[Pixels Ink]

I wondered how many designers on here use some sort of hardware to calibrate their monitors?

I use the Spyder 2 Pro and couldn't do without it.


What do you use?

[Xenonsoft]

Sorry for my naïvity, but what does a calibrator do? I wiki'd it and it didn't really help me. Also googled Spyder 2 Pro, which helped a little.

[Pixels Ink]

It basically calibrates your monitor so that you get a truer representation of colour. A monitor can never 100% give accurate results but you can get very close.

I have my monitor, printer and scanner calibrated so that what i see on screen is what i get out of my printer.

Ever had a nice blue on screen but when you print it out its like a different colour? Thats where calibration comes in.

A good entry level monitor calibrator is the Pantone Huey (£70). Thats what I used before the Spyder.

If the lighting in your room changes the huey will automatically adjust your monitor to compensate so that you have more consistency when working.

[Lisa]

I wish. In my old job we had a rota where we did it each week. My current employer doesn't believe we need to, in his words 'you have pantone and CMYK swatches use them, on screen use your imagination'

I would recommend the Pantone Huey but I am going to go and check out sypder now....

[Xenonsoft]

Interesting. Do you find the size of them intrusive?

That's it right?

[Lisa]

Not really you only use them for a matter of minutes then its done till the next time you decide to calibrate you monitor. I go and make a cuppa whilst it does it's stuff...

[Xenonsoft]

Ah I see, not bad.

Definitely a tool worthy of purchase, in the near future.

[Pixels Ink]

He isn't wrong about swatches though. Even a well calibrated monitor won't beat looking in your Pantone books :)

If I had a choice, I'd buy a full set of Pantone books before a screen calibrator, which is what did :)

[Eagle]

I don't calibrate with a device although I do have a Spyder Pro 2. A quick tweak out of the box and I'm done. The client won't have a calibrated monitor so it's largely pointless. Never had a print drama either!

[Pixels Ink]

I have had print dramas in the past.

I often send a printed visual to a client if colour is important because as you say the clients monitor is very unlikely to be calibrated. It saves a big long discussion after they get their printed materials and complain because it doesn't look like the red on their screen!