monitor calibration hardware

[robo]

I'm finding the visual route of calibrating a monitor isn't good. Just wondering what hardware everyone uses. Or maybe people get good results via visual route(although I can't imagine it)My budget will allow spyderpro with optical OR Monaco optix bundle. Are these good choices? Which would be the best?

Found this link
Ian Lyons puts the MonacoEZcolor 2.5 system to ... I’m leaning towards the Pro version
that comes with the full version of SilverFast, and Monaco EZcolor and ...
www.imagingrevue.com/forums/?thread=280

however it cost you$$$ to read it.

Thanks Rob

[Tom V]

I use a LaCie Blue Eye color calibrator on my LaCie monitors. It is a gizmo that you stick to the screen while the calibrating software does its thing. The calibrator interfaces with the software and the video card to create profile that is very very good. I think it only works with LaCie monitors, although, when I bought it, I thought it said it would work in a limited manner with other brand monitors. I cannot check that out, because I don't have anything else except some LCD screens, on which I know it won't work.

I am very happy with the LaCie monitors and the calibrator.

I have one system with a 22" LaCie CRT and 17" Apple LCD, and another system with a 19" LaCie CRT and 17" Apple LCD. If anybody asks, I tell them to get the 19" LaCie for their main work, a secondary 15" or 17" LCD monitor for palettes, and buy a hardware color calibrator.

[smunky]

Alot of ppl I know recommend the Monaco EZ color set that comes with the gadget and software. Monaco also calibrates for certain types of paper that you print on, what you do is scan the paper in a basic flatbed and monaco reads the whiteness/brightness and calibrates from there.
I hear ppl have better experience with this than with the spyder, but Monaco is hm $379.00 USD i htink.

[jtheal]

I bought a Colorvision Spyder, the one that does crt or lcd monitors. I have a true neutral grey now that is a blessing in judging and tuning your image colors, expecially if you ship them out on CD's or to color labs. The Spyder is a cinch to use.

For profiling printers and scanners a very reasonable and also good profile system is Prism Profiler, about $80, from the Qimage, ddsoftware co. You can do your camera as well. Like Monaco it uses your scanner to calibrate printer or camera, but also gives you more control in fine tuning the profile. I tried colorvision's 'profiler plus', but had poor luck with it. Colorvision has some very expensive professional profilers that I didn't try and can't tell you anything about them.

[jknights]

Hmm,
So do I buy a Monaco or a Pantone Spyder.
Is the Pantone really easy to use and can I use it to calibrate the TFT monitor and profile my printer (Epson PhotoStylus EX ==> Epson2200/2100 or Canon 9000).

Help.....

[jtheal]

The Colorvision Pantone Spyder works very well, and in less than 10 minutes it will give you a really good monitor profile. Order the one that can be used on a crt and tft monitor. You may have run it a few times to get it perfect the first time, but it is easy to use. You will get the best results if your monitor has separate RGB color controls.

As far as your printer goes, Colorvision also sells Profile Plus, but I did not have good results with this, even after 20 tries. They sell more expensive profilers as well. Monaco is good, I hear, and I used an old version of it 3 years ago with good results. I now use Prism Profile from ddisoftware.com, and it is important to follow the directions carefully. This is an excellent program, about $80.00, and they give good support through their forum. Like Monaco you must have a scanner to work with this software and the included color cards. This is not a polished program so you have to print out the directions for reference, but it works very well with printer profiling.

Hope this helps.
Jim

[jknights]

Thanks.
Seems like I'm going to buy a Spyder, Pantone, not Alpha ;-(

Once I've got that fixed I'll move onto the difficult bit !