Calibrating color

inveterate

Golden Member
Mar 1, 2005
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How do I do this on my LCD monitor. It's baffling since none of the adjustments seem to do anything except make it look even more weird than the Factory setting.
 

Rio Rebel

Administrator Emeritus<br>Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
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I find color to be the most difficult part of calibration. You can use either of the common calibration disks (Avia or Digital Video Essentials), or you can even use any DVD with the THX calibration (like Star Wars), but you would need to get the color filter from somewhere.

One tip: the difference between color settings on the different inputs can be dramatic. On my projector, the component input and the DVI input are VERY different, and I had to adjust the component inputs a lot to get the tint correct. So when you calibrate once, you haven't necessarily finished if you plan to use other inputs as well.
 

dwell

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Oct 9, 1999
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If you are willing to invest a little money you can pick up a Spyder2 Express ($55 at Amazon). The software that comes with it is trash, but there's a free calibration tool called HCFR that works with the Spyder2 hardware. Believe me, once you get your grayscale flat and your gamma locked at 2.20 you see everything in a different way -- the way it's supposed to be seen.
 

inveterate

Golden Member
Mar 1, 2005
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I'm calibrating on my Dell 3007, Is using these tools the ONLY way, I remember my nvidia card having this tool where u'd squint and see if the color matched, i never did that, but i don't have an nvidia card anymore either.
 

Modelworks

Lifer
Feb 22, 2007
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You can do gamma calibration with software, but color calibration cannot be done without a reference source to compare.
 

dwell

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Oct 9, 1999
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Originally posted by: inveterate
I'm calibrating on my Dell 3007, Is using these tools the ONLY way, I remember my nvidia card having this tool where u'd squint and see if the color matched, i never did that, but i don't have an nvidia card anymore either.

Your eyes cannot be trusted! :) Personally, every time I use one of those tools I end up with a blue cast over everything because I favor the color blue. It's amazing when you get you color balance 100% across red, green, and blue and see whites as paper white. It makes a huge difference, especially if you're printing or watching video.
 

lamere

Senior member
Jul 22, 2006
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Originally posted by: Chris
Originally posted by: inveterate
I'm calibrating on my Dell 3007, Is using these tools the ONLY way, I remember my nvidia card having this tool where u'd squint and see if the color matched, i never did that, but i don't have an nvidia card anymore either.

Your eyes cannot be trusted! :) Personally, every time I use one of those tools I end up with a blue cast over everything because I favor the color blue. It's amazing when you get you color balance 100% across red, green, and blue and see whites as paper white. It makes a huge difference, especially if you're printing or watching video.

+5736587

yes, your eyes cannot be trusted as people see colors differently.

i use a pantone one eye display2 to calibrate my crt with and it really does a good job. no color masking anywhere, and the colors are flat across the spectrum.

having a good monitor helps also, a cheap monitor probably wont give you good results no matter what you do.
 

inveterate

Golden Member
Mar 1, 2005
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Originally posted by: lamere
Originally posted by: Chris
Originally posted by: inveterate
I'm calibrating on my Dell 3007, Is using these tools the ONLY way, I remember my nvidia card having this tool where u'd squint and see if the color matched, i never did that, but i don't have an nvidia card anymore either.

Your eyes cannot be trusted! :) Personally, every time I use one of those tools I end up with a blue cast over everything because I favor the color blue. It's amazing when you get you color balance 100% across red, green, and blue and see whites as paper white. It makes a huge difference, especially if you're printing or watching video.

+5736587

yes, your eyes cannot be trusted as people see colors differently.

i use a pantone one eye display2 to calibrate my crt with and it really does a good job. no color masking anywhere, and the colors are flat across the spectrum.

having a good monitor helps also, a cheap monitor probably wont give you good results no matter what you do.

Ok so if i Get that spyder2 express, and use HCFR. U guys can provide me with instructions right? it looks SOOO, complex ,, a bit over complex and if my eyes can't be trusted I have no reference.
 

dwell

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Oct 9, 1999
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Originally posted by: inveterate
Ok so if i Get that spyder2 express, and use HCFR. U guys can provide me with instructions right? it looks SOOO, complex ,, a bit over complex and if my eyes can't be trusted I have no reference.

The Spyder2 software will do a pretty good job for you on its own if you choose to use it. You can live with that for a while and if you want to take it to the next level you can learn to use HCFR. All it basically involves is doing measurements, then adjusting the color balance, brightness, and contrast of your monitor. It seems very complex but its not so bad once you experiment with it for a while.
 

