XP change monitor color profile on-the-fly

[jeff__2]

Using XP, how do I switch color profiles for my monitor without logoff/logon

or reboot?

 

My Colorvision Spyder2Pro profile which is rather "dark" for general office

purposes (but seems fine for Photoshop CS2 work).

 

I uninstalled the adobe and colorvision startup entries and I installed

Wincolor.exe /L with the adobe1998 profile as default (it is quite a bit

brighter on my LCD screen).

 

When using photoshop, I use the Colorvision Profile Chooser to switch to my

Spyder2Pro calibrated profile on-the-fly.

 

But how do I get back to a brighter profile (e.g. adobe1998) without rebooting?

 

The Windows Color applet in the control panel does not seem to offer on-the-

fly color profile switching.

 

Thanks,

 

Jeff

[gib robinson]

In control panel, find the Display icon. When you open it you will see a menu at the top. The far right tab is "Settings". Click that. Then, at the lower right you will see a tab labeled "Advanced". Click that. Again look at the top menu. You should see a tab called color management. Clicking that tab should take you to a list of monitor profiles. The tab at the lower right allows you to set any profile in that group to be the default.

[benbangerter]

Download and install the Microsoft Windows Control Panel Applet from <a href="http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=1e33dca0-7721-43ca-9174-7f8d429fbb9e&DisplayLang=en">here</a>

<p>

The filename is WinColorSetup.exe. After installing, run the Color control panel, select the "Devices" tab, choose the desired profile, click "Set As Default," click "Apply" and the profile will be changed "on the fly." Works for me.

[robert_martin5]

Jeff, I don't understand why your profile generated with Spyder2Pro should be dark for general office use. I use Gregtag Macbeth Eye One Display and my profile is bright and works great for all use. Is this characteristic of Spyder2Pro profiles? Does Spyder2Pro go through a setup for brightness and contrast before it generates the profile?

[jeff__2]

<<Gib Robinson

In control panel, ... The tab at the lower right allows you to set any profile in that group to be the default.<<

 

Yes, but it doesn't change my monitor "on-the-fly", only when I reboot.

 

Ben Bangerter

...Color control panel, select the "Devices" tab, choose the desired profile, click "Set As Default," click "Apply" and the profile will be changed "on the fly."

 

Yes, that worked for me too. I am surprised I have to set it as the "default" so that is why I hadn't discovered it. Otherwise the "apply" button does not become active. Thanks!

 

Robert Martin

Jeff, I don't understand why your profile generated with Spyder2Pro should be dark for general office use. ..Does Spyder2Pro go through a setup for brightness and contrast before it generates the profile?

 

Yes it does. I am not sure why it is so much darker; I'd say about 20% darker and the colors are a bit more greenish-blue than default.

[sergey_oboguev]

To begin with, profile does not control brightness. Or, rather, it should not.

It is possible to reduce brighness via profile, but at the cost of banding in images displayed on the screen (and also the cost of bightness difference between windows of color managed applications vs. all other apps).

 

I am not sure exactly what you are trying to achieve and why you want to maintain two profiles.

 

If you want to use your monitor part time for color editing at one brighness setting and remaining time for office work at other brighness setting, you need to profile monitor for both brighntess settings -- manually set in hardware. Then when you switch from one mode to another, you need to adjust hardware setting first using monitor controls (on most DDC compliant monitors it can also be done through DDC control applet that may allow to store settings in file), then select profile that was created for this setting in WinColor. You may also need to execute WinColor /L (I do not remember right now if WinColor uploads LUT when you merely assign new profile).

 

Also, I am not sure why Adobe1998 is mentioned in this context. AdobeRGB is a workspace profile. It is not a profile you assign to any hardware device.

[serge c]

The rationale for doing something like this aside here's how:

 

First of all you can't just switch LUTs off in XP without rebooting. So you have to find a profile you like. For instance make one with Adobe gamma without making any changes in it and save with a distinctive name, or use one that came with monitor drivers.

 

In the color control panel applet go to Devices and Add another profile to your monitor, one that gives you something you like. When it appears on the list Set As Default and Apply.

[serge c]

Sorry, didn't realize you akready found the answer.... Never mind..

[jeff__2]

I ended up re-calibrating with the Colorvision Spyder 2 pro but I used Gamma 2.2 NATIVE instead of 6500. Now the calibrated color profile on my LCD seems fine. Hopefully photos will have a similar color when printed.

 

Thanks.

[serge c]

Native is a better idea. Essentialy it just measures the factory default white point .