Datacolor User to User Support Group.

When I look at Andrew Darlow`s test image the whites are too hot. I need to reduce the brightness levels by 10-15% to get the highlights right. My question is should I reduce the luminance of my monitor until the whites are right on the test image? The brightness level when profiling with my Spyder is arbitrary so would this be a good way to set it?
Mike

On Jun 26, 2011, at 10:37 AM, leicamike2006 wrote:

> When I look at Andrew Darlow`s test image the whites are too hot.

Does too "hot" mean too warm colored, or too bright? I assume it means on screen, but on screen compared to what? A test image print? If a print, than are you softproofing using a profile for the same paper? That would effect the color of white. As would softproof adjustments to paperwhite. And what brightness is your proofing light set at? Thats another variable item, along with how far this image is from the light source.

> I need to reduce the brightness levels by 10-15% to get the highlights right.

As above, right compared to what? There is a lot of information needed to give a clear reply.

> My question is should I reduce the luminance of my monitor until the whites are right on the test image? The brightness level when profiling with my Spyder is arbitrary so would this be a good way to set it?

Various levels and ages of Spyder software have differing features for setting display luminance. So we need to know what Spyder hardware (number) and what Spyder software (name) and software version (number), and what method of calibrating you chose, if its a version that offers more than one. Express, for instance, offers no brightness control; you set that in advance (of if necessary, afterwards) with Express. With S3Pro, you need to chose the ambient light wizard for it to recommend screen brightness levels, and guide you in setting your display to the correct level (and you need to have told it your display has brightness and contrast controls when you defined the display for this option to show up; no adjustments, no option to adjust them). For S3Elite, you can set a target brightness value yourself, or use the wizard to select one, so there are multiple routes to an optimized match. And there are older software versions that may vary a hair, and Spyder2, which is too far back for me to recall exactly what feature set it offers in each version... Which is why our support system would be the best place to ask these questions. But they would need the same info that I requested above in order to give you one answer, instead of a grab-bag of them, as I've done here.

C. David Tobie
Global Product Technology Manager
Imaging Color Solutions
CDTobie@...
Datacolor
www.datacolor.com/Spyder