Message
Re: [colorvision_group] precise light and brightness
2006-03-07 by CDTobie@aol.com
In a message dated 3/7/06 12:22:39 PM, b2hansen@... writes:
I'll admit that I haven't used the Precise light slider when making
profiles. Perhaps there's something about it I don't understand.
Possibly, but it sounds like you have a pretty good grip on it...
Of the 8 profiles I've made for myself, 2 or 3 have needed slight (in two
cases 5%, but in one case 10%) adjustments of Yellow. Of the three sample
profiles I've made for other people, *none* have needed any color
adjustment. It seems to me that it would be much more accurate to adjust
color balance by using the individual color sliders than by trying to
adjust "white balance" using a single slider. Does this match with the
experience of others?
The PreciseLight sliders allow users who don't know what color metamerism effects are to correct for them with a single slider. If you wish to take full control of your own light source color adjustment, there's nothing wrong with doing it with the standard color sliders.
And here's an even more important question - Brightness. All of the
profiles I've made for myself have required slight (5-10%) increases in
Brightness. And yes, the monitor is profiled with the Spyder2, and I let
prints dry for quite a few hours, and I examine them with ample light which
is balanced to be the same color temp as the light in which those prints
will be viewed! Of the three profiles I've made for others, two have
required 15% increases in Brightness and one needs a 10% increase. This is
really not a problem at all, since those increases in Brightness can be
included in the process of making the initial profile. Even making four
versions of a profile, with brightnesses of zero, +1, +2, and +3 takes only
about an extra 20 seconds during the profiling process.
My own practice has been to use the Brightness slider to make those
brightness adjustments - but I imagine that the brightness slider of the
PreciseLight could be used in the same way.
Certainly very similar way, the units are different, but the concept is pretty much the same... but remember that a print for brighter light is going to be a darker print, so the directionality is not necessarily the same!
But I'm curious - do many others find that increases in brightness are
necessary in order to match the monitor brightness?
Users tend to report (with all CM products, and with no CM products) a far greater likelihood of their prints needing to be brightened than darkened. Some type of theme there, but I can't really tell you why. If I used a standard proofing light box, with my brighter LCDs, I'd be in the same situation. At the momement I don't find that to be the case, with the brighter lights I now proof under, I get a good match with no adjustment at all. But, like that old musical saying "better sharp than off key", I would agree that having prints a bit too dense, and opening them up with an adjustment is the preferable to have them "off key" in the other direction...
C. David Tobie
Product Technology Manager
ColorVision Business Unit
Datacolor Inc.
CDTobie@...
www.colorvision.com