Monitor Calibration and Profiling in Photography.

by Andy Nickerson
Brampton Valley Photography

So you've come to the view that your product range is just too impressive to be promoted with dull amateurish photography, and you've called in a commercial photographer to record your products at their best and help strengthen your brand image.

The pictures are back and look gorgeous, you've never seen your products look so good. Simply a little tweaking in Adobes Photoshop before you submit them to the printers for that big new brochure release and that's it, work done?

Your brochure comes back from the print house but all is not fine! The photography looks nothing like it did on your monitor and now your products are sporting a rather unwanted blue caste.

Why has this happened? You've spent thousands investing in top of the range computer equipment and software licensing, you even read a few design publications? Well in truth it might be numerous reasons however is most likely to one of or a combination of the following troubles:

1. Aggressive Image Adjustment. Unskilled or incompetent Photoshop operators will often carry out needless and damaging image manipulation tactics that will often end in poor quality printing.

2. Conversion to CYMK. The picture files your photographer supplies you with are typically in a RGB colour space and will require conversion to a relevant CYMK colour profile before printing. The image files will require meticulous colour conversion and ideally proofing if literal colour accuracy is needed. Normally a professional designer or pre-production house will carry out this practice but if performed badly the resulting prints can vary immensely to what you saw on your screen.

3. Poor Monitor Calibration. This is the major issue and the one that I feel creates the most displeasure and problems. If your monitor isn't accurately calibrated or rather you simply use the manufacturers canned factory settings, there is a good likelihood that your monitor is misleading you!

To prevail over this problem you must calibrate your monitor which is the process of setting up your monitor controls to accomplish a neutral result, including altering its luminance (brightness), white point (colour temperature) and gamma settings. If you deal with professional photos on a frequent basis or you don't use the services of a graphic designer or some other pre-press professional then I strongly advocate that you invest in some basic monitor calibration software and equipment. It need not cost a small fortune and will certainly cost a small percentage of what a botched print run will! If you do employ a design professional or pre-press house that fully comprehends the meaning or colour management then you might just be happy to manually set-up your monitor, though remember not to adjust the image files in any way as what you observe on your screen will differ to what your designer and printer sees!

Monitor calibration hardware will precisely measure the flaws in your screen and then the software will produce a unique profile, which is in effect a 'filter' that compensates for these imperfections. This unique profile is then saved to your computers applicable libraries.

In conclusion when dealing with professional images on a recurring basis then I highly advise you invest in some basic monitor calibration gear. Why spend good money on getting your photographs shot professionally only to subsequently ruin them by editing on an inadequately calibrated monitor?

Andy Nickerson is the owner of Brampton Valley Photography, Commercial Photographers Northampton.

Article submitted Friday, April 30, 2010 & read 45 times.

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