Digital BW, The Print

I plan to buy an iMac as soon as the new models are available, and the question of monitor 
calibration raises its ugly head.  I've done extensive googling and found conflicting opinions.  
I'd appreciate any advice from the members here, based on their experience with existing 
iMacs.

All my printing is B&W using QTR and Cone K7 neutral inks on an R2400, so I don't care 
about color accuracy, per se.  At the moment I'm using a G4 PB and Samsung CRT and getting 
pretty good results.  But I'd like to eliminate the CRT, if only to free up some desk space.  TIA

Harry

In a message dated 3/14/08 4:18:14 PM, hflockwood@... writes:


> I plan to buy an iMac as soon as the new models are available, and the 
> question of monitor
> calibration raises its ugly head.  I've done extensive googling and found 
> conflicting opinions. 
> I'd appreciate any advice from the members here, based on their experience 
> with existing
> iMacs.
> 

The smaller iMac uses a consumer grade LCD, and should not be considered for 
serious diplay-to-print matching. The larger iMac offers a medium grade 
screen, and is not ideal, but usable, for such work. The Cinema Displays would be 
considered a baseline professional graphics display, with more expensive options 
available from there on up. If you go with an iMac (and be sure its a 24 inch 
one!) then be aware that the luminance levels can not be dimmed very much on 
them. So you have to use them in moderate ambient lighting, or brighter, while 
ideal image editing happens at dim, or moderately dim, levels, which can not 
be matched by the iMac displays. And of course, you'll need to calibrate 
whatever screen you get, for screen-to-print control. Believe me, after a CRT, any 
new LCD will seem sharp, bright, and saturated. Choking it back to a state you 
can match is the challenge.

C. David Tobie
WW Product Technology Manager
Digital Imaging & Home Theater
Datacolor Inc.
CDTobie@...
www.datacolor.com/spyder3


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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

I just wanted to add I bought a 24" iMac last Dec and
ended up having to buy a 23" cinema display to go with
it due to not being able to calibrate it properly.

I now use my old Spyder2 with ColorEyes Display Pro
and get great results.

Rob

--- CDTobie@... wrote:

> 
> In a message dated 3/14/08 4:18:14 PM,
> hflockwood@... writes:
> 
> 
> > I plan to buy an iMac as soon as the new models
> are available, and the 
> > question of monitor
> > calibration raises its ugly head.\ufffd I've done
> extensive googling and found 
> > conflicting opinions.\ufffd
> > I'd appreciate any advice from the members here,
> based on their experience 
> > with existing
> > iMacs.
> > 
> 
> The smaller iMac uses a consumer grade LCD, and
> should not be considered for 
> serious diplay-to-print matching. The larger iMac
> offers a medium grade 
> screen, and is not ideal, but usable, for such work.
> The Cinema Displays would be 
> considered a baseline professional graphics display,
> with more expensive options 
> available from there on up. If you go with an iMac
> (and be sure its a 24 inch 
> one!) then be aware that the luminance levels can
> not be dimmed very much on 
> them. So you have to use them in moderate ambient
> lighting, or brighter, while 
> ideal image editing happens at dim, or moderately
> dim, levels, which can not 
> be matched by the iMac displays. And of course,
> you'll need to calibrate 
> whatever screen you get, for screen-to-print
> control. Believe me, after a CRT, any 
> new LCD will seem sharp, bright, and saturated.
> Choking it back to a state you 
> can match is the challenge.
> 
> C. David Tobie
> WW Product Technology Manager
> Digital Imaging & Home Theater
> Datacolor Inc.
> CDTobie@...
> www.datacolor.com/spyder3
> 
> 
> **************
> It's Tax Time! Get tips, forms, and 
> advice on AOL Money & Finance.
>       
> (http://money.aol.com/tax?NCID=aolprf00030000000001)
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been
> removed]
> 
> 



      ____________________________________________________________________________________
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--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, CDTobie@... wrote:
>
> 
> In a message dated 3/14/08 4:18:14 PM, hflockwood@... writes:
> 
> 
> > I plan to buy an iMac as soon as the new models are available, and the 
> > question of monitor
> > calibration raises its ugly head.  I've done extensive googling and found 
> > conflicting opinions. 
> > I'd appreciate any advice from the members here, based on their experience 
> > with existing
> > iMacs.
> > 
> 
> The smaller iMac uses a consumer grade LCD, and should not be considered for 
> serious diplay-to-print matching. The larger iMac offers a medium grade 
> screen, and is not ideal, but usable, for such work. The Cinema Displays would be 
> considered a baseline professional graphics display, with more expensive options 
> available from there on up. If you go with an iMac (and be sure its a 24 inch 
> one!) then be aware that the luminance levels can not be dimmed very much on 
> them. So you have to use them in moderate ambient lighting, or brighter, while 
> ideal image editing happens at dim, or moderately dim, levels, which can not 
> be matched by the iMac displays. And of course, you'll need to calibrate 
> whatever screen you get, for screen-to-print control. Believe me, after a CRT, any 
> new LCD will seem sharp, bright, and saturated. Choking it back to a state you 
> can match is the challenge.
> 
> C. David Tobie
> WW Product Technology Manager
> Digital Imaging & Home Theater
> Datacolor Inc.
> CDTobie@...
> www.datacolor.com/spyder3

Thanks for alerting me to the difference between the 20" and 24" displays.  I'll be 
interested in seeing whether Apple offers additional capabilities in the new iMacs, 
including choking back the brightness.

Harry