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User profile for user: HokaHey
HokaHey Author
User level: Level 1
19 points

Calibrate external display with Mac Mini M1

I need to calibrate my display for printing and sharing photographs.


I'm trying to calibrate the external display, a BenQ SW271, on my new maxed out Mac mini M1. I usually use either DisplayCal, X-Rite iProfiler or Pallette Master Element. However, DisplayCal does not recognize that any monitors are attached. Pallette Master recognizes that there is a monitor attached, but the screen goes black during the calibration which leads to terrible calibrations. iProfiler just crashes before it fully opens. I have been using all of these apps with this same BenQ SW271 and my 2016 MBP, and they work well with that combination.


I have tried both the USB-C/TB3 port and the HDMI port. I have also tried just using an older Dell monitor and get the same results.


The calibration under System Settings>Displays>Color>Calibrate does not work because I am not able to get the first image (oval in rectangle with dark and light half) to appear as described in the instructions after cranking contrast to 100% as directed. Additionally, this calibration has never worked well for calibration on any of my iMacs or MBPs.


Any help would be appreciated.


Thanks.

Posted on Nov 19, 2020 6:05 PM

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8 replies
User profile for user: woodmeister50
woodmeister50
User level: Level 6
19,723 points

Nov 20, 2020 4:42 AM in response to HokaHey

On your calibration tools, you may be getting hit with a double whammy.

The apps and device drivers are for those devices are not totally Big Sur compatible.

The apps and device drivers, which are Intel based, may not play properly with the

Rosetta 2 translation layer for the Mini's M1.


So, first step, contact the vendors of your devices and determine if they are

compatible.

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User profile for user: woodmeister50
woodmeister50
User level: Level 6
19,723 points

Nov 27, 2020 12:44 PM in response to Willian_Zhou

Willian_Zhou wrote:

Same situration as yours!
I also have X-Rite product and just received my mac mini m1 1 week ago. I also used both software to calibrate, both software can't detect my monitor.
Hope this can be fixed asap!

This can only be fixed by your device and software vendors

to be compatible with Apple silicon and/or macOS Big Sur.

The M1 Mini is a whole new hardware platform and specialized

devices could be problematic.

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User profile for user: Willian_Zhou
Willian_Zhou
User level: Level 1
9 points

Nov 28, 2020 10:50 PM in response to HokaHey

Hey Hokaki,


In the meanwhile, I also found a temp solution may help your situation.

At least this works at my mac mini m1 + external displays.


"

I don’t know’s going on with the displays not showing up, but I ran

DisplayCAL through the web server option and calibrated using Safari.

Then to install the profile, copy the ICC file from your user DisplayCAL

library folder (~/Library/Application\ Support/DisplayCAL/storage/WebProfileFolderName) to your system ColorSync library folder (/Library/ColorSync/Profiles/Displays). To automate this from the command line, you could probably run:sudo cp ~/Library/Application\ Support/DisplayCAL/storage/Web*/*.icc /Library/ColorSync/Profiles/Displays/

Hopefully DisplayCAL can be updated to work with M1 and Big Sur?

i1Profiler also can’t find the displays, and I think the SwitchResX

developer has also had problems, so not sure if it’s that Apple’s made

changes and not properly documented them or something less surmountable.

"


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Calibrate external display with Mac Mini M1

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