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Spyder 3 and MacHow to Calibrate iMAc

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Posted by rlevy: Sun May 13th, 2012 11:17

1^st Post

I have just moved to an iMac from a PC. I know how to calibrate my monitor on the PC as it has controls for RGB brightness etc. I am clueless as to how do do same on iMac. Does anyone know how to do this?
Thanks All
RL

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Posted by Robert: Sun May 13th, 2012 13:23

2^nd Post

Hi Robert, System preferences> Displays> Color> Calibrate, select expert mode.

Slightly puzzled because out of the box an iMac is usually spot on especially an LED one? I just commissioned a new 27" iMac and it was perfect. It's predecessor was too.

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Posted by rlevy: Sun May 13th, 2012 13:31

3^rd Post

That's helpful Robert. So I don't need to calibrate with a Spyder and wnen I convert to my output profile for printing, I will get what I see on my Mac?

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Posted by Robert: Sun May 13th, 2012 13:52

4^th Post

Well from 3000+ miles away it's hard to give a guarantee but in my experience Apple monitors are usually pretty close. Especially those which are built in, like the MacBook Pro and the iMac.

I don't know if you have been in an Apple Store but every screen is exactly the same, go into PC World and every screen is different...

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Posted by Doug: Sun May 13th, 2012 17:55

5^th Post

Apple invented ICC profiling and control every component in every Mac.
As a result Apple screens are usually good and well calibrated out of the box

However, being LED, Apple iMac screens are often over-bright and the earlier glossy iMacs notoriously difficult to profile

Profiling (using a dedicated device like a Spyder) enables the display to most closely display the true colours, brightness, contrast and shadow detail of the file/image being viewed

Even then, in my experience the shadow detail and brightness will never be really close to how that image might look in print, and many affordable screens (even after profiling) will look worse than an out of the box iMac
Screens from Eizo and NEC will allow all aspects of the image to be displayed properly and cheaper screens aimed at photographers (like those from Dell) may also produce good results, but vary quite a bit in their quality

As it is I don't profile my iMac and I get good (though bright) results on screen
Then, when I print, I either export my files and take to a lab OR I print locally using Lightroom (I find it almost impossible to stuff up printing from LR. Other programs offer too much choice and complexity - I'm looking at you Photoshop)

The most common problem with printing from the iMac seems to be dark prints which result from images displaying with a lot of brightness on the iMac.
Users will fail to brighten underexposed images AND darken well exposed images in response to this over-brightening
To deal with this complaint users often adjust their images so that they look too bright on screen to get the printed result that they require.
With LR4 Adobe have provided a brightness slider that will allow Lightroom's printing system to compensate for this issue of images needing to look wrong on screen in order to print properly)

Look for 'Print Adjustment' which offers 'brightness' and 'contrast' sliders

(keep in mind you MUST still use colour management when printing if you wish to obtain consistent results and save ink & paper - in my case I have had good results with canned profiles from Ilford, Epson and Hahnem¼hle)

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Posted by jk: Sun May 13th, 2012 18:14

6^th Post

If you have the Spyder software and install it first then attach the Spyder and allow it to calibrate the system then it will all be set up for you use.

As Doug says Apple started all this stuff but the Spyder software is very good.

I really must do my Macbook Air. It is the only machine that I havent done and it is the machine I use daily!!!

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Posted by rlevy: Sun May 13th, 2012 23:23

7^th Post

So I should use the Spyder software, allow it to create the profile with no adjustments and use that as my working profile?
Sounds way to easy. Nice but too easy. There are other profiles on the Mac to choose from as well. Shouldk I choose one of those?
RL

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Posted by Robert: Mon May 14th, 2012 03:08

8^th Post

Robert, one of the features of the Mac is the ability to create, store and select a range of profiles.

I will concede the brightness can be a bit high but that is very simple to adjust. I still maintain that the color balance on new Macs very close to correct.

Until you have settled with your setting may I suggest selecting the option in preferences to have the Display preferences in the Menu Bar, It just saves the time going through the Sys Pref's.

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Posted by Constable: Mon May 14th, 2012 05:35

9^th Post

jk wrote:

I really must do my Macbook Air. It is the only machine that I havent done and it is no the machine I use daily!!!
You are going to have fun with that ...... the only way I managed to do it was by laying the screen flat (with the keyboard in the air at 45°).

You´ll see why when you start the process!

Ed

Posted by jk: Mon May 14th, 2012 18:03

10^th Post

Constable wrote: jk wrote:

I really must do my Macbook Air. It is the only machine that I havent done and it is no the machine I use daily!!!
You are going to have fun with that ...... the only way I managed to do it was by laying the screen flat (with the keyboard in the air at 45°).

You´ll see why when you start the process!

Ed Did you manage to get a good calibration Ed?.

I guess that in fact it should not make any difference but practically it might as the colour shown depends on light falling on the screen as well.

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