SX2D-21

[Damien Symonds]

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Troubleshooting

If you’ve ended up at this page, you must be frustrated, and I don’t blame you. Calibration should be a straightforward process, but for a small unlucky minority, it’s a PITA. Something must be wrong somewhere.

Here are a few things to consider …

• I know I've already said this multiple times, but I must say it again.  The light around your computer is so critical.  Sometimes even changing the location of your computer in the same room is enough to fix problems.
• It's time to ask yourself if your screen is good enough for editing. If it was advertised as a gaming screen it'll be great for gaming, but might be poor for imaging.  Or maybe it's just plain old.
• Are you sure you chose the correct “Display Technology”?  If you chose “Standard” but your screen is really “Wide”, for example, that will throw things off.

Even if it isn’t a very good screen, let’s not run out to the computer store straight away …

• Is there another computer in your house you can try calibrating? It would be good to check that the calibrator itself is ok. Heck, even if you have to drive over to your BFF’s house and try calibrating their computer, it’s worth the drive. Have a wine and a gossip while you’re there.
• Is there another screen in your house you can plug in to your computer and try calibrating? If a different screen gave the same bad results, it might point to the problem being in your computer itself.
• It might be your graphics card. Have you checked for updates to your graphics card drivers?
• Maybe it’s the cable you’re using to connect computer to monitor? If you’re still using an old VGA cable, that sure can affect things. Your screen and computer should have DVI, HDMI or Display ports, so make sure you’re using them.
• Contact Datacolor. They’re the experts, after all. Hopefully they’ll be able to identify your glitch and straighten it out.

Please feel free to comment below, or post in Ask Damien, and I'll help you if I can.