How to Color Calibrate Every Device in a Photographer's Workflow

[@DaveSincere]

This was the BEST video on monitor color calibration I've seen.

[@drthompson65]

Agree!

[@crumpeteer6477]

Brilliant, absolutely brilliant. No waffle... just the information needed.

[@nikolai_art]

In was asked by a friend who wanted to do a first calibration of monitor and printer how to do it. Instead of trying to explain through messages I sent them here. Easily THE best video on the topic on KZbin!

[@DaveFarr]

This is one of the most helpful videos I've seen. Thank you so much for making this!

[@Jdikmen]

Great video Patrick! Since I have NEC Monitors, I personally use their integrated Spectraview II calibrator and software to do my monitor calibration as it is pretty much automated. One thing you "might" be overlooking is the color temperature and brightness of the room lighting used to evaluate your final prints? It could be just the video, but it looks to me like in the background you may have off color walls and/or low color temperature lighting turned on which can drastically affect how the prints actually relate to the monitor rendition? In my case I use a D65 light viewing booth next to my monitors to make sure I am evaluating at the same color temperature and brightness. Just a thought to consider.

[@trollenz]

If there's one video to watch about calibration, it has to be this one ! Thanks.

[@RonRosenzweig]

Hi Patrick, this is one of the most concise and accurate explanations of color calibration using X-Rite products. Well done!

[@markdallas8352]

thanks for taking the time to make the video, really appreciated it.

[@nickseth-smith9740]

fstoppers. Thanks for creating this video - it's perfect for photographers who print at home. I use almost this exact workflow with my Canon imagePROGRAF Pro-4000; however I go one stage further and purchase custom printer/paper profiles from Freestyle Photo in Los Angeles. On the face of it the profiles are expensive at $100 each; however the results are truly amazing! I think you would do the industry an enormous favor if you create a similar workflow for photographers who print through a lab rather than printing at home. That last step of sending images to a lab can be incredibly frustrating since you don't have the same level of control. This is particularly true for photographers who create albums since the reprint cost (and time) is so high!

[@radu5247]

Fantastic! Many, many thanks! 🙂

[@l31007]

You guys are so awesome. I always learn something from all your videos. Keep up the great work!

[@ThereIsOnlyChange]

Angel's Landing! What a great hike.

[@60shots]

Thanks Pat for the tutorial. Excellent explanation on everything.

[@anthonybarton4252]

That was very helpful. Good work :)

[@josephantonio4140]

It's so awesome what you show in this video and I love it. I'm a IT Guy in nature but I really amaze what I have learn from your this video. Please continue what you're doing.

[@balancedaudio]

Ah man Patrick that’s very helpful! I’ve been looking into calibrating my monitor recently. You certainly posted this at the right time. Cheers for the advice.

[@deetailing]

Well done great tutorial. Not long at all. Very informative

[@matttatts]

Excellent walk through thank you. I used it to help me set up my entire work flow.

[@StephenStarkman]

Great concise overview demonstration and discussion of benefits using a colour managed workflow. Nice!

[@nussberger]

Excellent video. Thank you for your hard work!

[@ItsBradSpencer]

Thanks for that. Very helpful walkthrough!

[@waiming1223]

Excellent explanation, in a concise and practical manner. Great job Patrick!

[@daustonian9331]

@Fstoppers are you still using this method in 2024? Did you see any changes when it became Calibrite branded? Have you used profiles on the new Canon 300 or 1000 and was it still as evident? Thanks for all the testing and walk-throughs on items like this, flashes, strobes, mics, etc. You really help us folks in the trenches out with all the time you put into these videos!

[@LCort101]

Thanks for the info. Very educational and easy to understand.

[@CalvinEdmonson]

I just had a lab print almost 600 4x6 family photos and they are all way darker than what my Dell monitor was showing. Christmas special so I'm only out $56 . Now a calibration tool is a must!. I will use this video as a teaching reference. Thank you.

[@Impostertot]

Thanks Patrick. I have the Spyder unit which does not have printer calibration, but I have the same printer you worked with, the Canon PRO-100. I found your explanation of the printer settings with the Canon and Photoshop software very helpful.

[@TAHendriks1]

This video! REALLY HELPFULL! Thanks FStoppers!

[@christinec1928]

Thanks for taking the mystery out of this.

[@robertanastase558]

Its pretty much the same price of my DSLR. Perfect.

[@ntblb89]

This tutorial has the most accurate informationsi can find . And very easy to apply . I only need that device . Thank you .

[@mrz1342]

Perfect tutorial video! to the point, quick, in detail, comprehensive, practical; although made it 4 years ago still I believe is the best on youtube for this topic. Bravo and appreciated. (PS: you didn't mention what is your recommended monitor for photo editing in 2022 of course?)

