calibrate both laptop and monitor separately?

[Gretchen]

HI there. Couple questions.

1. I just purchased a new laptop and was going to calibrate it using Damien's instructions. Then I wondered if I should be calibrating my laptop and my external IPS monitor separately? I thought the computer would only be able to run one display profile at a time?

2. With the new computer, should I order new test prints?

BTW the stuff I have is: HP 2011xi IPS monitor, Spyder 5 Pro calibration, Lenovo Legion Y520 laptop.

THANKS!

Edited May 8, 2019 by Gretchen

[Damien Symonds]

1 hour ago, Gretchen said:

1. I just purchased a new laptop and was going to calibrate it using Damien's instructions. Then I wondered if I should be calibrating my laptop and my external IPS monitor separately?

Yes, it's a very good idea.  Please accept that you'll never get them to look exactly the same as each other, but we should try.

Make sure you have your Displays set to "Extend", never "Duplicate".

1 hour ago, Gretchen said:

I thought the computer would only be able to run one display profile at a time?

No, it can run as many as you wish.  Well, if there's a limit I've never found it.  I've got mine running four profiles at the moment.

1 hour ago, Gretchen said:

2. With the new computer, should I order new test prints?

No, absolutely not.  Prints are prints.  Your lab doesn't change the way they print just because one of their customers got a new computer, you know?

[Gretchen]

Wonderful, thank you! I've already got my monitor set to extend. I'm not sure how to run two profiles at the same time though. Do you have a post that explains it? Also I'm not sure how to run it... I mean, I've calibrated dozens of times but I would think that when I try to calibrate a second device (the laptop) it would overwrite the calibration of the previous device (the external monitor)? Clearly I'm confused! Haha

[Damien Symonds]

9 minutes ago, Gretchen said:

I'm not sure how to run two profiles at the same time though. Do you have a post that explains it?

Don't worry, your computer knows   We humans don't need to understand it, because it happens automatically.  It's wonderful!

However, if you like to be extra geeky you can control your profiles using the little app I discuss in this article.

10 minutes ago, Gretchen said:

Also I'm not sure how to run it... I mean, I've calibrated dozens of times but I would think that when I try to calibrate a second device (the laptop) it would overwrite the calibration of the previous device (the external monitor)? Clearly I'm confused! Haha

Again, don't worry.  The computer knows.  All you need to do is launch the calibration software then drag the window to the screen you wish to calibrate.  It will understand your desires

[Gretchen]

Ok. SO,

I went to calibrate my monitor using your fabulous instructions.

However when the Spyder menu came up on my laptop screen, I tried to drag it over to my external monitor and it kept jumping back to the main screen. I could never get it to stay on the other screen. That's the same problem I'd had in the past on my old computer.

I have the displays set to "extend"

Awaiting your guidance......

[Damien Symonds]

Remind me which Spyder it is?

[Gretchen]

Spyder 5 Pro

[Damien Symonds]

Gosh, that's weird.

Maybe you need to set the other screen as the main display?  Then will it stay?

[Gretchen]

OK so I tried to calibrate the external monitor before you responded (just above) and In order to do that, I just switched the display to duplicate (temporarily) but still placed the Spyder on the external monitor. 

I have no clue if what I"m doing is right or wrong.

If it would help (although I can't imagine that you'd be able to change anything, LOL) I could take a video of what's happening....

Also, I know you said it's possible to run two profiles at the same time but I'm wondering how to do that? And how to assign the correct profile to the correct device (monitor, laptop).

Sorry I have so many questions. 

Also sorry if I haven't read enough. I'm okay with being told to go read something you've already said - feeling overwhelmed with other things as well. Just trying to put out fires as they pop up and this calibration thing is almost extinguished. LOL

[Damien Symonds]

29 minutes ago, Gretchen said:

OK so I tried to calibrate the external monitor before you responded (just above) and In order to do that, I just switched the display to duplicate (temporarily) but still placed the Spyder on the external monitor.

No, it's to dangerous to put it on Duplicate, sorry.  Leave it on Extend, and try making it the main display as I suggesed.

30 minutes ago, Gretchen said:

If it would help (although I can't imagine that you'd be able to change anything, LOL) I could take a video of what's happening....

Sure, maybe that would help!

30 minutes ago, Gretchen said:

Also, I know you said it's possible to run two profiles at the same time but I'm wondering how to do that? And how to assign the correct profile to the correct device (monitor, laptop).

Don't worry about this.  As I said, the computer will know.

[Gretchen]

OK I'm going to tackle this problem again today.  Going to switch the screens so that the external monitor will be the main, then I will calibrate, then switch back, and calibrate the laptop monitor.

 

[Damien Symonds]

Great, I look forward to hearing.

[Gretchen]

OK, just want to double-check.

When I'm looking at my prints and comparing them to the image files I see on screen, what program should I be using to look at them? Photoshop? Something else?

NEVERMIND, I found where you said to use PS or elements or Firefox (don't know how to delete this question.  )

Edited May 20, 2019 by Gretchen

[Gretchen]

OH! Also, I figured out why my Spyder display would not go onto the screen I wanted it to go onto. It had something to do with selecting the screen for calibration purposes from a menu. I don't really know what I'm doing... THere's one step, right after selecting "desktop" where I can choose which monitor I'm calibrating. And there's 2 choices, both named (almost) the same name. I don't know how to delete the one that I"m not using and I can't figure out how to rename it. ugh. oh well. 

 

[Gretchen]

OH! Also, I figured out why my Spyder display would not go onto the screen I wanted it to go onto. It had something to do with selecting the screen for calibration purposes from a menu. Something about the menu would only display on the monitor selected.

I think I got it. I think I've successfully calibrated both!  Thanks for holding my hand through it!! 

 

[Damien Symonds]

?

[Damien Symonds]

It's time to take a refresher on the Raw Class.  It's been a LONG time since you took it, and a LOT has changed.

https://ask.damiensymonds.net/topic/8494-raw-signup-1/

[jeanbrunsonphotography]

Hi @Damien Symonds is the facebook group gone???  I just calibrated my Mac laptop screen and my Dell monitor, and they look so different. My Mac screen is much brighter and warmer it seems when I slide the photoshop window over to each screen. I'm not sure what to do because when I compared to my prints they seemed close enough. 

[Damien Symonds]

Hi @jeanbrunsonphotography is this a new problem?  I mean, have you successfully been running a laptop and an external monitor before?

If so, what's new in the equation?  Is it a new laptop, or a new screen, or a new calibrator?

[jeanbrunsonphotography]

I've never calibrated my laptop, I know I know..... the monitor is new and I'm about to order some really expensive sample artwork and want it all to be on point. I bought the Calibrite Pro HL and followed your directions for both screens. 

[Damien Symonds]

Which screen is more accurate to prints?

[jeanbrunsonphotography]

I know this sounds crazy but the test print images look the same on both. Just the image I started editing looks different. Ugh. Here's an iphone picture. 

[Damien Symonds]

Yeah, I don't think Photoshop is clever enough to run with two separate monitor profiles at the same time.

Pick one screen for editing on, and stick to it.

[jeanbrunsonphotography]

Any way for me to tell which is correct? I'm afraid if I go off of the monitor I'm going to have prints that are actually too bright for what I want. I purchased the monitor specifically for editing so I want to make sure I have it right. 

[Damien Symonds]

What?

2 hours ago, jeanbrunsonphotography said:

I know this sounds crazy but the test print images look the same on both.

You said they're both correct.