Calibration - Spyder4Pro setup on iMac

[Ettienne v Niekerk]

I would appreciate if someone could help me with setup of the Spyder4Pro on a iMac 27" monitor.

Monitor setup questions:
Gamut: (Need to choose between)
Unknown
Normal Gamut
Wide Gamut

Backlight: (Need to choose between)
Unknown
Fluorescent (CCFL)
White LED
RGB LED

I believe that the iMac has pseudo-white LED backlight with a gamut close to sRGB according to forums but does this mean the correct choices would be "Normal Gamut" and "White LED" ?

[ABDurbs]

Sorry Ettienne wish I could help with your iMac, except to say that when I calibrated my monitor with my Spydre4Pro, anything I didn't know on my IPS monitor, I just let Spyderpro choose for me (Unknown) and so far I am very happy with the result.

[Ettienne v Niekerk]

Thank you for the suggestion ABDurbs

[Andrea Sada]

Hi Ettienne

I am also running a 27" iMac and am contemplating a calibration product for my monitor.
If you find out and more info please let me know.
I will do the same.

[amg.dries]

hi there,
I used Spyder4pro a week ago to cal my iMac. I also used the 'unknown' settings . The result was very disappointing . My B&W pic's became all Sepia , In fact all white on the Mac as turned into a brownish color. I repeated the whole process and the outcome was the same. Togetger, me and one of our members of our photo club, did not agree with the outcome. Advice that from the Photo club, is that the room must be dark, I did it both times with a dark room and then with a desk light in the back (to lighten the room up a bit), same result. I would like to know if this is normal (the brownish look) or am I doing something wrong

[Leo Theron]

You will have to check which profile has been selected for your monitor on your computer.

Check System Preferences/Display/Colour

and you should see which profile has been selected - if at all.

You must make sure that the device is absolutely FLAT against the screen. If it is not, the calibration will be flawed.

[Dave_]

Up front I dont own a mac, but I do own the Spyder4Pro, and from what I have heard about the default mac screens, the following should apply.

Normal Gamut
Pseudo LED (not sure what that means, but I would guess RGB LED is a close match)

Advice that from the Photo club, is that the room must be dark,

- this is unnecessary, as the Pro version unit tests the ambient light and suggests a target brightness. If the room is dark, the software will suggest a lower brightness than if the room is bright. Also, the device makes the display "yellower" in a dark environement. Something to do with our eyes response to white at this level of brightness. - rather set the room light to what you would normally be working with.

For the calibration, the device tests the monitor's output, not the ambient light. So the brightness of a room makes no difference to the colour calculation. Hence why there must be no gap between the screen and the puck.

Also remember that our eyes respond to what it believes to be white, so the yucky brown colour is possibly correct, it's just your eyes are used to a "brighter" white. After calibrating, leave the room for a while and come back, the brown wont seem so brown anymore. This is a common "complaint" from those new to calibration. the ultimate test is really to print using a properly profiled printer.

[Ettienne v Niekerk]

hi there,
I used Spyder4pro a week ago to cal my iMac. I also used the 'unknown' settings . The result was very disappointing . My B&W pic's became all Sepia , In fact all white on the Mac as turned into a brownish color. I repeated the whole process and the outcome was the same. Togetger, me and one of our members of our photo club, did not agree with the outcome. Advice that from the Photo club, is that the room must be dark, I did it both times with a dark room and then with a desk light in the back (to lighten the room up a bit), same result. I would like to know if this is normal (the brownish look) or am I doing something wrong

My calibration is actually working great now that I have applied the following setup with Spyder4Pro on my iMac

Monitor setup questions:
Normal Gamut

Backlight:
White LED

I also got the brownish colour before I applied the setup above.
Hope it helps

[amg.dries]

Thanks guys for the advice, as soon as I get hold of a' spyder' again, I will apply these settings, at the moment I am back to my 'iMac' setting