# Adventures in monitor calibration



## dbur (Sep 7, 2013)

Hi,

After developing a couple thousand images in LR I started thinking I should use a calibrated monitor if I want my result to be consistent and accurate.  I got a Spyder4pro and calibrated 3 monitors so far, all with consistent results.

The only problem is I don't like the results.  My images are duller and have an apparent bluish tinge. 

My assumption was this is caused because I have developed these images with an improperly calibrated monitor and have to do them all over, except that even windows apps with white backgrounds now appear duller and blue tinged.

My previous calibration was to use some user interactive programs that put up various images and ask to make adjustments to achieve proper results such as in the Win7 built in calibration utility.

So I then tried to re-develop some images with my new 'properly' calibrated monitor profiles, but I have not been able to get the results to be as pleasing as they were.  I also notice I am applying more aggressive adjustments to try and get the images looking their best, which seems to indicate the calibration is off from optimal.

I searched and download a selection of supposedly properly adjusted test images and I think I see the same result as with my images.  Duller and bluish tinged.

Since 3 monitors all calibrate with the same result I assume the calibration is working as expected.  But why are my results worse?  I'm aware much of this is subjective and am beginning to think the calibration standard for consistency is not a calibration that gives the best viewing experience on a good monitor, which may be capable of displaying a better image with settings other than what it calibrates to.  Am I full of crap?

So I have a couple dilemmas:

1. How do I reconcile that my images don't look as good to me as they used to?

2. If this is where I need to be, how do I update the developing in all my thousands of images to be more optimized with the calibrated monitor?  Is it feasible to just apply an automatic adjustment that does x% increase in brightness, y% increase in contrast, z deg increase in white balance color temperature, etc.?  If I can automatically do this processing to all my images, how do I do it?  Applying a preset in LR overwrites previous values rather than increasing by some%.  I know someone could write a plugin to do it, but I'm not equipped to do that myself.

Any advise or comments?

Thanks.


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## Victoria Bampton (Sep 7, 2013)

Hi dbur, welcome to the forum!

It could be the lighting in the room that's throwing your judgement - try turning the lights out and closing the curtains at night so the room is dark.  Then look at B&W images to get a good idea of how neutral it is.

And you didn't you didn't tell us what settings you used when you calibrated - white point and brightness particularly.


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## dbur (Sep 7, 2013)

Victoria Bampton said:


> Hi dbur, welcome to the forum!
> 
> It could be the lighting in the room that's throwing your judgement - try turning the lights out and closing the curtains at night so the room is dark.  Then look at B&W images to get a good idea of how neutral it is.
> 
> And you didn't you didn't tell us what settings you used when you calibrated - white point and brightness particularly.




One was in a well lighted room with fluorescent lighting and the recommended brightness was 200, which I used.

Another in a dim room with recommended brightness 150 which I used for that one.

Both were set to 6500K as specified by the calibrator.


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## Victoria Bampton (Sep 8, 2013)

Those sound a little bright - try around 120 in a dim room, and try setting the white point to native to see if you get a nicer result.


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## Bryan Conner (Sep 8, 2013)

Victoria Bampton said:


> Those sound a little bright - try around 120 in a dim room, and try setting the white point to native to see if you get a nicer result.



Great advice!  I believe that this will solve the problem.


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## sizzlingbadger (Sep 8, 2013)

Don't rule out your Spyder4 being faulty, I had a bad Spyder3 and had to return it.


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## Jim Wilde (Sep 8, 2013)

To save you guys putting any more thought into this, it would appear the problem has already been sorted:

http://forums.adobe.com/thread/1291133?tstart=0

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/forum/index.php?topic=81914.0


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## DAYMX5 (Sep 20, 2013)

I, personally, prefer color munki.  It will monitor ambient light and adjust the monitor.


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