[@vittoriocuoco8229]

Hello Patrick, this is one of the most concise and accurate explanations of color calibration I have ever watched. I am new to this and there is still something I do not fully understand. I understand the point of calibrating the monitor, but the printer+paper? I mean, I use a particular paper (e.g, matte, glossy, metallic, etc.) because it gives me that particular look to the photo I want. If a photo looks the same regardless the printer/paper combination, what is the point of using different papers?

[@unknownKnownunknowns]

This is very helpful, particularly the print calibration section.Would it be easier to shoot the color checker on the first shot in order to get the correct white balance Prior to starting the session?

[@Navigator777777]

Great video! I've been dreading monitor calibration for 3 years until I saw your video. I design in my home in Illustrator and Photoshop on an iMac for my sign biz. Then, I put the file on a flash drive, walk to my shop, stuff the flash drive into a windoz puter with the sloppiest, nastiest monitor I've ever seen. The file is ripped on Versaworks. Versaworks then sends the ripped file to my 54" Roland printer. I get great prints but I don't know how or why. Dumb Luck? I do 52" x 96" almost every day. The Windoz is old...something 7. The Monitor is old too but it all works. I thought another new iMac for $3500 was the answer but spending $500 for an i1 Studio is something I shoulda done when I didn't have the dough. Thanks for making it an easy choice! Because of my success, the data must travel successfully in the flash drive?

[@paulsimoncelli5496]

Thank you! Great tutorial! Now I got the workflow. I'm going to buy a pro 100s and therefore I am very happy about the specific hints. Thx a lot! Greetings from Germany.

[@SwissplWatches]

Entirely vital and essential, thank you

[@WhittyPics]

I had a kit years ago that after profiling the monitor you would print out page and then take that and scan it in and it would set a profile for both the printer and scanner

[@poolboyinla]

Can't wait for the new travel vlogs from you guys. I also hope you guys are getting a lot of snapper on your travels.

[@GermanAutoNut]

This was an AWESOME video! Thanks for sharing!

[@MEDPFilmClub]

Awesome Video!!!! Thank you for taking the time!!!

[@GedasSt]

This video is good for private user to understand how calibration work. Well done. But not for a pro's. P.S. Between colorimeter (i1DisplayPro, Spyder5Pro...) and spectrophotometer (i1Pro, ColormunkiPhoto, i1Studio...) is huge difference. Everyone must know that.

[@MrGerardo1martinez]

By also calibrating the printer, does it eliminate the need to edit a soft proof version of the image to match the paper/printer color profile? Thanks for one of the most straight forward tutorials on this subject.

[@brianvargas7163]

I want to start printing some of my work and sharing it through social media, however, a photo that is edited on a calibrated monitor Will look different when shared digitally.. I was wondering if you've run into this issue and if you have, do you have any tips

[@SidneyPratt]

Easy to understand, thanks.

[@summerwillbeback]

Thank you so much for making this tutorial. This answered a lot of questions for me.

[@jeremiahsanji7283]

What was it like being on "That 70's Show"?

[@shadyninja1]

Thanks for posting

[@edgob9910]

I believe this is definitely worth it

[@Sareichert2]

I know I am being redundant but this is the best video on calibration I have seen. Might suggest to speak slowerparticularly when reviewing the settings. Some of us are old and can’t keep up😬

[@alephoto10]

Also, light and pigment produce different colors, so what you see in a monitor is light color (additive, rgb) and what a printer produces is pigment color (subtractive, cmyk or even 10 inks), so there will always be a slight difference between what we see in a screen and what is printed.

[@NeilSnapePhotography]

Really good video. Two little points. For the Color Checker Passport, you are not obliged to download the Lightroom export preset unless you want to do this in LR with automation ( and you should if you use LR). The application itself can create the DNG camera profile which will be loaded into LR. There is only one advantage to loading the raw chart in the application: Dual Illuminant profiles for use in LR / ACR. Second point; as long as the chart is shot in reasonable light the white point is ignored so performing a WB in LR then exporting with the export X-Rite preset will not have any influence on the profile build. Yes you will have to WB after the profile is built and applied, but is not encoded into the DNG profile.

[@JohnMacLeanPhotography]

Overall a good video. Here's some nitpicks: 1:08 Ideally you don't want any shadowing from fingers casting across the patches for the Passport software reading. 8:10 You used As Shot WB and didn't sync the WB from the other image with the chart 12:00 Can't you print both charts in advance, rather than one at a time and waiting in between? That's tedious! 15:20 Another "ideally", having a viewing booth like a 5000°k Just Normlicht will save you lots of headaches because you can dim it down to match your monitor's brightness, and it's a constant color instead of the changing conditions throughout the day/night. It's damn overpriced, but it makes life much easier when it's sitting next to your monitor.

