Help calibrating a monitor which is driven from a laptop

dan_yorkshire

dan_yorkshire

Suspended / Banned
Messages
2,398
Name
Dan
Edit My Images
Yes
I need to calibrate my new monitor and am just about to purchase Spyder4 express.

How do I go about doing this when I have a laptop which drives the new monitor. I understand I will use the physical spyder hardware on the monitor but how will the software adjusting the monitor effect the screen on my laptop? How will it know that it is calibrating a monitor rather than the laptop screen?

Any help would be great, cheers
 
It will. Your laptop recognises the external screen and gives it a name already, Spyder software will deliver a calibration file for that monitor.

The express version won't be able to give you a file for your laptop monitor too, but if you're interested I can give you a workaround to make it do so.
 
Cheers Phil, so it spots the HDMI output and calibrates the external monitor, good to know.

Tbh I'm going to leave my laptop uncalibrated, this will force me to sit at my desk and process my images, rather than being lazy in front of the tv!
 
Phil V said:
It will. Your laptop recognises the external screen and gives it a name already, Spyder software will deliver a calibration file for that monitor.

The express version won't be able to give you a file for your laptop monitor too, but if you're interested I can give you a workaround to make it do so.
Click to expand...

I phil, late answer to this message but I was recently thinking in buying one of these. I've never used a screen calibrator and I was interested to know what is the walkaround technic to calibrate more than one monitor with the spider 4 express?
 
Lemaildetom said:
I phil, late answer to this message but I was recently thinking in buying one of these. I've never used a screen calibrator and I was interested to know what is the walkaround technic to calibrate more than one monitor with the spider 4 express?
Click to expand...
I'll post it later, I'm at work ATM.
 
neil_g said:
i dont think you can with the express. you have to use the pro to calibrate multiple displays.

the difference in models is on the spyder site.
Click to expand...
That's why it's a 'workaround'
 
Phil V said:
It will. Your laptop recognises the external screen and gives it a name already, Spyder software will deliver a calibration file for that monitor.

The express version won't be able to give you a file for your laptop monitor too, but if you're interested I can give you a workaround to make it do so.
Click to expand...

Hi Phil, I'd be interested in this solution, please. I'm using x-Rite, but perhaps it will give me ideas. Thanks :)
 
A quick and dirty explanation.

The limitation with the software is that it overwrites the old profile with a new one every time you run it:

My method is to start by connecting only the '2nd' monitor, let it warm up and calibrate it. Then find the profile it created, copy it and rename it to something useful.
Then reboot the PC with the primary monitor connected too, and run your calibration tool. When it's done and assigned the new profile (only to the primary display), you go into windows display settings and on the 2nd monitor you can go to color management (why can't they spell) and choose your custom profile for the 2nd display.

As the yoof say 'simples'
 
Phil V said:
A quick and dirty explanation.

The limitation with the software is that it overwrites the old profile with a new one every time you run it:

My method is to start by connecting only the '2nd' monitor, let it warm up and calibrate it. Then find the profile it created, copy it and rename it to something useful.
Then reboot the PC with the primary monitor connected too, and run your calibration tool. When it's done and assigned the new profile (only to the primary display), you go into windows display settings and on the 2nd monitor you can go to color management (why can't they spell) and choose your custom profile for the 2nd display.

As the yoof say 'simples'
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot for the explanation, I thought it will be something simple like this. I have an old IPS screen DELL 2209WA. The colour is so much warmer that my laptop screen that I don't use it. I need to calibrate it!

neil_g said:
otherwise known as breaking the licence agreement ;)
Click to expand...

They can already be happy that we want to buy ONE licence :-)
 
neil_g said:
otherwise known as breaking the licence agreement ;)
Click to expand...
Well the best detail I can find is that they'll let me calibrate as many devices as I own. Although the product spec says 'for a single display' nowhere does the license state that I'm not licensed to calibrate different displays for the same PC.
They boast "Spyder4express software lets you use the same sensor to calibrate your computer, iPad, iPhone and Android devices (with the free Spydergallery App). No other calibrator has this capability"
but as you suggest, they do say the device is for 'calibrating a single display'
And the devices designed for setting multiple displays also have many other features the express is missing. I don't think I was really advocating that the express could be 'turned into' a higher priced product, just that it can be used for calibrating several displays for the same PC even though the supplied software doesn't cater for it, but I can't see where a EULA prohibits it;).

I find it difficult to believe that Datacolor are happy to let me use a single license on 8 screens in the house but not the 9th because it happens to be connected to the same PC as one of the others.:thinking:
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top