Digital BW, The Print

Hi,
a quick question: my i1 Match software recommends luminance of 120 for LCD and 90 for laptop. Seeing they're both LCD, I'm curious to know the reason for this. Is it merely to save power for battery operation?

thanks,
Richard

____________
www.richardsmallfield.com 

   "Give sorrow words: the grief that does not speak whispers 
   the o'er-fraught heart and bids it break."
   --William Shakespeare, "Macbeth'

Mostly because laptops didn't tend to be very bright. But recent ones  
are brighter. They still have a narrower viewing angle than desktop  
LCDs, though. The new glossy MacBook Pro screen is excellent.

C. D. Tobie
Global Product Technology Mngr.
Digital Imaging & Home Theater
Datacolor.com
CDTobie@...

On Apr 11, 2009, at 5:24 PM, Richard Smallfield <r.smallfield@... 

 > wrote:

> Hi,
> a quick question: my i1 Match software recommends luminance of 120  
> for LCD and 90 for laptop. Seeing they're both LCD, I'm curious to  
> know the reason for this. Is it merely to save power for battery  
> operation?
>
> thanks,
> Richard
>
> ____________
> www.richardsmallfield.com
>
>   "Give sorrow words: the grief that does not speak whispers
>   the o'er-fraught heart and bids it break."
>   --William Shakespeare, "Macbeth'
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
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--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, Richard Smallfield <r.smallfield@...> wrote:
>
> Hi,
> a quick question: my i1 Match software recommends luminance of 120 for LCD and 90 for laptop. Seeing they're both LCD, I'm curious to know the reason for this. Is it merely to save power for battery operation?
> 
> thanks,
> Richard

My approach has always been to work backwards, starting with approximate print viewing conditions (framed and mounted on the wall), then step back to the viewing lights, and finally back to monitor luminance.  This assumes a color managed approach, good custom print profiles and industry standard viewing lights.  To me, it makes no sense to view a print under a super bright inspection light (except for critical evaluation of details) for monitor to print match, then display the final print in a much darker environment.  

Often, when people complain about their prints looking dark, muddy, losing shadow detail, etc., it can be attributed to a monitor with a luminance that is set too high.  Of course, ambient lighting also affects the equation, and a monitor hood is always a good idea.  I know this is the "Old" graphic arts standard, but I really do find 85-90 cd/m2 to be just about perfect for my work (including my press proofing simulations and comparing to proofs I get back from capable color managed commercial printers.  This is on an LCD in a moderately dim work space (not a black cave).  This seems to work beautifully for me for prints displayed under what I would call normal lighting conditions (typical home, office, etc).  If prints are displayed under bright lights, outdoors, with intense individual print lights, etc, a slightly higher luminance may make perfect sense.  

I have spent years tweaking my monitor parameters with different software products and I always come back to the same settings.  They work for me.  

I can't really explain their settings, especially the 140 cd/m2 recommended by some vendors.  YMMV.

Lou

On Apr 11, 2009, at 6:21 PM, Louis Dina wrote:

> My approach has always been to work backwards, starting with  
> approximate print viewing conditions (framed and mounted on the  
> wall), then step back to the viewing lights, and finally back to  
> monitor luminance.

We tend to have more control over our display brightness, than our  
room brightness, or at least are more willing to adjust our screen  
brightness, than the room... but whether the final display conditions,  
as opposed to the studio condtions, are a factor in display  
calibration is more debatable; I certainly don't recalibrate all my  
displays when I move to working on images to be displayed in a  
brighter room!

C. David Tobie
Global Product Technology Manager
Digital Imaging & Home Theater
CDTobie@...


  ----------



Datacolor
www.datacolor.com/Spyder3




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

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, C D Tobie <CDTobie@...> wrote:

"I certainly don't recalibrate all my displays when I move to working on images to be displayed in a brighter room!"

Nor do I.  Sorry if I gave that impression.  I leave my monitor luminance set to 85-90 cd/m2 all the time.  I find that works great for the most common print display conditions (what I would call "normal" lighting) and also for proofing for press, etc.  

I don't push this with a religious zeal, but do suggest that if people find their prints looking dark and muddy, with blocked up shadows compared to their display, that they try a lower monitor luminance.  

Lou

>
> 
> On Apr 11, 2009, at 6:21 PM, Louis Dina wrote:
> 
> > My approach has always been to work backwards, starting with  
> > approximate print viewing conditions (framed and mounted on the  
> > wall), then step back to the viewing lights, and finally back to  
> > monitor luminance.
> 
> We tend to have more control over our display brightness, than our  
> room brightness, or at least are more willing to adjust our screen  
> brightness, than the room... but whether the final display conditions,  
> as opposed to the studio condtions, are a factor in display  
> calibration is more debatable; I certainly don't recalibrate all my  
> displays when I move to working on images to be displayed in a  
> brighter room!
> 
> C. David Tobie

On Apr 13, 2009, at 11:35 AM, Louis Dina wrote:

> Nor do I.  Sorry if I gave that impression.  I leave my monitor  
> luminance set to 85-90 cd/m2 all the time.  I find that works great  
> for the most common print display conditions (what I would call  
> "normal" lighting) and also for proofing for press, etc.

Right, and if one wishes to emulate a specific print viewing  
condition, softproofing, and adjusting the printer profile to reflect  
the viewing conditions is perhaps the most effective way to flexibly  
allow this, with fast switching between any set of conditions...
>
> I don't push this with a religious zeal, but do suggest that if  
> people find their prints looking dark and muddy, with blocked up  
> shadows compared to their display, that they try a lower monitor  
> luminance.

Important advice worth being a bit zealous about... its such a common  
complaint that "my prints are darker than my screen", and yet people  
are seldom considering the relation between screen brightness and  
viewing brightness.

C. David Tobie
Global Product Technology Manager
Digital Imaging & Home Theater
CDTobie@...


  ----------



Datacolor
www.datacolor.com/Spyder3




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