Web-based monitor calibration?

[Hopkins Printing]

Although I realize that a spectrophotometer is best way to calibrate a monitor, I am wondering if there a way to calibrate a monitor over the internet. I have seen a website or two that offers a basic calibration via a series of questions in conjunction with basic adjustments to brightness and contrast (among other adjustments).

Does anyone use anything like this? Thoughts and/or site suggestions?

Thanks,
Jon

[Al Ferrari]

I don't know of any such sites, but here is one idea for how such a sight could take some subjectivity out of such a process:

1. The site would display some RGB patches.

2. The user would do screen captures of the patches.

3. The user would open the captures in Photoshop, take appropriate RGB readings, and jot down values.

4. The user would input those values into a suitable online form at the site, and the site would respond with suggested adjustments.

5. Repeated cycles of 1 - 4 would home in on a "calibrated" monitor state.

Note that in step 3 the appearance of the patches is evaluated by Photoshop, not the user, and would reflect on the monitor's display performance at the time of the screen capture in each iterative cycle.

This is just of the top of my head, which for some reason feels a little pointed today.

Al

[Al Ferrari]

I just thought of a way of cutting the website out of the picture. Just have Photoshop on your own computer display the RGB patches, and proceed with steps 2 - 5 as above on your own.

That seems too simple. There must be some thing wrong with it. Any one find the flaw in it?

Al

[michaelejahn]

Although I realize that a spectrophotometer is best way to calibrate a monitor, I am wondering if there a way to calibrate a monitor over the internet.
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Does anyone use anything like this? Thoughts and/or site suggestions?

Monitor calibration and gamma

( Hi Jon - long time ! )

Michael Jahn
Application Support Specialist
Compose Systems Inc, USA.
4740 Northgate Blvd. Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95834
Tel: (916) 920-3838 ext 102
Fax: (916) 923-6776
Email: michaelejahn@composeusa.com
Web: Welcome to Compose!

[Stephen Marsh]

While on the general topic, this website can be useful (more so when purchasing a monitor):

LCD monitor test images


Best,

Stephen Marsh

[michaelejahn]

I can't think of a single reason of what Photoshop would do to help you evaluate or calibrate a monitor.

I just wanted to add that here.

@ Stephen Marsh - yes, that is an excellent one !

[Al Ferrari]

Hi Michael,

I can't disagree with you on the high price of my suggestion, but I was simply assuming that the OP would already have this ubiquitous piece of gear.

However, can you please comment further on the merit of my off the cuff idea? If the screen capture software does not introduce color shifts of it's own, would it not be capturing the subject monitor's display of known RGB values? If so, then measuring these observed values in Photoshop would yield information on the monitor's color shifts, no?

Now, how and where to use this new information in a corrective fashion is another matter.

Thanks,

Al

[michaelejahn]

If the screen capture software does not introduce color shifts of it's own, would it not be capturing the subject monitor's display of known RGB values? If so, then measuring these observed values in Photoshop would yield information on the monitor's color shifts, no?

No. "if the screen capture does not introduce color shifts..." is already heading down a horrible path - it is not the screen capture application, it is more a 'what is being used to display an image' problem.

just open this web site in as many browsers as you have installed ( I have Apple Safari, Google Chrome, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozzila Firefox, Opera's Opera )

Is your system V4-ready?

You need to first understand that each application may - or may not - modify images on their way to the screen - if that is the case, each time you screen capture, you may be changing the file.

Here is another issue - round tripping is not possible.

[Al Ferrari]

OK, those are good crits. I like them. But let's imagine for a moment that we had a screen capture app that did not introduce a shift. Isn't Photoshop the proper non shifting display companion app for this exercise?

So if we had the ideal shift free capture app and a display app with the capability to measure, such as Photoshop, then why would round tripping not be possible???

Thanks,

Al

[zetaprints]

You'd need to take a photo of the screen on a calibrated camera and then use RAW in photoshop to get the colors, but then you need to add correction for ambient light.

"Screen capture" by a piece of s/w running on the same computer won't do anything to help you calibrate. The RGB values are the same no matter how you adjust the actual screen settings.
They can be adjusted at the driver level, the graphics card may have h/w adjustments (via settings) then the monitor itself will have the same adjustments.

Building a website that claims to calibrate your monitor could make a very good 1 Apr joke, actually ))