glossy vs matte screen
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- menos0
Apologies for the long post:
Even though this post is rather old i thought id share my experience with a new 24" imac glossy screen that has replaced my older machine in the studio. Basically the color accuracy issue is a bit pointless as you truly never have something that will be 100% calibrated. True, this screen makes colors much brighter and 'nicer' and, yes on occasion, slightly off but in my view nothing terribly serious. What is to be considered though is if you mind or not having a reflection all the time. This to me is the biggest flaw of this new imac...especially since i have 2 windows beside me and a couple more in the back, my screen is like the cinderella mirror.
So there you go. Otherwise it runs pretty smothly and quickly (2.4ghz w/ 4gb ram, and i use it mainly for print stuff with illustrator, photoshop, indesign all cs3 running at the same time, if youre interested).
- madirish0
this is foolish.
CRTs will never calibrate as well, or for as long as LCDs- period. ask *any* professional color management/workflow person and this will always read the same. CRTs have a *known lifespan of accuracy*. they literally burn out. nothing new. the only saving grace, is if you have treated the CRT very well and re-calibrated very, very often to ensure you are rotating the firing style of all those tubes. it still will not be as accurate ofter 2 years than an LCD will though.
and re: "Just a few years ago every computer was using a CRT for everything in desktop computing, and every CRT was glossy..."- srsly?? and just a few years before that, there was no 'internet'. weird, huh? sorry to be so sarcastic, but this is purely a state of technical development and evolving hardware. look at the *best* CRTs from those years- they were not highly reflective.... and, the best shops put film filters over them to help calibrate them.
sorry to stretch this debate out when the real point of the thread was glossy vs. matte MacBook screens, but there are some fairly large assumptions being made i hope other will benefit from being fixed.
- AndyRoss0
Wait a second. I thought the most accurate screens--still!!--were CRTs. And those screens are covered with big sheets of glossy, shiny glass.
Just a few years ago every computer was using a CRT for everything in desktop computing, and every CRT was glossy.
Now there have been matte surface screens for a few years, and people are having conniptions that gloss has come back?
If you're worried about color, get your monitor calibrated, and learn about color management. If you're really worried about color, go to fucking the press check.
The screen's always going to look a bit different from the printed stuff because the screen has a fucking light source in it! But you know, professionals adjust to these things.
Don't make me come back there...
- design_naked0
oh, I would go with the matte LCD screen. The glossy is too punchy/contrasty for super accurate print work...obviously not impossible but still you'll have to invest more time to make sure that what you see onscreen is similar to what you'll get printed with a glossy LCD screen then you would a matte.
2 words: shadow detail
- design_naked0
auricom...
Having been a designer for 10 years now...starting in motion graphics for tv/film going to print and now web (with still a good amount of print in the mix) I can tell you that if you are primarily a print designer then stick with CRT's as long as you can...I held out for a long time but finally had to make the switch a year ago and I will tell you that, in my opinion and experience, CRT's are still the most accurate for print work. It takes some getting used to...as far as doing print work on LCD's...but obviously it isn't impossible since ton's of designers have been using LCD's for print for a while....but I would stick with the CRT for a while longer if I were you.
With web work...just get an LCD and watch your gamma settings and you'll be fine.
- auricom0
wow, i knew it wouldn't take long. thanks design_naked.
i still have a CRT and have compared it with a friend of mines macbook, the color is definitely different. i'm just trying to find out if anyone has noticed anything with going from how it looks on the screen to it's final output. newer products with different technology bring up questions.
if you're just going to chime in to say "whatever" well maybe it's best you don't chime in at all.i'm just looking for advice which i thought was one of the great aspects about this site. oh well, thanks everyone.
- design_naked0
madirish, I know the technical differences between LCD's and CRT's (I'm guessing that almost everyone here does)...I was saying that on a general level haven't we already experienced some of this before?...and why are people acting like we haven't?...but, whatever.
- madirish0
CRTs are different than the coatings on LCDs. the latter is a way of amp'ing the saturation and brightness of display.
CRTs were merely glass covered- all color was generated by the tubes firing electrons. big difference.
for really good discussion on this, might want to check out:
http://www.robgalbraith.com/bins…
Galbraith is very good at explaining things.
- JackRyan0
I sit on my glossy screen until it goes numb...and then I design. I call it "the stranger."
- rafalski0
precisely, design_naked, precisely! It is a well known experience, and to many a dreadful one. I saw matte screen as an advancement (remember anti-glare coating?). Now we're going back again to glare..
The only reason for LCD's to have glossy finish is to pretend it's real glass, associated with "real thing". They seem "crispier" and most of all resemble what we remember from childhood.
Also, http://arstechnica.com/staff/fat…
- design_naked0
Haven't we all worked on "glossy" screens before? Anyone remember CRT's?...did I miss something or did those not have glass (read: reflective/glossy) screens?
I know an LCD sitting behind glass is slightly different than a CRT projecting through a screen onto some glass but, still, there are the reflections, glare, etc, etc that are the same general experience...no?
I just think it's funny that people act like this is totally and completely new experience.
- rafalski0
you don't use the macbook screen as a second monitor for palettes etc?
material
(Aug 8 07, 07:52)Tried that, but it wasn't working for me. I mean, with its keyboard sticking out and no stand it was just cluttering the desk. I could use some extra space though, have a 20" wide LCD, consider upgrading to a 24" one.
At work, however, I have a 1600x1200 20" dell LCD, with an old 15" dell lcd positioned vertically on the right hand side. Fits perfectly, as if it was designed as a side "wing" panel!
- material-10
It doesn't bother me that much, since most of the time I use it with an external (matte!) LCD, the lid closed.
rafalski
(Aug 8 07, 00:48)you don't use the macbook screen as a second monitor for palettes etc?
- auricom0
nice nice.
but i guess the question still is, how does it effect output. i can see how it would make things nicer on the screen, but what about actual prints. any major difference in color from what you see on the screen to what you get from the printer.
- madirish0
right- it is an option only on what they consider the 'professional line'; MacBookPro.
not sure why they dropped this from the MB, and while it is fine to use just for 'regular' use, IMO would still prefer the matte.
- Jaline0
I honestly haven't had problems with working on one, maybe because I hardly use it outside. Even then, I don't have issues with it. But I can definitely see how it's a problem to professionals.
It's disappointing how Apple doesn't have the matte option, particularly because they're always advertising their products as being ideal for design, media, production, etc.
- madirish0
glossy is horrible to work on, honestly. if you like reflection, altered colors from any light source, more power usage, and a mirror- go with the glassy.
if you are trying to design on it and design for the most user scenarios, then go matte.
- Jaline0
I have no problems with the glossy. To me items on the screen are so much prettier.
- chossy0
matte means no glare
glossy means colors and stuff look nicer on screen.
- Painted0
I am a graphic designer doing print and web. Until i actually used a glossy screen i hated it. Now i have a Macbook Pro/not glossy, and a Macbook/Glossy. And there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that i only want glosssss from now on.
The reflections on the glossy is only when the computer is turned off. You don't see it when the screen is on... Even when using it outside i feel that i can see way more on gloss than non-gloss...