[@andrewhkim]

12:00 It has to be like that b/c the first print you scan, the software adjusts calibration to print the second print. Then you scan the second print (which you'll notice are different colors) and then it creates a finalized profile based on the second scan.

[@JohnMacLeanPhotography]

Ah, different workflow than i1Photo Pro 2 with i1Profiler. Also a LOT less patches. I wonder how the printer profiles compare. I've always heard more patches, more accurate. Maybe technology is proving that wrong?

[@andrewhkim]

More patches, more accurate...yea probably. But there's that law of diminishing returns too.

[@JohnMacLeanPhotography]

I think what it comes down to is the General Public wouldn't see the difference. Anal retentive people like myself want to eke out as much as possible. Or is that geek out? :P

[@andrewhkim]

same difference haha

[@gaperklake]

Very good. Thank you,

[@NickAuskeur1]

Really clear and concise, thank you!

[@dimitarkerezov]

Very nice video Patrick i can say it is useful I always struggle to match the colors of what I see on my monitor and what comes out from my printer but not anymore thanks to you 😉. Keep doing great videos guys you are amazing 👍

[@benpearsephotography]

Really good tutorial, cheers

[@TCee93]

I own a scanner and I'm curious about the scanner calibration. Do you know if the passport checkers can be used to calibrate the scanner images? I did notice they have a separate scanner checker product

[@gd4465]

Can you make a profile with this device for any other printer than the Canon pro serie printers, I have a canon IP 8750 but I never get my colors right.

[@IvanRiveraStagea]

I believe so.

[@denniscomfort1972]

Great video, Patrick. I've struggled with my prints not matching my monitor for years; i've used the i1 Display monitor calibration device for years but always used the paper manufacturer profiles for my printer. And on almost every print I make, I have to do significant editing (removing a subtle green cast) to every image. Very tedious and expensive, and has made me hate printing. With your tutorial, I'm ready to go out and buy this device so I can accurately calibrate my monitor and create accurate color profiles for my printer. I use an Epson P800 printer and I use an iMac with extra iMac monitor. As you may or may not know, the iMacs do not have the same flexibility in color / contrast / color adjustments as other generic monitors. I'm hoping that this calibration device will get me "close enough" with my iMac displays. Do you have any experience with this calibration hardware / software with Macs? Thanks again. I'm really pumped to purchase one of these devices and see if I can improve my images (and attitude).

[@luisurbina5115]

Good job

[@jvmusicph]

Question, it is more accurate than spyder? is the brand really an issue on calibrator tool? thanks

[@tombouie]

Thks

[@ortizstudiopro9911]

When you take the first picture in the studio of Erica holding the color checker, which WB, Style and exposure do you use? Will it work with any WB? Any setting in the camera?

[@iDATUS]

spot on

[@izoyt]

scan it on calibrated scanner and you can compare directly with original image.

[@ikantspelll]

Great video I calibrate my screen but since I normally outsource my prints it had never dawned on me to calibrate the printer see you next time guys!

[@SachinBalan_PB]

I have BenQ sw2700pt and it uses inbuilt BenQ palette master software to calibrate. What is the difference between palette master and X-rite i1 Studio software ?

[@megapipedreamer]

11:30 probably best to avoid reflective surface behind the paper for the scan. My preference would be a neutral matte surface.

[@parikshitmayur5870]

Thanks so much for the insight. However, I'm really confused about X-Rite Calibrite i1Display Pro CCDIS3 [2022 Edition] or Datacolor Spyder Elite for my new Monitor - BenQ PD2705Q 27"(68.58 cm). Could you please help me with that? I'm fashion photographer.

[@lintoncoke5094]

Is there steps when using PS and a desktop mac?

[@davefarmer8775]

Aaarrrggghhh! I watched this to see where I've gone wrong, I even have the same calibration tool and software. Sadly, I have done every step exactly as you have, so why my colours are way off remains a mystery 😢

[@LukeKwan78]

I use to edit alll of my pics on my MacBook Pro and view them on my iPhone or iPad. Since they are all from same family, Color was all very close. Right now I’m using a Mac mini with a dell ultra wide and a LG 5K ultra fine. I’m in a color nightmare. Maybe I have my brightness set too high but I have 3 screeens and they don’t even come close to matching!

