color cast after using colorvision spyder2express

I just purchased Spyder2express to calibrate my CRT driven by a Thinkpad T41p

with an ATI Mobility FireGL T2. After the calibration, the monitor shows a

blue cast. I'm not sure if the blue cast is just my perception because I have

been using this monitor at 5000K and Sypder2express calibrates it at 6500K. I

have an ICC profile from MPIX for their prints, along with an actual print and

CD with the image on it. The image on the calibrated monitor doesn't look

anymore accurate that what I was able to achieve with Adobe Gamma. Did I just

waste money on this product, or am I doing something wrong? The image on

screen looks close to the print, but not exactly. I'm not sure how good of a

match to expect. And the blue color cast is concerning as well. Any ideas?

If you were used to 5000K the 6500K will look quite blue. How does your screen look when

calibrated to 5000K with the Spyder?

 

Regarding prints compared to images onscreen: even with a calibrated monitor they will look

different, because the print reflects light and the monitor emits it. That has a huge effect on

the contrast. You should, BTW, compare your print with a softproof preview in Photoshop,

using the printing profile as a target.

Unfortunately, the version of Spyder I have only supports 6500K, so I don't know how it will look calibrated at 500K. Yes, I am using the soft proof option. My conern is that calibrating the monitor using Adobe Gamma gives me as close a match as Spyder2express.

Download an older version of Spyder2Expess software from Colorvision. It uses Native white point target instead of 6500K - which is ideal in your case.

 

http://www.colorvision.com/sup_dl-upgrades.shtml

Gosh, I didn't exect the Spyder software to be so limited. I wouldn't know what to do without

the ability to choose my own color temperature, or gamma. Perhaps worth a warning for

people considering the purchase of a calibration device. I'm using GretagMacbeth's

iOneMatch, which is considerably better equipped with options.

It's a Spyder2Express. It costs $70. Same device as in Spyder2 Pro but with "no options" software. If you buy Spyder2 Pro bundle ($240) you get more features than in eye one Display2 ($180, an excellent package in it's own right). There are a couple of other Spyder2 versions in between.

 

It all depends what those features are worth to you. If you need them you can buy them. But most people would calibrate to 6500K/2.2 anyway... Or Native/2.2 if they are informed about 8 bit LCD issues...

White points don't influence color appearance that profoundly

anyway. It's how different brightness level combined with color

cast between your viewing environment prints are viewed under

compared to your display's brightness and color cast. The farther

apart the two, the longer your eyes will take to adapt.

 

Since they only make 5000K lighting that's accurate enough,

balancing your display to 6500K will be close enough. LCD's, if

they're bright enough, can tolerate a reduction of the blue

channel to get closer to 5000K. CRT's usually have to be

calibrated to a brighter 1.8 gamma to compensate loss of

luminance to get the yellowish look of 5000K.

 

But I can tell you from experience, editing color in a room lit with

a 3000K incandescant soft white living room light will create

more work than you care to deal with. Whatever number you pick

in your calibration software make sure it looks reasonably

neutral compared to your 5000K lighting.

 

It doesn't have to be perfect because the eyes adapt quickly to

white point color cast. Usually modern displays are color

balanced at the factory so you can use native settings in your

calibration software to get close enough. Don't be too concerned

about acheiving exact WP numbers because the chromatic

adaptation LUT adjustment Photoshop performs to CM previews

will be very subtle when it reads WP numbers that aren't exact to

the appearance recorded in the final display profile. It's so subtle

your eyes will adapt to it as well.