New laptop calibration/prints question.

[ashmavay]

Hi Damien.

I’m buying a new laptop today ( an asus vivo book, 16gb, 512gb, IPS display ) 

How do I go about calibration? Do I order some more test prints with the new laptop before I calibrate ( without changing any brightness settings, or should I change them? )  or use the test prints I ordered that I used from my old laptop a couple of years ago. 
 

Thank you ? 

[Damien Symonds]

You don't need new test prints.  Just use the prints you already have.

[ashmavay]

Ok thanks! I was also thinking of switching labs ( the one I used, I seen him add a curves layer to brighten the image before he printed it ? he said his printer prints darker so he needs to brighten them ) would I need new test prints if I was to switch? 

[Damien Symonds]

Yes, you would.  And yes, that guy doesn't sound good at all.

[ashmavay]

Yes! I thought the same. Ok so I order some test prints from the new lab with my new laptop before I calibrate? Should I adjust the brightness at all?

[Damien Symonds]

Don't wait until you have the new laptop.  Order those prints NOW.

[ashmavay]

Ok will do. Sorry if this is a silly question, my current laptop is calibrated monthly, I order the prints off that laptop & calibrate the new laptop to match the prints? Is that correct? 

[Damien Symonds]

Correct.

[ashmavay]

Legend. Thanks for your help ?

[ashmavay]

Hi Damien. 
 

I ordered the same set of prints from 2 different labs. One set are a close match to my current laptop & the other set are very saturated. Which has made me think I need to offer my clients prints instead of just digitals. 

Anyway, what is the best way to transfer those images from my current laptop to my new one so I can calibrate the screen? Would a USB transfer, email or pixieset upload either of those be ok? 
 

[Damien Symonds]

Yep, I'd say any of those will be fine.

[ashmavay]

Hey Damien. Can I please ask, does the brightness look ok? I’ve redone my old laptop because it was due for calibration & I noticed my prints were a bit darker. I can’t work out if my prints are just more contrasted/more blacks or if it’s a brightness issue? I lowered my brightness right down to like 10-15 but when I calibrated it was saying 40 so I kept upping the brightness until it hit 88. I have decent light around my computer. Is there a contrast setting I need to adjust? I won’t be using this laptop soon but I have some work I need to finish on here before using my new one.

[ashmavay]

[Damien Symonds]

I'm so sorry, I can't tell from this.

These are the set of prints that weren't too saturated, yes?

[ashmavay]

Yep. I’m using the prints from the left. You can probably see how saturated the right side is. Am I just being picky because it’s paper vs a screen? 

[Damien Symonds]

You have every right to expect a good match between paper and screen.

But with a crappy old laptop, that might be a bridge too far.

Do you have a desktop screen you can plug in and try calibrating that instead?

[ashmavay]

No I don’t ☹️ I will calibrate my new laptop & see how they compare. This one is 5 years old & I don’t know if it’s an iPs screen. Colours look the same, I think it’s just the contrast which I don’t think I can adjust. 

[ashmavay]

The contrast issue must of just been my old screen. New laptop is pretty much bang on ( I had to adjust the white point to 6500 ) but I wish the entire population would calibrate their screen.  So much better!

[Damien Symonds]

Wonderful!