I have an Apple LCD 23" Monitor. I have resisted buying the 24" LED because I've read some negative reviews when it comes to photo editing. I use wanted this LCD to mainly be a destop monitor to connect my MBP and to edit photos. Digital photography is just a hobby. I have noticed though that when I edit my photos and then take the photos to be printed at Walmart, for example, that my photos do not look like what I see on the monitor. Someone said I probably need to calibrate my monitor. I've only used the calibration that is on my computer. What I'm wondering is what is a simple and not too expensive calibration tool that I can use? Or any other advice?
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LCD Monitor and Calibration Question
- Thread starter Mykald
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here's a few questions others have asked recently on this forum...
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/921780/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/914296/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/905593/
looks like they dont much response.. good luck, and i'll be happy to
read if you get any either...
any hardware calibrator will do. Huey Pro, Spyder3 Express or Pro, or i1Display LT or 2 I think are all under $200. on top of monitor calibration, you will need the ICC profiles for the printer to softproof the printer output.
also, stop printing at Walmart. find a local pro lab or use Mpix. Walmart doesn't provide ICC profiles, and the color gamut of their printers is tiny, for starters.
also, stop printing at Walmart. find a local pro lab or use Mpix. Walmart doesn't provide ICC profiles, and the color gamut of their printers is tiny, for starters.
What do you think of costco? I use them occasionally,
you CAN get the profiles for their printers on the website,,,
and I use adorama photo if I want to print something out really nice,,
comes out pretty good,,,
I hear good things about Costco, but I've never printed anything from them, so I wouldn't know.
Sorry I don't have any info on the LCD, but I 2nd Adorama. I've been using them from some 20" x 30" prints and they are fantastic. For certain images the metallic paper is amazing. You also can't beat $4.99 for shipping - the 20x30 prints are shipped flat and packaged extremely well. I had one of the expensive metallic prints damaged in shipping and they replaced it no questions asked.
Even a cheap calibrator that's under $100 is going to be much better than nothing at all. The fancy Spyder is on my to buy list but I haven't been able to get around to it yet.
Every monitor is going to be different and you might get lucky and have a good match out of the box but it is unlikely. A funny thing is that my Sony 46" TV is a great match out of the box. Go figure.
Even a cheap calibrator that's under $100 is going to be much better than nothing at all. The fancy Spyder is on my to buy list but I haven't been able to get around to it yet.
Every monitor is going to be different and you might get lucky and have a good match out of the box but it is unlikely. A funny thing is that my Sony 46" TV is a great match out of the box. Go figure.
I use a spyder calibrater and it works great, for printing why don't you just use a bubblejet, Epson, Canon whatever, they're as good as any lab and way more convienant.