Digital BW, The Print

>At 12:13 AM -0400 10/24/04, Lew Schwartz wrote:
>I'm interested in purchasing a colorimeter to calibrate my monitor. So far
>I'm looking at Greytag and Spyder, but I like to know if there are other
>considerations, alternatives and/or recommendations out there.

If you're on a Mac, Lew, I'd also ask for advice, especially in re 
Spyder options, on the MacEpsonList (which is also at Yahoo). And pay 
particular attention to any response from C. David Tobie, who works 
at ColorVision, is also on the MacEpsonList, and is a 
color-management guru of long standing.


<http://www.chromix.com/ColorGear/shop/productlist.cxsa?refcode=monpro&-session=tx:3F960EE9190040F74DvXT3FD73D6>

has a useful and relatively comprehensive list of monitor-profiling 
tools in the context of other color-management solutions. The list 
includes three Spyder options and ten GretagMacbeth options. Even if 
you're more interested in color than B&W, I'd resist products which 
combine display-profiling tools with a printer-and-ink-and-paper 
profiling tools unless you have a lot of such triples to profile. 
CHROMiX sells expertly-made customized printer-and-ink-and-paper 
profiles individually and in small sets at what seem to me very 
attractive prices. I'd consider buying them rather than making your 
own in small quantities and therefore with less expertise.


The back issues of the CHROMiX newsletter "Color News", listed on

<http://www.chromix.com/ColorNews/index.cxsa?-session=tx:3F960EE9190040F74DvXT3FD73D6>

are also useful, especially the educational articles by Steve Upton 
(the proprietor) at the end of them, where used items are also listed.


Is there someone local to you whom you might hire to calibrate and 
profile your monitor with their hardware and software? My impression 
is that both LCDs and colorimeter+software packages for LCDs (as well 
as CRTs) are rapidly maturing. If so, maybe there's something to be 
gained in putting off buying either until you're ready to buy both in 
conjunction with one another. This assumes your _next_ screen is 
going to be in an LCD display rather than in a CRT monitor. If not, 
I'd consider shopping for the new CRT now. And the best used 
colorimeter package I could find to go with it. My impression is that 
the new packages are better mostly in doing LCDs as well as CRTs.
--
Sam