Colour management

[IWC Doppel]

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I am looking at screen calibration for my mac and looking at options. A few questions :

 

1. I have a 27" MAC and an Epson 3880 would I benefit from buying something like an X-rite device (I have previously used one to calibrate projectors, I used an i1 Pro before, so familier with the devices and basic function) rather than set up once borrowing from a friend.

2. How often do you need to calibrate the screen ?

3. Any advice on what kit I will require to allow full workflow calibration from screen to print for an ameteur that wants to get things as good as possible (without going overboard) but is more focussed on B&W than colour

4. I do not want to spend lots, so small hundreds or less.

 

Any advice much appreciated

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[archi4]

I use the i1Pro uspdated to the latest software from x-rite.

I went to the i1Pro when I got the second iMac with the shiny screen cover (on my older matte screen iMac I usd the x-rite i1Display2) but I was advised that it was not consistent on the new iMac screens and moreover I wanted to make paper profiles. Paper profiles made with an other system were less than satisfactory.

My recent iMac screens are very stable and even after 2 months their values have hardly shifted.

An advantage of the newest software compared to that I had with the i1Display2 is that it sets the luminance of the screen to the value you require, without having to mess with sliders

[IWC Doppel]

It does look to be expensive if I go for the high end solution, I am also thinking of screen calibration only with something the ColorMunki display and use standard icc's or perhaps the Datacolor Spider Studio or ColorMunki photo for a fuller solution. Advice from Colour Confidence said that for B&W the DS Studio is probably worth the extra over the ColorMunki photo. The trouble is the DS Studio is £380 or so which buys an awful lot of paper !

 

I wonder if the premium of say epson paper with a stock profile at say £1.50 an A3+ sheet for ColdPress Natural could be clawed back by the DS studio over the CM Display. By my reckoning that's nearly 200 images. Plus this will get the colorimetry correct but I assume that if my screen is correct and a factory icc is used then that should provide good results ?

 

Put it another way would bespoke icc's with a less good paper than a factory icc with 'better' paper ?

 

The i1Photo Pro2 is some £1400

[peterbengtson]

I use a Colormunki Photo for screens. At first I did make paper profiles as well but I found no difference between what I made and the stock Epson Profiles so I just use those and save the time and expense of making paper profiles. I do use a fairly small selection of papers. I think you would be fine with the Colormunki display version and the stock profiles. What you are paying more for in the better papers is the surface, whiteness and consistency. Remember that you do not print white. The whiteness of the paper is the whitest white in your print and affects how all the colors printed on it are rendered.

[archi4]

After reading up on the Colormunki display, I agree entirely with peterbengston's recommenation.

Although I make my own paper profiles with i1Pro using i1Profiler, I have found the profiles from Harman by Hahnemuhler, Ilford, Innova and Epson to be very good and will of course be happy to share the profiles I have made.

[IWC Doppel]

Thanks guys, much appreciated

[IWC Doppel]

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I will hopefully get the chance to have a go at the weekend, a colormunki display is on its way