[@PhotoJohn80]

Have you ever noticed how the blues are way over saturated on the x rite icc profile you create from the camera? I have everything exactly right but if you make a print of the x rite chart itself and compare the colors to the actual chart the color checker software really messes up the blues. If you don’t see this issue please let me know

[@Papajumeaux]

it's just great thank you again now I know how to do it !!

[@afromalone]

Very much appreciated.

[@kimmortensen9779]

ohh i want the i1Studio, sadly it isn't compatible with Palette Master element, the software that BenQ uses for the hardware calibrated monitors.. All the other i1 calibrators as well as the spyder 4&5 are compatible.. But the i1 studio is the one to get if you want to calibrate screen and printers and don't want to get the i1pro 2, about 1k usd for the base model, 1600usd for the kit for photographers..

[@Time_Travelling_Brother_Louie]

Great video Patrick. I use a printer company in London for prints but my first batch was too dark as my monitor was so bright also. Ps. Laughing at Lee teaching you how to bounce a flash. Haha.

[@kizzyjem]

seenituk who did you use? Did you manage to correct the prints?

[@jean-claudemanfredi9969]

Thanks, really the best tutorial! I've just a problem, maybe you could help me. I use a Canon imageprograf pro 2000, the print layout is different and I don't understand how to turn off color correction from the printer. Thanks a lot! Greetings from Italy.

[@ir6280]

Thank you Patrick for the great tutorial. Question: since calibration of the monitor is a must and the end result would be accurate colors seen on the monitor in relation to the photo taken, what in your opinion is the bare bone minimum monitor specs I should consider for photo editing. I've looked at BenQ, LG, Samsung, Dell..all in the $1000+ range but the specs vary making a few hundred here and there seem frivolous for the difference gained. Quite confusing. I'm in search of both a monitor and calibration tool. I thank you in advance for your input.

[@jaywbus]

what is that leather wrist fashion bracelet? does it help with calibration?

[@swaapnil383]

Can I use this for silver halide prints

[@jaroslavmateju4256]

Great lesson. I finally understood the whole process of calibrating the monitor and printer. I use a variety of photo papers and this is an amazing tutorial. Thank you very much.

[@eavesphoto]

Watching the video you image looked dark. but when you downloaded the plugin I noticed your Exposure was increased +45 and your shadow was increased +36? Why not zeroing all setting adjustments? and having a darker exposure give you a bad calibration? What Brightness numbers are you looking for in the grey patch you clicked on for your calibration? How long should your computer be on before calibrating you display?

[@joassouza291]

Fine, but the light colour temperature of your room bulbs can make a huge difference when analysing a print, if they are not 5000K bulbs, you will not be able to see the colours of the print accurately. Did you take this in consideration?

[@teddyduchamp832]

I recently calibrated my display monitor. However, I'm now not sure which color profile to select when exporting newly edited photos from Lightroom. Am I supposed to select the new calibrated color profile when exporting them or continue to export them in "Adobe RGB (1998)"? Please help. Thanks.

[@vitaleonis1196]

I wish you would have shown how to "calibrate" an external photo scanner. I can't find a video on that!

[@GuitarSlinger2112]

1:08 in when the color checker is shown next to Erica's face did you correct the color? If so, then why not the luminosity?

[@charliemcdougall]

Question: Does it matter if you assign a colour profile (ie: ProPhoto, Adobe 1998) to your photo file, or should you assign no profile since you're dealing with profiles for the printer and paper already? Thanks!

[@paulcooper8818]

Thanks

[@colinmason7398]

It's so useful, thx!

[@PZAXR]

Where would i get a nice desk like that? What is it called?

[@kristynajurikova8255]

this is... thank you!!

[@bobbobbhupindersingh]

Very nice video.can we use this in photo lab on qss 3201 sd noritsu for silver halide prints ? Thanks.

[@Deathbynature89]

Can this also work with video in Premiere?

[@candicewatson3927]

What is the difference between the i1studio, vs the colormunki? Also do you "soft proof" before you go to print? If not, why?

[@RonRosenzweig]

The i1Studio software will work with the ColorMunki device. It is like a software upgrade for the ColorMunki. I have just downloaded the i1 software.

[@jawbrekaa]

thanks for video

[@derpinator8789]

np

[@ncsgdag1933]

Should we calibrate the monitor everytime we're doing an editing or just once?

[@konradmroczek2496]

Marcellinus Gonzaga every couple of months

[@Eviper44]

I was curious, Does the Canon Pro 10 still use the Chroma Optimizer ink still if you use custom printer icc's?

[@ysk890529]

hi, may i ask if i am able to use this to calibrate my screen which has blue tint over it? it has a 94%NTSC color range

[@Ritermann]

How much did Xrite paid you?