Going color crazy..

February 1, 2008 1:08 PM

Help me find a decent yet inexpensive color calibration tool.

I just got a new LCD monitor and laptop the color/brightness is way off of the other displays I have.

Can anyone recommend a good, and not too expensive color calibration device? Under $200 would be preferable. Definitely needs to be both OS X and windows compatible. Printer calibration isn't that important but it would be nice.

Bonus if someone in the Seattle has one that I can borrow/come calibrate my monitors for me, for a small fee.

I've googled for reviews but every article seems to be old/out of date.

Another note.. I just got my gf a MacBook. I've always noticed the LCD to be a bit washed out. Is it calibrate-able to match my other LCDs or is it hopeless?

posted by mphuie to Media & Arts (6 answers total)

Spyder 2 express has been great for me, although it doesn't play so nice with multiple monitors, you have to have either one or the other calibrated. Otherwise, I am happy with my purchase. They have brought out a Spyder 3 range since i bought mine, which is why the version 2 express is so cheap.

Otherwise, the Pantone Huey is also available pretty cheap. I have heard positive things about this, but haven't seen it in action.
posted by chromatist at 1:17 PM on February 1, 2008

Seconding the Spyder. I got mine a while ago and I got it in a kit that also included a printer profile builder.

I also use a Macbook at work next to an LCD. I got them sorta close, but the differences in dot pitch took a week or so to get used to. I don't notice it anymore.
posted by butterstick at 1:31 PM on February 1, 2008

Third the spyder. There is third party software out there that makes it much more useful than the software that it comes with.

I used it to calibrate my HDTV. :p
posted by wierdo at 1:55 PM on February 1, 2008

The Spyder is great. Another vote from me.
posted by Eekacat at 2:14 PM on February 1, 2008

I use an eye-one display 2 to do my calibration. I've used it on both Macs and PCs with multiple displays and the calibration process is basically identical on both platforms (and works quite well). MSRP is $250, but it looks like you can find it on Amazon for $169. I think the device has been branded at various points by Pantone, Gretag Macbeth, and X-Rite, but they're all the same device and use the same drivers.

The device doesn't do printer calibration, but it comes with a voucher for $200 towards the purchase of various hardware/software solutions in the eye-one line that enable output calibration.

Whatever device you choose, you'll probably always notice a slight difference between your displays due to things like contrast ratio, gamut and such, but calibration with a colorimeter should be able to get your displays pretty close in most situations.
posted by strangecargo at 2:53 PM on February 1, 2008

There is third party software out there that makes it much more useful than the software that it comes with.

There is? Such as... ?
posted by Caviar at 7:15 PM on February 1, 2008