Thanks for the thoughtful and detailed response. Just want to
make sure I understand how to measure the candelas of my moniter. I
think I go to tools/coloritmeter and then take a reading. Am I
correct that the CIE xyY is the candela value? If not how do I find
it?
Mine measures 122. Does that mean that's as bright as my moniter
goes?
Please remind me how to measure the ambient light?
--- In colorvision_group@yahoogroups.com, CDTobie@... wrote:
>
>
> In a message dated 3/18/07 3:52:05 PM, mkraus1044@... writes:
>
>
> > I am designing a new workroom where I will place my computer and
> > moniter. I use Spyder Pro 2.2 to calibrate my moniter and
PrintFix Pro
> > 2.1 for my profiles. Any suggestions on preferences for overhead
> > and/or room lighting which would help in the most reproducible
and easy
> > calibration. At this point in time, I could put in pretty much
what I
> > want. Flouresecent vs incandescent, color temp, etc.
> >
>
> The first consideration is consistancy. Yes, daylight is a
wonderful thing
> that makes us happy and healthy; but it is incompatable with
serious image
> editing. You need a room with no window light, or a dead minimum
once the
> blinds/drapes whatever are in place. And the blinds/drapes need
to be neutral, they
> can't be glowing purple or orange!
>
> Next is luminance level. If you are not using a proofing booth,
then overall
> room lighting needs to be correct for the brightness of your
monitor. You
> don't want to be using your monitor at full brightness; so it will
remain capable
> of the same setting over time, and won't burn out prematurely, as
well as to
> obtain a reasonable calibration. So no higher than 175 candelas on
the monitor,
> with something in the 125 to 150 range being the most reasonable
choice. Then
> you can use Spyder2PRO's ambient light feature to measure your room
light and
> tell you if its too much, too little, or about right. Basically, if
it seems
> somewhat dim, that would balance with a bright LCD, is it seems
fairly dim,
> that will match with a moderately bright LCD, and if it seems dim,
that would
> balance with a dim LCD or a bright CRT. If it seems like a cave,
then you have
> managed standard CRT levels. If you are using a proofing light,
your ambient
> can be dimmer, but doesn't have to be. Don't fall into the trap of
using a
> totally dark room and a bright LCD, that will cause glare and
percieved contrast
> increases that will ruin your print to screen match.
>
> Next is ambient light color: something in the 5000k to 6000k range
is best.
> Something resembling full spectrum (CRI of above 90) is best. But
your monitor
> is enough brighter than the room (if you follow the instructions
above) so the
> monitor, not the ambient lighting, will define your eye's
whitepoint.
>
> Next would come proofing lights, but its a topic unto itself so I'm
leaving
> it for last, I'll cover room color next. Munsel gray paint gets a
lot of
> airtime; but its TOO DARK for most people's taste Kodak gray card
gray, on large
> wall and ceiling areas is quite opressive!). So get some light gray
paint samples
> from your paint store, use the spot measure function of PrintFIX
PRO to
> measure each sample, and chose the one with the smallest a* and b*
values. This
> will give you a light gray paint for the room. If you want to use a
darker gray
> below the wainscott line (chairrail) then thats good too, and
battleship gray
> floor paint is great for slabs.
>
> But all of this paint colors stuff is ignored by many users. If you
ignore
> it, then at least go to the efforts of hanging a large piece of
neutral gray
> fabric behind your monitor(s) so that there are not bright colors
biasing your
> eye while looking at the monitor. Ditto for the viewing box if you
use one.
>
> Guess that brings us to the proofing light issues: get a 5000k
proofing light
> of some type, and set it up; ideally perpendicular to the monitors,
not
> directly beside them. If you proof under room light, then follow
these directions
> using the location where you place prints to view them. Put
idential B&W test
> image prints on both whitened and unwhitened sheets of paper in it
(one sheet
> Entrada Natural, one Entrada Bright, is good). If your box does not
offer
> luminance adjustment, make sure its at least a bit brighter than
the room lighting;
> meaning the paper looks dimmer, not brighter, when you withdraw it
from the
> box. Compare both prints to the same image in Photoshop softproofed
to one
> paper, then the other paper profile (paper white and ink black
checked, BPC
> unchecked).
>
> Which appears brighter; the monitor, or the print? How is the
midtone
> brightness, and the shadow detail. If you have an adjustable box,
you can work with
> that control, if not, you have to adjust the backlights on your LCD
until you
> have the right balance. If you adjust using the monitor backlights,
then next
> you need to recalibrate at your new white luminance level, and
define that as
> your target whitepoint for future calibration as well. If you have
another
> monitor, it gets set to this same white luminance target as well.
>
> Is that complicated enough? If not, you can fuss around with the
difference
> between the whitened paper proof, and the unwhitened one.
>
> As for room lighting to install: you won't need much, so use what
you like.
> In a typical office, I have to loosen three out of four bulbs in
the overhead
> fluorescent fixtures to get lighting down to even a moderate level,
the highest
> level that can be color managed. Consider having two levels of
lighting
> available: general (for vacuuming the floor, finding your glasses,
etc...) and
> color managed (with just the lights needed for appropriately dim
ambient
Show quoted textHide quoted text
> lighting).
>
> C. David Tobie
> Product Technology Manager
> ColorVision Business Unit
> Datacolor Inc.
> CDTobie@...
> www.colorvision.com
>
>
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