lcd monitor calibration

[surfg1mp]

sorry if this is in the wrong place....

I have a dual monitor set-up consisting of a square lcs and a wide screen monitor.

They look very different in lightness and colour. I have tried to get them to look the same but to no avail. the fact that one has a matt screen and one has a shiney screen doesn't have.

i do all my photo editing on these and the images look different on both screens so god knows what they look like on other peoples on the net.

id like to buy some calerating hardwear...can anyone recomend a good device for doing this, cheap would be good as funds are limited.

thanks lee

[wolfie]

I use a Spyder, but have a look here http://www.drycreekphoto.com/Learn/m...tion_tools.htm

In the meantime download Monitor calibration wizard, it's very good.
http://www.hex2bit.com/products/product_mcw.asp

Harry

[yelvertoft]

Each calibration widget and associated software has its plus' and minus'. For doing dual monitor calibration, which seems to be what you need, make sure the particular calibrator/software you buy supports this feature - they don't all support dual monitor. I use a Huey Pro for my laptop which usually has a 2nd monitor plugged into it when used on a desk. The Huey Pro does dual, the basic Huey doesn't. I'm sure other brands will do a model for two monitors, but check first.

Regardless of which widget you buy, if the two monitors use very different technology, you may find that they will never look quite the same as each other even after calibration. My stand alone monitor is a panel that uses MVA technology, my laptop is a TN panel, even after cal, the black and white points are quite different, the technical limitations of one panel cannot match the other.

Calibrating your screen is essential IMHO, you may be quite surprised by how much difference it makes.

Duncan

[surfg1mp]

Thank you for the advice guys. Thinking about it, i really only need one of the monitors to be calibrated as this would be the one i use for editing and proofing. i use adobe bridge alot and have the contents on one and the preview on the other. when i want to edit a file it open on the same monitor as the preview is displayed. this works well and i guess i could get away with just this monitor being calibrated. another point i have just realised is that one of the displays is DVI and the other is VGA. The DVI is the screen that i do all my editing on as its clearer.

[yelvertoft]

Lee, working with one calibrated and one uncalibrated monitor will send you bonkers quite quickly I expect, especially if it's a long way out.

VGA/DVI won't make any significant difference to the colour accuracy I expect.

[surfg1mp]

Thank you duncan, you are probably right! I suspect the huey pro will be costly, but looks like the kinda thing i need to look into doing.