Photo Editing & Calibration
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- mg33
I posted back in May about some frustrations with realizing I couldn't get my Dell monitor to display colors that looked like my Macbook Pro monitor. In fact, I'm even growing dissatisfied with attempting to carefully review and edit photos on the Dell in any capacity, and it's a pretty decent monitor (albeit 4+ years old).
For those of you who use an external monitor with a top-end laptop (that might have a better screen), do you only edit photos on your laptop if that screen quality is better?
As much as I'd rather edit stuff on the Dell which has a 21" screen, it looks like using the MBP is the way to go. Photos definitely look better.
I'd love to buy a new external monitor... but not in the cards right now. So, any tips, suggestions, etc. to help get either screen to be as accurate as possible? I've used the Mac monitor calibration tool but might also look into getting some hardware calibration. Has anyone had success with a laptop and external monitor and a calibration tool in getting them to look very similar?
The problem with the Dell monitor is that when connected with DVI, I can't adjust the contrast. No matter what I do in calibration or monitor settings, I can't even get white to look perfectly white.
- vaxorcist0
Forgive me if I'm wrong, but have you tried messing with the gamma? Macs often have default gamma of 1.8 and the Dell may be expecting a gamma of 2.5
- uan0
glossy vs matte --> huge diffence in colors.
- vaxorcist0
Argh, if you can't adjust the contrast using the DVI cable with this monitor.... is there an on-the-monitor calibration adjustment? My old Dell monitor allows me to adjust contrast using buttons on the monitor, even if it's rather primitive....
One old-time trick..... a photo of a MacBeth Color Chart, then eye-calibrate till you can get it similar on both.....
Is the Dell matte and the MBP glossy? The Glossy screens seem to have better D-max, (darkness density) and whiter whites, but may result in a stair-stepping of the highlights and shadows, so the photos "look better" but are actually less "real information" editing-wise...
Even Rmost recent MBP's don't actually use IPS screens anymore I believe, but who knows... IPS is supposedly much better than TN....
- vaxorcist0
RE: the macbeth color chart.. I hold the chart itself up next to the monitors as I calibrate the monitors.... yes, it's reflected vs transmitted light, but it's a start..... Otherwise we use a ColorMunki, but sometimes you have to be primitive...
- uan0
ok, no glossy vs matte issue.
another idea:
did you try setting the contranst with the os?
ctrl+alt+command+, or +. ?
- scruffics0
this is relevant to my interests. please carry on.