Calibrating Apple Cinema 27" Display

<p>I just bought the Apple Cinema Display 27" model as a second monitor for my Macbook Pro 15" laptop that I've been using. The laptop was calibrated awhile back and seemed perfect for editing my photos, etc. I loved the large 27" monitor and decided to buy it so I can really see the detail in my photos and do more professional-level editing. </p>

<p>However, when I tried to calibrate both monitors (laptop and 27" display), I cannot get both of them to agree with each other. In other words, both were calibrated using the SpyderElite product. I verified that both monitors have their brightness level set to max. I've verified that both monitors have their color profile set to the profile I created with the SpyderElite product. Still though, when I display various pictures on both monitors there's an obvious difference. For example, red is definitely darker on my laptop and much brighter on the 27" monitor! Another photo of mine is black-and-white but in Lightroom I used the panel to add some light color to highlights/shadows and on my laptop it looks correct, but on the 27" monitor it looks more black-and-white (not much color). </p>

<p>These things are really annoying! I was extremely excited to get this new monitor. Now I'm really nervous because I am not sure which monitor is wrong.</p>

<p>On my Macbook Pro, I'm using the new Lion operating system. Not sure if that matters, but at least it means I'm using all the latest software (I checked software update and I'm totally updated). I also have SpyderElite's v3 software. They have v4.0 but decided there was no real reason to upgrade at all. I am really questioning whether it's a problem at all with the calibration product. I doubt it! I think the problem is elsewhere, but I'm not sure where and what to do.</p>

<p>Your help is much appreciated!<br>

Thank you!</p>

<p>They will never match. You might get close and the values you select for each will be different (you’ll have to futz around with luminance, white balance to get a visual match). </p>

<p>It is possible to get multiple displays to match but you have to start out with two high quality, reference displays (Eizo, NEC SpectraView) with software and hardware that has full control over the panel. You don’t have anything like that with the two displays referenced. </p>

<p>I did the same thing and asked for advice here, I got a similar reply so sorted it out myself. Basically you need to tweak the native white balance of the second screen to match the first, don't calibrate them to the same D value, one has to be custom.</p>

<p><a href="00ZG8u?start=20">Here is the thread</a> I went through and my results. Even with cheap calibration tools you can get them very close.</p>

<p>Scott,<br>

I will try to manipulate the white balance on the Apple Cinema Display. I found this article on the internet which also mentions that the white point should not be D65 but rather 5750° Kelvin.<br>

<a href="http://www.khulsey.com/monitor-calibration.html">http://www.khulsey.com/monitor-calibration.html</a></p>

<p>I have to say that using Apple's system preferences panel to calibrate the monitors is very difficult. Each of those steps where you need to make the apple image match the background is very difficult to do by human eye. That thing always was confusing to me. Using the Spyder calibration software with the hardware that sticks to the monitor is much easier since it can read all settings. </p>

<p>Here's another great article by Ken Rockwell on the 30" cinema display.<br>

<a href="http://www.kenrockwell.com/apple/30-inch-cinema-display.htm">http://www.kenrockwell.com/apple/30-inch-cinema-display.htm</a></p>

<p>I'd like to find a similar article done for the new 27" cinema display. </p>

<blockquote>

<p> I found this article on the internet which also mentions that the white point should not be D65 but rather 5750° Kelvin.</p>

</blockquote>

<p><strong>No!</strong> It should be <em>whatever</em> value produces a desired match. Any CCT value (kelvin value) is a range of colors. At least a Standard Illuminant (D65) is an exact definition of a color. That said, you can use multiple packages to calibrate a display, ask for the same white point and get different values (the only thing really capable of producing D65 is 93 million miles from your display). <br>

See: http://www.ppmag.com/reviews/200512_rodneycm.pdf<br>

As for Ken and the 30” display, well he’s best ignored and there is nothing at all special about that unit. Apple hasn’t created high end displays in years and years. Now the NEC PA 30 spectraview (or even the 3090WQXi), that is a different quality reference display all together!</p>

<p>Just a thought, which Spyder tool? The Spyder 2 tool doesn't work on the new Apple display, only the older cinema display. The Spyer 3 and 4 tool are the only ones which work on backlit LED monitors. I had to replace my Spyder 2 tool with Spyder 3, now using version 4.0.5 software for my 27" Apple monitor.</p>

<p>I'm using Spyder 3 Elite but with the 3.x version of the software, not the 4.0.5 version.</p>

<p>John,</p>

<p>As Andrew says, you can't set one value, certainly what is D65 or 5750 for one will be different for another.</p>

<p>To do it briefly. Choose your key screen. I used the 27", calibrate it with your Spyder calibration tools. When that is done, use the Apple calibration on the laptop to get you close, set D65 as white point. Then run the Spyder and choose Use Native WP, then compare the results. If your laptop screen is too blue, re calibrate in Apple and set the White Point to lower, try 6200, then recalibrate with the Spyder again using Use Native WP, do this two or three times and you will get them very very close.</p>

<p>The key to getting the native Apple tool to work well is to do it when you are relaxed, with the screen at the correct height and angle and gentle ambient light, take your time and squint your eyes and it works well.</p>

