is a monitor color calibration device necessary?

[dpopiz]

you know those color calibration devices that you stick on a monitor to measure the color and thereby calibrate your monitor?

are those really a lot more accurate than the software calibration (without hardware) where you just tell the software what various images "look like" to you?

 

[Description]

They cost hundreds of dollars. Why do you think you need one?

 

[Matthias99]

From what I hear from folks in computer graphics and design that I know -- for professional work, you need a calibrator. But that's so that you can match up *precisely* with other people are seeing. For personal use, it's not that critical.

For a less costly but probably somewhat more effective calibration option, you might want to pick up a home theater calibration DVD. They contain numerous calibration tools you can use to manually tweak your monitor (or TV).

 

[dpopiz]

ok I didn't think it was that important though. it's not for just typical "personal use" stuff though. I do a lot of a graphic design for the web, and a lot of cad. so that's why I'm interested whether it would make a big difference.

also, I'd *like* to start doing some design for print, and in that case it might be more important to get it really precise right?