You post an image online that was prepped on your calibrated screen...

[gbroadbridge]

I figure if you want to see how 99% of folks are going to see an image, buy a cheap $150 monitor and plug that in as your web proofing monitor.
Don't waste time calibrating or adjust anything - out of the box is just fine.

If you are working professionally and need to provide printing proofs or wish to adjust for colour managed printing at home, use a calibrated display and the correct working environment.

Then look at it on the cheap monitor to see how it will look on the web if it ends up there.

 

[koraks]

You didn't read carefully.

I'm sorry, you're right!

I figure if you want to see how 99% of folks are going to see an image, buy a cheap $150 monitor and plug that in as your web proofing monitor.

Even better, - buy 50 and be aware of the variance. It'll take up some wall space though.

 

[chriscrawfordphoto]

I'm sorry, you're right!


Even better, - buy 50 and be aware of the variance. It'll take up some wall space though.

I use my Surface Pro tablet for that; it has a good screen that is, like most people's monitors, too bright. It gives a good view of what an average non-photographer's monitor will show.

 

[wiltw]

Even better, - buy 50 and be aware of the variance. It'll take up some wall space though.

Need to buy 50 different brands and models...buy 50 of the same monitor and you get all set in the factory to its factory-bright and color intense settings, which means that it is set up to look good in the very bright retail store environment so that display units look good!

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

Need to buy 50 different brands and models...buy 50 of the same monitor and you get all set in the factory to its fatory-bright and color intense settings, which means that it is set up to look good in the very bright retail store environment so that display units look good!

Same with TVs.

 

[koraks]

Need to buy 50 different brands and models...buy 50 of the same monitor and you get all set in the factory to its factory-bright and color intense settings, which means that it is set up to look good in the very bright retail store environment so that display units look good!

Yeah, default brightness is always ridiculously high. As you said, sales tactics probably play a role. People are more likely to buy the one that stands out.

 

[gbroadbridge]

Yeah, default brightness is always ridiculously high. As you said, sales tactics probably play a role. People are more likely to buy the one that stands out.

They're also on display in a brightly lit retail store environment, very different to the workspace of someone preparing colour managed images for production use.

 

[wiltw]

As to the poll...

1. I have my monitor brightness and contrast are adjusted properly to be able to see all of the steps in this image...
   
   
2. I do not set up my images in aRGB space and do not send any out to a lab that prints aRGB files on a printer that I wish to match to my monitor

...so my monitor is not 'calibrated' for precise reproduction of hues

 

[Nige]

see all of the steps in this image...

I can see all graduations on my non-calibrated monitor.

Sometimes in discussions someone might be making a point of some tonality/brightness/contrast/colour issue of a posted image. Sometimes, I copy into PS and hit AUTO everything just to see if it changes... some do some don't! Doing this to the above, it. doesn't change.

 

[gbroadbridge]

As to the poll...

1. I have my monitor brightness and contrast are adjusted properly to be able to see all of the steps in this image...
2. I do not set up my images in aRGB space and do not send any out to a lab that prints aRGB files on a printer that I wish to match to my monitor

...so my monitor is not 'calibrated' for precise reproduction of hues

Those gradations are of course visible on both my Eizo CG2700X working display and my uncalibrated $150 Acer 'Web Proofing' display.

But of course shades of grey are the easy bit ...

 

[wiltw]

But of course shades of grey are the easy bit ...

But in spite of how easy it is to have brightness and contrast proper adjusted, it is not all that unusual to hear someone complain about everything looking right on the monitor, "yet when I have prints made come out way too dark...why?"

 

[Bob Carnie]

I found I get darker prints when using Blurb book printing. I'm sure it is the reason you mention that I keep the display brightness too high.

If someone is just printing JPEG with you, would it be bettter to just allow the camera to do the settings and let you figure out the correct print process procedures, settings, etc? OR do you provide ICC tyupe settings they should use when editing?

I assume the photographer is not aware of this issue and I do make a test print for all prints, also I read the numbers in LAB to make sure everything fits. In my world people will accept my advice on the final print but I am always aware of this problem.
We do not provide info other than Adobe 1998 flattened tiff, 8 bit or 16 bit, as well on my website in the area for inkjet printing I have a box that talks about screen brightness. I believe for all laptops and moniters the brightness is set at max whereas labs like mine use a 60% setting. and this is where a lot of darkening of prints start happening.

 

[Alan Edward Klein]

I assume the photographer is not aware of this issue and I do make a test print for all prints, also I read the numbers in LAB to make sure everything fits. In my world people will accept my advice on the final print but I am always aware of this problem.
We do not provide info other than Adobe 1998 flattened tiff, 8 bit or 16 bit, as well on my website in the area for inkjet printing I have a box that talks about screen brightness. I believe for all laptops and moniters the brightness is set at max whereas labs like mine use a 60% setting. and this is where a lot of darkening of prints start happening.

My NEC monitor with Spectrview II software and calibration puck shows a maximum for the monitor at around 200 cd/m². I probably should set it for 90 or so for printing. But since most of my pictures are just displayed on the web and not printed, I leave it around 140cd now. It's display seems good from my end and I think it;s OK for most others to see my pictures at the right brightness on the web assuming their monitor is adjusted to "normal". . If I get into printing, I;d have to change the CD setting and re-edit those photos .