How critical is monitor calibration and are there any good programs to do it with little effort? I see on the scanner how critical it is to get the colors right because my scanner sucks big time. I have started looking for a slide/print scanner. Is there a good combination slide/print scanner? Should I focus only on the slide scanner solo and forget the prints? I use photoshop and tried their gamma program but I'm not satified with the results. Any help welcome.

Chuck

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bigdragon

I'll let others answer most of the questions you have, but will mention one particular aspect to consider concerning calibration.

If you scan shots to high resolution files (approx. 30-100 MB or so per photo, depending on final print size), and then plan on taking the digital files to a custom color lab for printing enlargements, you'll want to create a custom calibration setting within Photoshop to try and match up to that particular lab's printer. Different printers from different labs may read and print the color balance, contrast, saturation, etc. slightly different than each other and to what you see on your particular computer screen.

As you play around with the calibration settings on your monitor, you're only affecting how you happen to see a photo on your particular screen, but are not actually effecting the photo file's settings itself. As an example, you may like your monitor extra dark and contrasty, and so photos will then appear darker and more contrasty on your computer. The lab's printer would not necessarily be calibrated the same, so enlargements would come back lighter and with less contrast than what you thought they would.

I suggest taking one sample image in and have an 8x10 printed from your favorite lab. Compare the final print to your photoshop computer image, and try and adjust the settings within photoshop so both images match up as closely as possible. Save the settings in Photoshop within the 'RGB setup' under a custom name. When you then decide to take future images in to that lab, look at them first with the custom settings 'on' to see if it looks the way you want before hauling them in for printing. Whenever you change monitors or re-calibrate you're system, you'll want to recompare and adjust the custom settings again. If you're taking in the original negatives or slides for enlargements though, then none of this matters of course.

I have my monitor calibrated to where I like it, but noticed early on that enlargements from the custom lab I use consistantly appeared slightly lighter, less contrasty, and with a slight more yellow tint than what I see in the photoshop files. I created the custom settings, and check each photo before printing. The image I see on the monitor now exactly match the enlargement, so I now know what it will look like ahead of time. If you use different labs for different photos, you might want to create a custom setting for each lab (if they differ much).

I use the Adobe Gamma Calibration tool for the normal monitor settings, and am fairly happy. I also like to view my website from other friend's computers too, to see if most people see the photos the same as I do. I realized after switching monitors a few years ago that my older monitor was set too dark (I like the deep contrast). Since I based all my scanning and balancing of photos with that monitor, I soon realized that most of my friends were seeing the photos and site colors much lighter and more washed out than what I thought they were seeing. I've been gradually rescanning (or rebalancing) many of the shots now to try and compensate for what I think the 'average' monitor settings would be for most visitors to the site. I still have alot to do, but am gradually getting them a bit better. After putting in all that work, it bummed me out that most people were not seeing what I thought they were. So for the purpose of the net, keep in mind that other computers will more than likely be set differently, and you're photos will appear that way too. Not much you can do, other than trying to keep your calibration as correct or 'average' as you can to be safe. All of this may be just minor or 'picky' points to consider, but can't hurt to keep in the back of you're mind.

As an example of my calibration screw up:
The top image below was an earlier scan I did a few years ago that appeared 'great' on my old monitor, but later realized that it was actually more washed out and less contrasty than I originally thought, since I based it's settings upon viewing through my bad calibrated monitor. The lower image is a newer scan set up with my newer calibration settings. It is a little more darker & contrasty than the first (which I believe is a more accurate representation of the real print, as viewed through most monitors...I hope).

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Rod Watson
[This message has been edited by Rod Watson (edited 07-21-2002).]