Web Hosting Talk : Web Hosting Main Forums : Web Design and Content : Is your monitor calibrated?

[Fixago]

I wonder how many designers out there, or even regular users, calibrate their monitor? A site can look 100% different if your monitor is not calibrated, and for those of us in the industry it's crucial that we make sure our monitors are calibrated to show colors how they were meant to be.

Another question for the Windows users. ClearType. Do you have it turned on or do you leave it off? Personally I leave it on, text looks much better.

[bow-viper1]

Originally Posted by Fixago

I wonder how many designers out there, or even regular users, calibrate their monitor? A site can look 100% different if your monitor is not calibrated, and for those of us in the industry it's crucial that we make sure our monitors are calibrated to show colors how they were meant to be.

Another question for the Windows users. ClearType. Do you have it turned on or do you leave it off? Personally I leave it on, text looks much better.

As a web developer I don't know if I should be saying this in public, but I couldn't tell you the first thing about correct monitor settings. I leave the color settings at factory default and adjust brightness and contrast to my liking.

As far as ClearType is concerned, text is content, and really it is content that is the number one priority. At this time ClearType is not the norm, therefore it should not be designed around. CSS is starting to allow a lot of the users preferences and settings and giving us the ability to design our sites with true uniformity. Because I and most people don't use ClearType, I couldn't tell you the first thing about exactly what the differences in character sets are (width, spacing, etc.).. so I can't tell you that it is definetly wrong to design around, but I'd personally advise against it without doing some research.

[JBelthoff]

Originally Posted by Fixago

and for those of us in the industry it's crucial that we make sure our monitors are calibrated to show colors how they were meant to be.

Yes but the problem is that no user's out there ever calibrate their monitors. So you end up with basically no one seeing things the way you want.

Designing with a properly referenced and calibrated monitor is great but it doesn't ensure that anyone will see it they way you intend.

Take a look at my grandmothers TV and how she has the colors set. Certainly the broadcast networks calibrate their signals so that color bars meet the vector scope requirements, but who has a vector scope at home? And how many millions of people can't even adjust the color on their TV's?

Just my 2 cents...

[NyteOwl]

I guess my question is calibrated to what? Yes you can calibrate against a know standard (if you have the equipment and know how to use it).

Monitors used for graphics arts and print publishing are calibrated against specific hues so that the monitor is an accurate rendering of what the final printed reproduction will look like. Many power users and digital photographers will also calibrate their monitors against their printer's output so as to enure consistancy.

This is not possible on the web due to the wide variety of monitors, LCD panels, plasma displays, lighting conditions and myriad user settings that will be used when viewing the sites - all of which cannot be predicted or controlled.

[JBelthoff]

Originally Posted by NyteOwl

This is not possible on the web due to the wide variety of monitors, LCD panels, plasma displays, lighting conditions and myriad user settings that will be used when viewing the sites - all of which cannot be predicted or controlled.

I'm not sure if I agree with that. You can certainly calibrate any monitor to whatever reference you want.

You are correct that it will look different because of whatever environmental conditions the viewer is in but that does not mean the monitor can't be calibrated.

However in the broadest sense, Green should look Green. But the user can always make it look like something else.

[WebDesignGold]

I've just run through an issue, actually no big issue, maybe just amuzing.. I did a mockup for a person where I live. He had told me before he liked the color scheme to be some sort of rust and gold colors.. I had difficulties to translate that into the design. I did something then I met him and showed him the design which I previously had uploaded to my site. When I saw the design in his monitor, it was totally different looking then when viewed in my monitor. But he was very happy with the choice of colors and told me that's how he wanted the design to look like I wonder if he had seen it on my monitor.. what would he've said then?
Now I'm not sure if it was my monitor or his that needs calibration

[JBelthoff]

Originally Posted by WebDesignGold.com

Now I'm not sure if it was my monitor or his that needs calibration

If you're getting old like me, it could also be your eyes!

D'oh!

[Premier]

Since I do graphical work and digital photography, I adjust my monitor so that whatever I create will look right on other monitors that are set properly.

It's impossible to have something look the same or right to everyone, but if it's set to standards, how it looks to others is up to them.

[probonic]

Originally Posted by bow-viper1

Because I and most people don't use ClearType, I couldn't tell you the first thing about exactly what the differences in character sets are (width, spacing, etc.).. so I can't tell you that it is definetly wrong to design around, but I'd personally advise against it without doing some research.

It makes no difference whatsoever to text spacing etc. It is simply to make text look better on LCD monitors (although it works equally well on CRT displays). Basically it doesn't make any difference whatsoever when designing websites.

[stripeyteapot]

I think only 1 of my monitors is calibrated properly - The one hooked up to the printer. I don't think it matters that much actually, and personally don't see a huge difference in color - The color changes are to be expected when using a different screen, as long as your blue doesn't look yellow to everyone else you're ok

I test my web design work on 5 completely different monitors, 1 CRT, and gets a grilling from the other people working on the project viewing on their own monitors before it even hits the markup stages, just to make sure it looks alright, and that we know it will be presented to the client as intended.

[Fixago]

Originally Posted by WebDesignGold.com

When I saw the design in his monitor, it was totally different looking then when viewed in my monitor. But he was very happy with the choice of colors and told me that's how he wanted the design to look like

See, I realize that probably 99% of the people out there aren't adjusting their monitors to the proper calibration, and I'm fine with that, but as a designer, I would rather design a site to a calibrated monitor than an uncalibrated one.

For example, I recently designed a site, and, like you, when I showed it to my client on his website it was much different. I actually had to re-adjust his settings, and it looked much better. One of my friend's monitors is really messed up, his was so out of whack that he couldn't even tell that his GIFs had a big white background to them, he thought they were transparent, but on my monitor they were obviously not.

Just one of many frustrations that designers face

[Clevich]

I guess you're refering to actual print work. Yes my monitor is calibrated to my local printing company which does all my prints. I also have many ICC profiles to other local print shops for photos and what not. As for web work, as it was stated before, there's no need to really calibrate a monitor for web work, it'll look diffrent from each computer to the next.

As for ClearType, mine is for the obivious reasons turned off. ClearType is clearly not the industry standard yet for websites and development.

[sandrodz]

I'm paying 200$ for my dell monitor to be adjusted professionaly... I also have some tools at home, but its too time consuming, better let other do it

but that's not because I do designs, I do prints etc, but mostly I need calibration for my photography... PC is like my lap, I need professional to get quality photos... since that's the way I'm earning living

[WebHost4You]

Was there a point to this thread like telling us the steps on how you can calibrate your monitor? or is it simply just to ask who has and who hasn't because i am interested in calibrating my monitor now and you have left me stuck in a ditch!

[dren]

A simple search on google for "calibrate your lcd for free" yields some number of results, for all of you, like me who aren't interested in paying hundreds to calibrate a lcd that will probably look the same as if I do it myself.

http://www.wikihow.com/Calibrate-Your-Monitor