PurdueRy

Lifer
Nov 12, 2004
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Originally posted by: Chris
Originally posted by: inveterate
Ok so if i Get that spyder2 express, and use HCFR. U guys can provide me with instructions right? it looks SOOO, complex ,, a bit over complex and if my eyes can't be trusted I have no reference.

The Spyder2 software will do a pretty good job for you on its own if you choose to use it. You can live with that for a while and if you want to take it to the next level you can learn to use HCFR. All it basically involves is doing measurements, then adjusting the color balance, brightness, and contrast of your monitor. It seems very complex but its not so bad once you experiment with it for a while.

Does the Spyder2 only work on computer monitors or is it usable with TV screens as well?
 

dwell

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Oct 9, 1999
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Originally posted by: PurdueRy
Does the Spyder2 only work on computer monitors or is it usable with TV screens as well?

You can use it on TVs but you'll need to use it with HCFR and a calibration disc like Avia or GetGray.
 

PurdueRy

Lifer
Nov 12, 2004
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Originally posted by: Chris
Originally posted by: PurdueRy
Does the Spyder2 only work on computer monitors or is it usable with TV screens as well?

You can use it on TVs but you'll need to use it with HCFR and a calibration disc like Avia or GetGray.

Well I have AVIA so I might consider that in the future.
 

dwell

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Oct 9, 1999
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Originally posted by: PurdueRy
Well I have AVIA so I might consider that in the future.

Just keep in mind you need to be able to set the color balance on your TV. For some sets it's only available in the service menu and it's very complicated. Some sets have something called "white balance" in the user menu that does the color balancing.
 

inveterate

Golden Member
Mar 1, 2005
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Originally posted by: Chris
Originally posted by: PurdueRy
Well I have AVIA so I might consider that in the future.

Just keep in mind you need to be able to set the color balance on your TV. For some sets it's only available in the service menu and it's very complicated. Some sets have something called "white balance" in the user menu that does the color balancing.

Ur sure I can't do this with settings from my graphics card?

I got Gamma Brightness and Contrast in red blue and green, also gots hue and saturation
 

dwell

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Oct 9, 1999
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Originally posted by: inveterate
Ur sure I can't do this with settings from my graphics card?

I got Gamma Brightness and Contrast in red blue and green, also gots hue and saturation

Yeah you definitely can on the PC. I was speaking more about televisions.
 

inveterate

Golden Member
Mar 1, 2005
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Originally posted by: Chris
Originally posted by: inveterate
Ur sure I can't do this with settings from my graphics card?

I got Gamma Brightness and Contrast in red blue and green, also gots hue and saturation

Yeah you definitely can on the PC. I was speaking more about televisions.

Ok, so what is the white balance, cuz i don't have that, and I also don't have a Service menu for my Dell at least i don't know how to get to it as there is no button for it. I got 3 buttons +/-/Power , Will the ATI card settings be enough?
 

dwell

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Oct 9, 1999
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Originally posted by: inveterate
Originally posted by: Chris
Originally posted by: inveterate
Ur sure I can't do this with settings from my graphics card?

I got Gamma Brightness and Contrast in red blue and green, also gots hue and saturation

Yeah you definitely can on the PC. I was speaking more about televisions.

Ok, so what is the white balance, cuz i don't have that, and I also don't have a Service menu for my Dell at least i don't know how to get to it as there is no button for it. I got 3 buttons +/-/Power , Will the ATI card settings be enough?

You should have three sliders for RGB to make boosts and cuts (some TVs have six). I have a Dell 1901FP at work that has them.
 

inveterate

Golden Member
Mar 1, 2005
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Originally posted by: Chris
Originally posted by: inveterate
Originally posted by: Chris
Originally posted by: inveterate
Ur sure I can't do this with settings from my graphics card?

I got Gamma Brightness and Contrast in red blue and green, also gots hue and saturation

Yeah you definitely can on the PC. I was speaking more about televisions.

Ok, so what is the white balance, cuz i don't have that, and I also don't have a Service menu for my Dell at least i don't know how to get to it as there is no button for it. I got 3 buttons +/-/Power , Will the ATI card settings be enough?

You should have three sliders for RGB to make boosts and cuts (some TVs have six). I have a Dell 1901FP at work that has them.

No, I don't maybe theres a secret combo with the 3 buttons i do have, But there is no RGB slid er nothing. my monitor has no menu i can see.