Re: [Digital BW] Monitors for B&W (was Re: OT - New monitor on the market|)
2009-02-13 by Richard Smallfield
Hi Mike, yes, your points are undoubtedly correct - but this is a budget monitor at less than a sixth of the price of the Eizo. Many of us don't have the turnover to afford a self-calibrating monitor, so have to compromise. As an entry-level monitor, the Dell seems to be the best specified one at the moment. If anyone else can suggest a better alternative I'd be interested to hear about it. thanks, Richard At 12:18 a.m. Saturday 14/02/2009, you wrote: >I would say that the #1 requirement for a monitor for B&W is to be able to >display at least 256 calibrated levels of gray. >Unfortunately most monitors can't, because they rely on video card >calibration and at best that gives you 256 levels and so you are guaranteed >in practice to get less than 256. > >Only monitors that provide internal calibration using better than 8 bit >(typically 12 bit) can give you 256 or more levels of gray. Probably the >best buy today is the Eizo CG222W. > >Also when soft proofiing for printing on matte paper you really need a >monitor with a gray bezel (not black). >Otherwise your image on screen looks too light as your eye is using the >black bezel as a reference point for black rather than the darkest gray on >the screen. > >My Eizo has a black bezel and I am going to cover it in gray card and >experiment with calibrating the black point of my screen to the max black of >the matte paper. > >Far from being off topic, I think discussion /understanding of appropriate >monitor set-up is critical to a good print workflow. > >Mike > >2009/2/12 Richard Smallfield <<mailto:r.smallfield%40paradise.net.nz>r.smallfield@...> > >> It's the only monitor on the market in its price range with a 178 deg >> viewing angle and it has a non-glare surface. >> >> I believe the gamut is not as good as the more expensive ones, but if we >> are printing primarily Black and White, I think other considerations like >> viewing angle might be more important. >> >> Some more expensive models, like the Samsung 215TW, which have been well >> reviewed, have only a 170 deg viewing angle. >> >> Richard >> >> At 10:27 a.m. Friday 13/02/2009, you wrote: >> >> >Hi Richard- >> > >> >Not much there-more of an addy than a spec sheet. Why do you think this is >> >such a good monitor, other than the monitor type? >> > >> >Bill >> > >> >On Thu, Feb 12, 2009 at 3:22 PM, Richard Smallfield < >> ><mailto:r.smallfield%40paradise.net.nz <r.smallfield%2540paradise.net.nz> >> ><mailto:r.smallfield%40paradise.net.nz>r.smallfield@...> wrote: >> > >> >> Hi Mark, >> >> >> >> At 09:08 a.m. Friday 13/02/2009, you wrote: >> >> >>Do you know what % of RBG 1998 color space this monitor renders? >> >> >> >> Here is the spec sheet: >> >> >> >> < >> <http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/products/monitors/en/monitor-dell-2209wa-spec-sheet.pdf>http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/products/monitors/en/monitor-dell-2209wa-spec-sheet.pdf >> > >> http://www.dell.com/downloads/global/products/monitors/en/monitor-dell-2209wa-spec-sheet.pdf >> >> >> >> Richard >> >> >> >> ____________ >> >> www.richardsmallfield.com >> >> >> >> "The gladiator is making his plan in the arena." (i.e. too late.) >> >> --Lucius Annaeus Seneca, the Younger 4 B.C. - A.D. 65 >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > >> >-- >> >Regards, >> > >> >Bill Morse >> >Wm. Morse Editions >> > >> ><<http://www.MorseEditions.com/>http://www.MorseEditions.com/ <http://www.morseeditions.com/>> >> <http://www.MorseEditions.com/>http://www.MorseEditions.com/ <http://www.morseeditions.com/> >> > >> >[Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >> > >> > >> >> ____________ >> www.richardsmallfield.com >> >> "Experience is that marvelous thing that enables you to >> recognize a mistake when you make it again." >> --F.P. 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