Do Apple Monitors Need to be Calibrated?

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Level 1

13 points

Do Apple Monitors Need to be Calibrated?

I stopped in at my local Apple Store (corporate) yesterday to speak with a Genius about choosing a monitor calibrator. They carry Huey and Pantone models. He told me that Apple monitors do not need to be calibrated and to just leave them alone or I could just get in trouble. He said that Apple monitors are so good that calibrators are just a waste of money.

Is he correct?

2009 Mac Mini 2.0, 4GB, 120GB w/ WD Studio 320, 2009 Mac Pro Quad 2.93, Mac OS X (10.5.7), Mac Book 2007, iTouch 2, iMac DV SE 400 10.3.9, Quadra 650

Posted on Jun 23, 2009 12:39 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

BoyHowdyDoo

Level 2

386 points

Aug 26, 2009 3:43 PM in response to JohnBarrett

Genius is dead wrong. All you need to do is run a calibration test with a HW calibrator and you will see the Mac panel hover around 3.0-8.0 dE with default profile. Not too good. They are also painfully bright. Too bright for standard color work. If you just want it to look nice pick up a cheap Spyder and use the included software. If you truly want it to be print compliant than you need to buy a Spyder3, Eye-one 2 or similar (No Huey, they are terrible) and then get something like ColorEyes for the SW profiling. Set up 2.2 Gamma and 6500K temp. with luminance set at around 120 cd/m2. My cinema displays hover around 0.2-0.6 dE after profiling.
Apples color is better out of the box than Dell's but it is in no way correct.
Also you can get the same result with any manufacturers IPS panel. It's the LCD type not the brand. They are all LG I believe.

Message was edited by: BoyHowdyDoo

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Answer 2

Network 23

Level 6

12,351 points

Jun 27, 2009 11:13 PM in response to JohnBarrett

JohnBarrett wrote:
I stopped in at my local Apple Store (corporate) yesterday to speak with a Genius about choosing a monitor calibrator. They carry Huey and Pantone models. He told me that Apple monitors do not need to be calibrated and to just leave them alone or I could just get in trouble. He said that Apple monitors are so good that calibrators are just a waste of money.

Is he correct?

He is either uninformed or just wrong.

Apple monitors are not the best; yet better, more expensive monitors still require calibration. In fact, the more expensive the monitor, the more likely it comes with a dedicated calibrator. All monitors need calibration if your goal is to use them for color-critical uses.

One reason is that all monitors drift over time. Backlights fade and shift, etc. No matter what monitor you have, it is a good idea to recalibrate every few weeks at least.

Apple monitors also ship out of step with generally accepted practice, which is to calibrate to gamma 2.2 and D50 or D65. Apple monitors tend to be calibrated at the factory to gamma 1.8 and a somewhat cooler (bluer) color balance, specs right out of the 1980s. There are signs that Apple is changing, though.

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Answer 3

Network 23

Level 6

12,351 points

Jun 28, 2009 1:24 PM in response to JohnBarrett

I use a GretagMacbeth Eye One, an older model, on my Apple 20" Cinema Display.

System Preferences calibration is a last resort for those who have no access to a hardware calibrator. Because calibrating by eye is not reliable. Your eye has too much auto-compensation to be objective about what colors you are seeing. If you stare at a red square long enough you start seeing green, for instance. Hardware calibrator measure the monitor output exactly and objectively, so that the amount of correction built into the profile is also exact.

If you want to learn more about proper calibration, try reading this article and this reference.

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Answer 4

52club

Level 1

45 points

Jun 25, 2009 11:26 AM in response to JohnBarrett

I don't think Apple supports hardware calibration, but you certainly can calibrate the Apple Cinema Display in preferences. Adjusting color temperature, brightness, contrast, etc. is a good idea. Use various setting according to light/time of day and media output (print vs video vs internet).

Getting into the nitty-gritty of a Pantone-perfect monitor perception is elusive, even on the most expensive professional monitors. I can understood the reason printers/pre-press and post-production suites needing stringent color accuracy, but unless you, the developer/designer, has the exact same system and configuration as your output bureau there's no way to obtain a perfect proof.

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Answer 5

JohnBarrett Author

Level 1

13 points

Jun 24, 2009 11:45 AM in response to JohnBarrett

I do think that this is a reasonable question especially in light of the fact that an Apple Genius Bar specialist at a very busy Apple corporate store feels that calibration is not necessary, but works in a store that sells calibrators.

What do our most experienced users here say?

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Answer 6

Network 23

Level 6

12,351 points

Jun 28, 2009 2:57 PM in response to JohnBarrett

JohnBarrett wrote:
find good advive and consensus about on an afordable harware calibrator.

The Pantone Huey is supposed to be OK for an affordable one, the Pro model is supposed to be better. I am hearing a lot of good things about the ColorMunki, but it is $500. I have not used either. There are certainly many reviews of these devices on the Web.

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Answer 7

Aug 24, 2009 6:55 AM in response to JohnBarrett

How does one use the Colorsync utiliy in OS10.5 please in this respect ?

On my PowerMac G5, Colorsync opens but shows no screen to look at details: how can this be corrected please ?

Thanks,

Kevin GARDINER

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