Calibrate your Monitor
The club has a Spyder3 Elite which was purchase to calibrate our projectors and is also available for club members to set up their monitors at home. If members are able to use this facility it will hopefully go a long way to ensure that the colours and tones of an image displayed on their screens at home are replicated when using the projector for competitions. However, please note that it is virtually impossible to get an exact colour match between monitor and projector screen due to their different colour spaces (gamut). This of course also applies for colour matches between different monitors or matches between screen and printed output.
Using the Spyder3 Elite to Calibrate Monitors
The following notes are designed to help Club Members use the Spyder3 Elite software. The instructions don’t cover everything because the actual software is very easy to follow. Please note that there is a 'Help' button on each screen of the software.
The help is really useful, and has advice on what the various options mean.
Start by installing the software before plugging in the Spyder.
After starting the software, with the Spyder plugged in, you will need to enter the serial number given on the CD cover.
If you have an internet connection, I recommend you download the latest version of the software – this can be done via the software’s Help menu.
The first page the software displays should look this (below)
To proceed click Next (bottom right)
The screen as above should then be displayed. Select the type of monitor you have – I’ve selected “LCD”.
Click Next.
If this wasn't the first time your monitor had been calibrated there would be an option for checking the accuracy of the current profile or recalibrating (as below).
If it is the first calibration there will be a series of instruction screens relevant to your particular monitor/screen.
You then select the adjustment options your monitor/laptop screen has (if any).
This includes backlight adjustment (laptops usually have this and should not be confused with the brightness control.
If your screen has various controls they can be selected and adjusted.
HOWEVER, I RECOMMEND YOU START OFF BY DOING A FACTORY RESET ON YOUR MONITOR (if this is possible) AND NOT MAKING ANY ADJUSTMENTS TO YOUR MONITOR CONTROLS BEFORE THE CALIBRATION.
There are several calibration options available; however, I recommend you just accept the defaults.
They include:
Set “Spyder Certification” to “Off”.
“Ambient Light Compensation” – I recommend you leave this “Off” (default) – it’s only worth playing around with if you are wondering if your working conditions are too bright.
I recommend “Grey Balancing Calibration” is set to “On”.
You will eventually reach a screen as show below 
If you want to make further changes check the “Change these setting” radio button and click “Next” - you are then given the option to change settings before calibrating.
If you are happy with the settings then check the “Continue with these settings” radio button – click “Next” and the calibration routine will begin.
The Calibration
To make measurements, the Spyder needs to be in contact with the screen.
You can either use the suction cup or the counterweight attached to the lead. I recommend you use the counterweight - just tilt the screen back a little to ensure the Spyder is in contact with the screen.
The weight is a little tight on the thin cable, so take care not to damage the lead if you need to move it.
After clicking on the “Continue” button (bottom right), the screen displays a number of colours in order to measure the output of your screen.
This process takes a few minutes.
When the calibration process is complete the above screen will be displayed and you are prompted to save the profile created. You should give the profile a meaningful name. Above, I have named the profile “Proview LCD Monitor” (the default name was “Generic PnP Monitor-1”).
Click “Next” to save the profile and the ‘SpyderProof’ screen should be displayed (below). This allows you to view a number of test images to see what difference the calibration has made. Note that the before calibration display shows the colours without a calibration profile not the colours your previous profile gave.
You can click on any image to select it as part of a panel of 4 as shown below.
Click on one of the four images to select and enlarge it as shown below
Click the “Before Calibration” button to view the image before the calibration.
When using the images to assess the new colours on your monitor, you will need to read the notes that go with each image (via Help). Some of the images are intentionally less than perfect - this is explained in the Help notes – for example one image of a woman’s face looks very yellow, this is intentional and does not mean your new calibration is incorrect – READ THE NOTES WITH THE IMAGES.
A further click on the image takes you back to the full set of images allowing you to select others.
The final display of the calibration routine warns you that ALTERING ANY MONITOR SETTINGS AFTER CALIBRATION WILL MEAN YOU HAVE TO RE-CALIBRATE.
To further assess the colours of your newly calibrated monitor please download the test image from this link http://kevbell.diinoweb.com/files/Test%20image.jpg - (Click or Ctlr Click to save or open.) I have converted this file to sRGB IEC61966-2.1 196. The skin tones look a little on the pale side on my monitor but the image shows good detail in the highlights and in the shadows. Please give me some feedback on this test image, i.e. is it useful or not. Please note that to display the image correctly you should view it in a colour managed application, e.g. PhotoShop – if you are using Abode Bridge then ensure colour management is enabled. To do this go to Edit > Preferences > Advanced and select ‘Use high quality previews’ (this method will vary depending on your version of Bridge).
If all club members calibrate their monitors and use the same test image to assess the calibration then hopefully there should be no disappointments when images are displayed using the projector for competitions. It might be an idea if the same test image is displayed before all digital competitions.
Please call me on 01634 324839 or email me at kevbell@blueyonder.co.uk if you have any problems.