I read through another topic that seemed like the same problem( https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/779711/) and tried a variety of the solutions suggested there, but to no avail. I'm convinced that this is something different.
It would seem that the color system on my Macbook is fouled up since upgrading to Snow Leopard. I run a two display system. The built in Macbook Pro display, and an external LG display. The LG is acting as my primary display. Both monitors are calibrated independently using a Pantone Huey device (no, it's not the ideal tool, but it has worked sufficiently thus far).
The biggest problem is that it seems that the contrast has been boosted just enough not to tell, but to destroy important details. Small differences between blacks and dark grays and whites and light grays are blended together to become indistinguishable. The most obvious place it can be seen is in the finder. In list view where the lines alternate between light blue-gray and white, they're simply blended together to be white. If you hover another window over the finder, you can see the lines appear in the new window's shadow.
Also, on occasion, certain ranges of the color blue in the Mac OS interface a turned purple. Restarting usually fixes that issue.
I've tried other color profiles, I've tried adjusting the display's built in settings, I've tried using Apple's built in calibration tool and I've tried recalibrating using the Huey, all to no avail. This contrast problem spans all of them. It's also duplicated on both displays. Regardless of color profile or the display, this contrast issue persists.
I also tried taking a desktop picture of the finder to see if it spanned into JPG images, and it does. Although it may not be relevant, the problem doesn't appear on when I view other user's images of the Mac OS finder on google. But that's an unreliable source since any number of things could be different about the JPGS.
Most of the time it's unnoticeable. But, the fact that I usually can't see it is a big problem. I am a photographer and it can cause big problems for print calibration.
Any wisdom that can be shared would very much be appreciated. I'd like to avoid a lengthy trip to my Apple store. Then again, between what seems to be chronic overheating and a CD burner that is spotty at best, I might be heading there anyway.
It would seem that the color system on my Macbook is fouled up since upgrading to Snow Leopard. I run a two display system. The built in Macbook Pro display, and an external LG display. The LG is acting as my primary display. Both monitors are calibrated independently using a Pantone Huey device (no, it's not the ideal tool, but it has worked sufficiently thus far).
The biggest problem is that it seems that the contrast has been boosted just enough not to tell, but to destroy important details. Small differences between blacks and dark grays and whites and light grays are blended together to become indistinguishable. The most obvious place it can be seen is in the finder. In list view where the lines alternate between light blue-gray and white, they're simply blended together to be white. If you hover another window over the finder, you can see the lines appear in the new window's shadow.
Also, on occasion, certain ranges of the color blue in the Mac OS interface a turned purple. Restarting usually fixes that issue.
I've tried other color profiles, I've tried adjusting the display's built in settings, I've tried using Apple's built in calibration tool and I've tried recalibrating using the Huey, all to no avail. This contrast problem spans all of them. It's also duplicated on both displays. Regardless of color profile or the display, this contrast issue persists.
I also tried taking a desktop picture of the finder to see if it spanned into JPG images, and it does. Although it may not be relevant, the problem doesn't appear on when I view other user's images of the Mac OS finder on google. But that's an unreliable source since any number of things could be different about the JPGS.
Most of the time it's unnoticeable. But, the fact that I usually can't see it is a big problem. I am a photographer and it can cause big problems for print calibration.
Any wisdom that can be shared would very much be appreciated. I'd like to avoid a lengthy trip to my Apple store. Then again, between what seems to be chronic overheating and a CD burner that is spotty at best, I might be heading there anyway.