Datacolor User to User Support Group.

In a message dated 5/24/06 10:21:28 AM, hanson102@... writes:


> What is the ideal working environment for:
> 
> 1. CRT Monitors?
> 2. LCD Monitors?
> 
There is a rather useless standard on this subject that attempts to straddle 
the line on this, and ends up being too broad to be exacting, but too 
restrictive to cover some necessary conditions. It needs to be revised based on 
relative, not single number, values.

Take a look at the Ambient Light Help page in the files section of this 
group. It describes the appropriate monitor luminance levels, monitor whitepoints, 
and ambient light levels for using CRT and LCD monitors.

In a nutshell: 

Color critical work on CRTs should be done in the near-dark. Very low ambient 
light with monitor luminances below 120 candelas ('cause CRTs can't maintain 
brightness levels higher than this). If your room, and your CRT are dim enough 
(barely able to read the keys on your keyboard, and around 80 to 85 candela 
on the monitor) then 5000k would actually be a reasonable choice for monitor 
whitepoint.   If you run both the ambient and the monitors a bit brighter, than 
something in between, like 5800k would be reasonable. At the top of the CRT 
brightness range, with a bit more ambient light than you should really have with 
a CRT, you can start using 6500k as a monitor whitepoint.

Unless you are dimming LCDs down to use them in the same room with CRTs, its 
typical to run them at a minimum of 120 candelas with dim, but not dark room 
lighting, where a whitepoint of 5800k, or even 6500k is possible. If you run 
them in typical US office lighting (just short of a day at the beach, in terms 
of brightness levels) then you will need to run them at much higher brightness 
(depends on what the LCD can manage) and definately use 6500k for a 
whitepoint. Something in between is the most humane situation for LCDS (no humane 
options available for dimmer CRTS!), moderate enough ambient light for color managed 
work, luminace levels that won't burn out our LCD in short order, and enough 
light to ward off seasonal effective disorder, or at least to let the FedEx 
guy see where he is when he walks into the room.

Monitor hoods are a crutch, used in an attempt to work without glare or 
eyestrain in ambient lighting that is too bright, or poorly located. Its better to 
fix the problem, but if you can't control the lighting, then using a hood is 
better than nothing.

C. David Tobie
Product Technology Manager
ColorVision Business Unit
Datacolor Inc.
CDTobie@...
www.colorvision.com