Monitor Calibration + My Common Sense = ??

[Benjamindaines]

As we all know, you're supposed to calibrate your monitor in a dark room. But my common sense says to do it in light conditions similar to what you will be working in. My question is not whether I'm crazy, but why would you do it in a dark room rather than light conditions you will be working in?

--Thanks

[emorydunn]

I agree, I have never calibrated my display in a dark room, I have never even haerd of that. I think that you should calibrate your display in conditions you are normally going to see it in.

[heehee]

I've never heard of calibrating monitor in a dark room. You are supposed to do it in the lighting condition you work in. :confused:

[irishgrizzly]

In our studio we have different profiles for different times; late at night, summer sun and winter sun. We use our calibration software about once a month to account for new changes in light source.

[idea_hamster]

It may be that if you are using a calibration tool that reads the screen itself, then you might do it best in a dark room to avoid contaminating the light sample entering the sensor.

But I think that if you are just using software or doing it by eye, then working conditions would make sense.

Disclaimer: I have no reference for the above and no experience in any project that requires any particular level of color accuracy -- i.e., I have absolutely NO idea what I'm talking about.

[abrooks]

In our studio we have different profiles for different times; late at night, summer sun and winter sun. We use our calibration software about once a month to account for new changes in light source.

Sounds like you need this. (http://www.pantone.com/pages/products/product.aspx?ca=2&pid=79)

[decksnap]

It may be that if you are using a calibration tool that reads the screen itself, then you might do it best in a dark room to avoid contaminating the light sample entering the sensor.

But I think that if you are just using software or doing it by eye, then working conditions would make sense.

Disclaimer: I have no reference for the above and no experience in any project that requires any particular level of color accuracy -- i.e., I have absolutely NO idea what I'm talking about.

Even if it was reading the screen, it would want to read it the way the eye would read it.

Ours reads the screen but also reads ambient lighting as it's calibrating. So no, I don't think calibrating in a dark room makes any sense unless you work in a dark room.