Colour calibration on a budget

[mark_pierlot]

<p>Is there any way to colour calibrate an LCD monitor for image editing that doesn't entail much expense?</p>

<p>I would like to start printing more of my digital images, but am worried that I'll botch the colour correction just using my monitor as is. But, since photography is a hobby and not a profession for me, I'd rather not have to shell out for an expensive colour calibration system.</p>

[robertbanks]

<p>Some tools here: <a href="http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-online-tools-calibrate-monitor/">http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-online-tools-calibrate-monitor/</a></p>

<p>The Lagom one (<a href="http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/">http://www.lagom.nl/lcd-test/</a>) is specially set-up for LCDs.</p>

<p>These types of calibrations are done by eye!</p>

[ellis_vener_photography]

<p>Define "much expense".</p>

[Wouter Willemse]

<p>I have the Spyder 2 Express, does not cost an arm and a leg. I'm no pro either, but this €99 has been well worth it - both LCDs I've used it with became much better monitors (also seemed to have better dynamic range after calibration).</p>

<p>With my previous (LG) monitor, it came with a numbered coloured patch, which could be held and compared against the screen with the supplied software to get something of a calibration. It worked reasonable, basically much like Adobe Gamma, but with an extra target. If you'd have a program showing Pantone colours, you could work similarly with a Pantone colour chart.</p>

[rsands]

<p>+1 on the Spyder Express. Been using it for about 6 month. Very simple to use, here in Canada you can find it for as little as $80CAD. Very significant difference in my screen colours.</p>

[RaymondC]

<p>The cheap Colorvision Spyder is about $65US right ... at B&H. It does not do luminance but I found it more accurate than borrowing a friend's GMB Eye One Display 2. I just drop the brightness on my Dell LCD and calibrate via trial and error and now it's bang on.</p>

<p>Or borrow from a friend or from your camera club or local photography internet forum.</p>

[kevin_delson]

<p>Will you be doing your own printing?</p>

<p>Some people have great need to calibrate their monitors to near perfection, most do not.</p>

<p>I am a tad "shade blind" with most of my work going directly to publishers, so I am a RGB by the numbers kinda' guy w/ little need to use hardware calibrators.</p>

<p>The little printing I do goes to a pro lab.<br>

How did I calibrate cheaply as you wish to?</p>

<p>Shoot some test images. (Macbeth Color Checker) Edit them. Get them printed. Compare them to your monitor.</p>

<p>I was able to adjust my monitor in about 20 mins to match.</p>