Display settings?

[Alycemarie]

Hi Brian,

Hoping I might be able to get some help with my macbook and apple studio display. I've noticed that the preset displays are different and wondering if I need to change these so they are the same or similar? I have apple studio display and a macbook pro m4 max. Out of the box the Macbook is set to apple xdr display (p3-1600 nits) and the display is set to apple display (p3-600 nits) I'm looking into buying a calibrator shortly but wanting to get both screens working together as best as they can in the meantime. What would be the most suitable display preset? Also will I be able to calibrate them to work together?

Thank you so much!

 

[Brian]

You need to get calibrated.

Seriously. Mac screens are "cool" out of the box, which makes you edit photos a bit too warm to compensate. Also, do you have a physical set of test prints to hold while you look at your display(s)? Because it's important. Even though you might be a "Digital Files Only" Photographer, there is no way to fully check things unless you have several test prints, from different printing companies; yes, even if you calibrate. 

When you Calibrate, the Calibration Software will create its own profile (for both displays) and you ignore what Apple gives you by default. That being said, I'd try setting both to "Photography (P3-D65): Designed for typical digital photography workflows using the P3 color space with a D65 white point" and compare your test prints. Hopefully you will be close enough to get you through the time you are saving for a Calibrite Display Pro HL (CCDIS3HL) Calibration Tool. 

In reality, you are going to have to fiddle and figure out which one to use. D65 may work for you...or not. I'm at D55 which goes against everything Damien teaches, but it makes my screen match my prints, albums AND what I see on screen. See how the test prints come in handy? I like CPQ Professional Imaging. Color Inc Pro Lab &  UnitPrints are also decent.

Here are some reviews given by our members: Print Lab Reviews. 

I'd recommend getting test prints from at least 3 labs, just to see who matches the best. I would also AVOID MILLERS. Yes, I know their customer service is amazing...but the truth it, they are DAMN NEAR IMPOSSIBLE to get matching with the current Mac Displays!! 

Here is a quote from Damien about Millers: 

 

Quote

I'm sure some people are surprised by the vehemence of my disdain for Millers and Mpix. Allow me to explain the situation ...

 

Millers and Mpix, as Teri stated in her post, print to the D50/5000K colour standard, and therefore expect their clients to comply to the same. D50 is warm. When you calibrate your screen to D50, it forces you to edit your photos cold in order for them to look right on the screen, and in M/M prints.

 

This was fine, in the days before the internet. But "the days before the internet" are a long way behind us now, aren't they? We are in the internet age, and the internet runs on sRGB, which uses the D65/6500K colour standard. (Even if, in the future, the internet moves to Adobe RGB, it will still be D65.)

 

So if you're a M/M customer, and faithfully calibrate to D50, every photo you post on the internet will be too cold! And I don't think I need to tell you that this is a very bad situation.

 

So ditch Millers and Mpix (and Bay Photo, which I believe uses the same standard). Move to one of the labs which have actually noticed that there is such a thing as the internet now, and print to the D65 standard.

Source (opens Facebook.)

You also have to take into consideration of things like the paint color on your walls, fabrics around your computer and what color temperature you edit in. My favorite Light to work in is between 4000K-4200K. 3000K is too warm for me and 6500K light bulbs are too blue to my eyes. I think Damien also edits around the 4000K-4200K bulbs as well. See The Light around your Computer for more information. I've also gone as far as to paint my walls a Neutral Gray to kill color casts. In fact, my paint color of choice is: 

Sherwin-Williams Color #7071 | Gray Screen

Now, painting your walls and going to great lengths at this point is a bit overkill.  Right now you should be saving for a Calibrator, and getting Test Prints to compare your screen against. For now, try the Photography D65 (if it's available for both screens) and fiddle.