<p>It is a mess about but with judicious adjustments of the second screens white point they can be made to very closely match. And once it is done it is easy to maintain and a pleasure to use.</p>

<p>Scott, was this a typo?</p>

<p><em>Then run the Spyder and choose Use Native WP, then compare the results. If your laptop screen is too blue, re calibrate in Apple and set the White Point to lower, try 6200, then recalibrate with the Spyder again using Use Native WP,</em></p>

<p>You seem to be suggesting to iteratively do native WP on the Apple when the user should be calibrating (and recalibrating (and recalibrating)) at successively *different* WPs (and really, different X/Y CIE coordinates which are 'off axis') in order to zero in on whatever the Apple needs to be set at to match the reference monitor.</p>

<p>I have used Spyder on the Cinema Display to calibrate it. It looks good. Then I compare it to my laptop display and it just seems that, for any color, the color is brighter on my cinema display. It's not that colors are not calibrated correctly - whites seem white, etc. I just see a distinct difference in brightness of each individual color. I believe this is related to luminance, right? However, how can I increase this for the laptop display? (make the colors brighter) or reduce it for the Cinema Display? Not sure which monitor is wrong.</p>

<p>Howard,</p>

<p>No not a typo, it is an iterative process, it doesn't make sense to me as an engineer that a calibrator doesn't calibrate, but the truth is, as was pointed out in the linked thread, that isn't how these things work.</p>

<p>The important bit for me to match my printer (another can of worms with print illumination temps), was to get my main monitor, the 27" which calibrates much better anyway, to an "accurate" match to the print, this is done purely by the external calibration tools using whatever D value matches your print viewing station, or, if you are not printing, whatever D value you prefer. Then you need to custom WB the second monitor as a start point to get a close enough match to the first monitor. This takes several steps but it is not going to be the same D value for both screens.</p>

<p>Why a calibrated D value returns completely different illuminations from different screens was totally counter intuitive to me, I thought if you dialed in the same numbers you got the same result, that is how I understood calibration to work, and indeed is how my other totally unrelated calibration tools work in engineering. But that is how I did it, and I have now had matched Apple 27" monitor and 17" MBP and Epson 4900 since August last year. I redo the calibration once a month but there is virtually no difference between profiles so far. Incidentally, I have a stand for the MBP that elevates the laptop and keeps the screen at the same level of the bigger monitor, this prevents the angle viewing problems.</p>

<p>To adjust both monitor brightness levels go into system preferences and displays, both displays have their own panels and both have a brightness slider.</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>No not a typo, it is an iterative process, it doesn't make sense to me as an engineer that a calibrator doesn't calibrate, but the truth is, as was pointed out in the linked thread, that isn't how these things work.</p>

</blockquote>

 

I suspect it has far more to do with the software that ends up getting the measured data (Lab, Spectral), at least in terms of seeing the same instrument driven by two different products produce two visually different results.

<p>Ok everyone, here's an update on my calibration adventure.</p>

<p>I had Spyder3Elite with software 3.x. I decided to upgrade to the 4.0.5 version for $19. Well, I'm happy I did that! The 4.0.5 version is a much better product. Better interface, clear instructions, easily recognizes both of my monitors nicely, and really is just overall worth the upgrade! So here's what I did after I upgraded the software:<br>

Initially, I had both monitors setup with brightness as full power. I also had all my lights turned off in my room and window covered so light wouldn't come in.<br>

1. Calibrated the Macbook Pro display using native white point, 2.2 gamma. I used the calibrator with the counter-weight. It calibrated nicely and completed, saved and set the profile to the newly created profile. <br>

2. Calibrated the Cinema 27" Display using 2.2 gamma and it recommended 6500K as white point. However, I selected 'native white point'. It then began using the sensor with the counter-weight. Suddenly it stopped and asked me to reduce the brightness to within 4% of 90 cd/mm2. So I used the System Preferences->Display panel to do that. When I was within 4%, I clicked the Continue button. It completed the calibration and resulted in using 5000K for white point. The Luminance resulted in 0.21 Black Luminance and 90.0 White Luminance. </p>

<p>So now when I compare the 2 displays, it's better. Still not fully convinced I did all of this correctly. Why can't I have my Cinema Display at full brightness? </p>

<p>Any suggestions or advice? Perhaps a different method?</p>

 

<p>Because that is a totally unrealistic figure! My laptop is on 7 segments of 16 to get my luminance down to realistic paper levels, around 100 cd/mm2. I am in the field for a couple of weeks so can't tell you where my 27" is set but it is in a similar setting.</p>

<p>Your methodology is sound, if you used the Apple calibration setup by eye on the Cinema Display then it is what I described, though I did it the other way round as I considered the bigger display much more important.</p>

<p>Are you using a test image to compare colours like the one in my image in the other thread? It is important.</p>

<p>I also recently used the tool in Spyder3Elite software that allows you to make 2 monitors target the same settings. It recommended around 79 cd/mm2 for brightness on both monitors. I made the adjustments but I'm still seeing some slight differences. For example, a photo in Lightroom that has really bright blue skies on my laptop monitor has kind of blue with light amount of purple in the Cinema monitor. There are other examples as well. <br>

You said to manually configure the laptop monitor using Sys Pref on Mac, but that's just not an easy method for me.</p>