New Monitor Calibration

[majimikate]

Can anyone give me the steps to correctly calibrate my new monitor? I bought it to use primarily for photo editing, but don't know how to calibrate it. I know by looking at it that the colors are somewhat off, so any help would be appreciated....thanks!!

Chris

[photo_chick]

I use the Spyder, but there are other gadgets and software that requires no gadgets out there.

http://www.colorvision.com/product-mc-s2e.php

My monitor is calibrated toh my printer, I also have a setting for the local lab that I use so there is little guess work in how my prints will look.

You can do it manually but I get frustrated with that and it is not exact at all. I used to hold a print next to my monitor and tweak the colors so the image on screen matched my print. You can also get a color sampler and do it that way, by holding the color next to yor monitor, again not very precise.

[KrazyPete]

Adobe Gamma has done a fairly good job for me so far. It's a lot better than using an uncalibrated monitor anyway. It comes with Photoshop. I don't know if you can get it or something similar as a stand alone product.

Now that I'm doing more print design I have been looking at calibration devices. I'm considering the Pantone Huey. If anyone has any experience I'd like to know how this compares to the Spyder. I've found a couple of reviews online where neither device really seemed to be better than the other. The combination of Pantone and Gretag-MacBeth behind the Huey is really the only thing pushing me that way.

[photo_chick]

When I got the Spyder, I had no preference to one over the other and the store actually had the Spyder in stock adn I was too impatient to wait for shipping at the time. I had spent the day printing terrible images and was very frustrated at the time! If I were doing graphic design work and sending things to press I might have gone with the Huey though since it is from Pantone. BUt that kind of print work is my DH's area, not mine!