[argyllcms] Re: New to color management
- From: Leonard Evens <len@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: argyllcms@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2008 11:57:35 -0600
On Thu, 2008-01-24 at 12:26 +0100, Geert Janssens wrote:
> Hi,
>
> Let me start by saying I am new to Color Management. I would like to start
> profiling my work environment. I am working on linux, and my quest for decent
> profiling tools on that platform brought me to Argyll CMS.
I'm not that much ahead of you, so perhaps my recent experience can be
of some help.
>
> I am not sure what profiling device (of spectometer ?) I should buy. None are
> officially supported under linux by their respective vendors/manufacturers. I
> found Argyll CMS does support a number of them, so that's why I am here. I
> still have a few questions though before I go out and buy one. If I am on the
> wrong list with these questions, you can just point me to the correct one.
I bought EyeOne (Xrite/Gretagmacbeth) instruments, which I use with
Linux. I first got an Eye One Display, which is adequate for
profiling/calibrating a monitor and then an Eye One Pro which can do
both display and printer profiling. (So, I could have skipped the Eye
One Display, but it is a bit easier to use for displays.) The vendors
may offer these devices under a confusing variety of different names and
prices, packaged with different software, but the number of different
instruments they make is much smaller. So there is not much point in
getting anything but the least expensive version. For the above
instruments, these are denoted by the vendor as Eye One (i1) Display LT
and Eye One (i1) Photo LT for the Eye One Pro.
>
> * Is there a lot of difference in profiling quality between the different
> spectrometers ? I mean, given that all of them would be used with Argyll CMS,
> would one spectrometer result in a better (more acurate) color profile than
> another ?
> * If that is the case, what can you recommend ? What's your experience with
> different spectrometers ?
I had some trouble figuring out how to use the Eye One Pro because I
didn't read the argyll web page carefully enough, but once I got it
straight, I found it pretty easy to use. I then made a printer profile
with little difficulty, and it seems to work pretty well.
> * Reading through the Argyll CMS documentation, I read that I would require
> some test charts to profile printers and scanners. Are such test charts
> provided with the spectrometers or do I have to buy them separatly ? If so,
> where could I buy these ?
For print profiling, argyll creates the test charts.
> * I live in Belgium (Europe). On my search for a spectrometer, I currently
> have only found the Spyder2 from ColorVision. I can't find any other brand in
> the shops I visited. Does anyone in Europe know where I would be able to buy
> one of the other models (should they be more appropriate) ? I don't mind
> buying these things via an online shop, as long the website has got a decent
> reputation.
I got my Eye One Pro (as Eye One Photo LT) online from B & H Photo in
New York. At the time, there was a $200 mail in rebate which reduced
the cost to about 600 USD. I've order many items from them and never
had a problem. The Eye One though was described an non returnable (to
them), so if I have any problems I will have to deal with Xrite
directly.
> * It seems the Spyder2 will not be around for much longer. Colorvision's is
> currently selling a sequel: the Spyder3. How different would this one be from
> the Spyder2 ? What are the odds it would work out of the box, provided I use
> the correct firmware that comes with it ?
I don't know anything about the Spyders, but see my comments above.
>
> I know that's a lot of newbie questions. I hope you guys can help me a little
> further.
I found the people here to be very tolerant of "stupid questions" which
they do the best they can to answer, but it will be difficult to
understand their answers without a good understanding of the basics.
I recommend that you try to master those basics before you start trying
to do anything I found Real World Color Management by Fraser, et. al.,
which is often recommended, to be a good source, although it is oriented
towards the Windows and Mac worlds. But read everything you can find.
>
> Thanks in advance !
>
> Geert Janssens
Good luck and feel free to ask as many questions (of me at least) as you
need to.
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