The comments received on a recent image made me wonder how much of an impact the viewing screen makes.
I have a Dell Netbook with a little 10" screen and anything I view on that comes over rather ordinary and images just don't have the depth of colour I would have expected.
My general workhorse is a Dell 17" Vostro and most images look OK but not all that terrific.
Then there's my desktop with a high-end graphics card and a 24" Samsung monitor. That combination really brings images alive. In fairness to any of the pictures I view I should preferably view them on the Samsung.
So there are no doubt many variables that are at work here, screen size is obviously one of them, but I wonder is does the calibration of the screen plays a part ?? I've tried to set up the Samsung but have much less control over the two laptops.
What is your experience and what tips do you have for creating a level playing field ??
Hi Tony.
I have recently purchased a monitor calibrator which you can use on all of your screens to then make them the same so that the pictures should appear the same on whatever device you are using. I purchased a "Spyder4Pro" but there are a number of different types out there. I highly recommend calibrating your screens.
This also helps when you come to print the picture, as what you see on the screen will be what actually prints (in case you have also noticed a difference in this regard as well).
@danacarruthers I noticed that with some of mine. They looked much different in print than on the screen. I wondered if a screen calibrator would be the go. Are you happy with your purchase then?
The same problem is also there when it comes time for printing..... Your screen has to be calibrated so that what you see is what comes out of the printer.
Spyder Pro is one of these and I would say the most popular.
I agree about calibrating your monitors/screens as @danacarruthers and @agima suggest for both viewing and printing... and not only for the correct color but also the correct luminousity of the screen.
Calibrating the screen is very important. I hadn't got my laptop screen calibrated and edited loads of pictures in Lightroom, then when I printed them they came out way more saturated and the colours were different than they looked on the screen. I now use a calibrated monitor and they print almost exactly as they are on the screen. Definitley well worth doing.
@danacarruthers Dana, I had a quick look at prices for these packages. They go anywhere from AU$ 150 to AU$ 250, a big outlay when I don't really do anything with my images. I'll have to give it some more thought.
Of course your monitor and computer set up have an impact. But I do notice that my photos start to appear a bit flat when I post them on the site. I know that is a real complaint of users is the color change from the file to the web site.
@tonydebont@brumbe Your screen resolution will play a big part to viewing your images in a digital medium and I would suggest you edit them on the best monitor you have, as for this site have to agree with Paula the compression this site uses to display images is horrific compared to say 500px.
I was using a 17" hp laptop but just recently got a 27" iMac and well....i have to make a big attempt at not taking a bite out of my imac lol the images look beyond amazing.
@tonydebont Mate a cheap way to calibrate your screen is to print out a photo on your printer, the hold your printer up to your screen and use the built in screen adjustments within windows until it looks as close to as possible to the print. :)
Tweets ahoy!
Join the Group
Pin With Me
I have recently purchased a monitor calibrator which you can use on all of your screens to then make them the same so that the pictures should appear the same on whatever device you are using. I purchased a "Spyder4Pro" but there are a number of different types out there. I highly recommend calibrating your screens.
This also helps when you come to print the picture, as what you see on the screen will be what actually prints (in case you have also noticed a difference in this regard as well).
Feel free to shoot any questions back at me.
Dana
Hi !! So far no complaints. I've had it for 3 months or so now.
The calibrator I use will also calibrate your iPhone and iPads I believe.
Spyder Pro is one of these and I would say the most popular.
Thanks for kicking this around.
Hi Myrna. It's all monitors.
No worries Tony. If you lived closer you could have borrowed mine. :-)
There's certainly plenty for me to think about. Meanwhile I'll make sure I use the big screen to view any images.
I'm not in the habit of editing my photos they are almost all SOOC so the colours that are uploaded are as they were captured.