" menu of the monitor. Can I also adjust RGBCMY in the monitor's "saturation" menu? I feel the colours are too saturated. Yes, by all means give it a shot. But it's a heck of a fiddly and frustrating process, so brace yourself. 5 minutes ago, Silvia2 said: Is adjusting the monitor's contrast also an option or should I not touch this at all? It certainly shouldn't need to happen. But in desperation, yes, you can try it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damien Symonds Posted November 21, 2019 Share Posted November 21, 2019 How is your screen connected to your computer? What kind of cable? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia2 Posted November 21, 2019 Author Share Posted November 21, 2019 OK thanks. I've been struggling for weeks and it is very fiddly. I"m at the point of considering to replace my monitor for something easier to calibrate ? Any recommendations that's not too expensive (I bought my current one second hand so it was affordable). HDMI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Damien Symonds Posted November 21, 2019 Share Posted November 21, 2019 I'm all about buying screens second hand. I think it's the only way to go. I'm presently rocking a second-hand Dell Ultrasharp (though smaller than yours) and it's awesome. I think you should borrow a friend's screen for a day and calibrate it, and see if you have the same problems. (Doesn't matter if it's not a proper editing screen, any screen will do). It would be very useful to know if the problem is your calibrator, you know? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia2 Posted November 21, 2019 Author Share Posted November 21, 2019 I do love my monitor, so I hope I can work out the calibration problems. I'll see if I can find someone with a monitor and test my calibrator. I've now tweaked the RGBCMY saturation sliders and recalibrated (using gamma 2.2, white pt = native, brightness = native), images match my prints quite well, but now once calibration is completed the spyder software shows me that my new calibration is 70% sRGB (which I guess is understandable if I've fiddled with the saturation values). With the usual calibration where saturation is untouched the calibration was 100% sRGB. Does this matter hugely? 1 step forward, two steps backward... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silvia2 Posted November 21, 2019 Author Share Posted November 21, 2019 I do love my monitor, so I hope I can work out the calibration problems. I'll see if I can find someone with a monitor and test my calibrator. I've now tweaked the RGBCMY saturation sliders and recalibrated (using gamma 2.2, white pt = native, brightness = native), images match my prints quite well, but now once calibration is completed the spyder software shows me that my new calibration is 70% sRGB (which I guess is understandable if I've fiddled with the saturation values). With the usual calibration where saturation is untouched the calibration was 100% sRGB. Does this matter hugely? 1 step forward, two steps backward... I did your gamut test quickly, see attached Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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