ColorMunki calibration help! (with Dell U2410)

[seumas12345]

Hi guys,

I'm new to this forum and I was hoping to get some technical help. I just bought a new Dell U2410 monitor and ColorMunki Photo.

I have done heaps of research on the web and it looks like there are heaps of opinions/options/possibilities of how to calibrate the Dell U2410 (and other montors) with the ColorMunki. How have other people used the ColorMunki to calibrate their monitors (what settings, easy or advanced etc...)?

I set my Dell U2410 monitor preset to "Custom" and followed the ColorMunki step by step software to calibrate. I used "Advanced" profiling, and selected the ColorMunki to set the luminance level to 120, and target white point for display to D65 (default). After following ColorMunki's instructions after this (setting brightness to 4 and contrast to 50), it seems that it has calibrated the monitor. It doesn't look too green or red like some people have experienced in other threads.

Is what I have done above the right way to calibrate my monitor? Have I missed something or is there anything I should have done differently?

Cheers

 

[snappingsam]

sound like you've done it - but you'll not really know until you check with test images...

First test is open photoshop, new file, then draw a graduation from black to white - look very carefully - see if there is any colours visable - particulary near white - can you see details into the white and black.

There are standard images you can download - this is the one I use...

on the chart on the left you should be able to see difference between 90, 95 and 100 - but there won't be much between 0 and 5 and even 10 - if there is a very obvious difference in these your monitor might be too bright... personally I recommend 120 or even 100 cd/m2 depending on how bright the room you are working in....

 

[seumas12345]

Thanks for the help David. The test image you posted appears exactly how you described it should. Are there any other types of test images I should be trying or just the graduation from black to white test?

 

[Chappers]

Setting the brightness to 120 is probably about right for most viewing conditions. This is important if you are trying to match screen to print. Don't worry if you find you may need to change this a little to get a better match. My screen is set to 130cd/m2. D65 is fine. You don't say what gamma setting has been used. I suspect the default may be 2.2 which again is fine.

There are lots of test images out there. This one from Dry Creek is fine. Generally if the neutral wedge is neutral and you can see all the graduations ( Some monitors may struggle with the 0-5-10 section so don't worry ) and the flesh colours are OK then I wouldn't worry.

A good neutral scale is important but then so are other colours. A well calibrated monitor will have a good neutral response, but will also render other colours correctly as well. Check neutrals plus other colours and tones such as flesh, lemon yellows and greens.

 

[snappingsam]

As "chappers" has said - the neutrals should be neutral - and you should be able to see every step on the step wedges - but the 0, 5 , 10 should be a bit of a struggle unless you have the monitor too bright or you have a very good monitor - but the 90, 95, 100 should be clear differences.

As your eyes cannot be calibrated - and theres a wide range of brightneses of working enviroments the overall brightness has to be adjusted to suit. The basic rule, if your prints are too dark the monitor is too bright. If the prints are too light, your monitor is too dark... 120 cd/m2 is the suggested - looking at files we get through the lab we see far more that are too dark - most people don't reset to suit - I have 110 on one of my monitors, 100 on another, and 120 on a couple - and they now all look the same! (you should be reviewing the prints with a good colour corrected light too - try some of the lights you get at local craft shops)

If you have D65 (or 6,500k - kelvin) that is the best setting - the D50 (or 5,000k) is too yellow, though logic would say its the one to use!

This test image available from dry creek (or just download from above!) is orginally by Photodisc is the one I've seen used most - there are a few others but we've adopted it as the one we use in our lab. Personally the 2nd baby shot is slightly over exposed and the skin tones are a little clipped but there are plenty other good skin tones in the image.

Keep this image open and use to compare your own - the longer you look at an image the less the errors appear - keeping the test image open let you compare, and therefore the errors are more apparent!