Chuck Norcutt wrote:
> I use a MonacoOPTIX colorimeter on my CRT. It also has provision for
> flat panel use but I haven't tried that.
I have used it on both CRT and LCD.
> Works well and very easy on the CRT. Very simple and effective software
> interface.
>
The LCD interface is somewhat different. I found the adjustment on a
notebook using the driver sliders, rather than the buttons on a
stand-alone screen, to be confusing at first. The results were obviously
off. I did it again a second time and it worked properly. this could be
simply one maker's driver interface, and not a general thing.
In any case, after the one false start, it works fine.
There is a problem with the software to my mind. It's not that it isn't
easy to use or doesn't operate properly. Rather, it isn't clear enough
in telling one when the monitor at hand really can't be properly calibrated.
A couple of years ago, my CRT started dropping the blue channel
occasionally, then more and more often. A neighbor offered me another
monitor, an old Sun Marathon. The Sun is a Sony Trinitron underneath, so
I took him up on his offer. I calibrated it with Monaco. During the
process, it said something about a limitation in a reading, but said
that didn't mean I couldn't get a proper calibration, so I went ahead.
A few months later, I wanted a second monitor for a slide show to a
small group with my notebook. I grabbed the old CRT and hoped for the
best, which I got. Sitting out on a table, it performed flawlessly. The
penny dropped, and I realized that the problem was likely heat related,
from the tight quarters where I kept the monitor. Now, I am sitting with
the two monitors almost side by side (And a small fan blowing on one.)
as I wend my slow way to complete moving my computer life from one
machine to another.
What I found out is that while the color balance on the two is the same,
the image on the Sun is noticeably dimmer than the Sylvania. So I found
that I had for some months been prepping images for display and printing
on a "calibrated" monitor that really wasn't. Looking at the same images
side by side, many, if not most actually look pretty good either way,
but it does make a significant difference on others.
I think the software should be less eager to please and more honest,
saying something like "Your monitor doesn't get bright enough for full
calibration to standards! It may be adjusted for color balance, but not
for brightness. Sorry about that, but if you want a properly color
managed image, you need a new monitor."
I'm pleased with the hardware and in all other respects with the software.
> It came as part of the Monaco "EZColor Suite" which also has an IT8
> chart and software designed to be used with a flatbed scanner to
> calibrate the scanner and then use the scanner to read back IT8 charts
> printed on the printer to calibrate paper/ink/printer combinations.
I bought mine as part of the Monaco OPTIX XR Pro package. I didn't need
the printer part, as I already had IT8 targets and VueScan to do flatbed
and printer profiles.
Moose
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