Datacolor SpyderSTUDIO

Comments about Datacolor SpyderSTUDIO:

I provided an earlier review of this system, and I'd like to add some additional information, advice actually, specifically on producing printer profiles.

First, it is quite helpful to carefully read the comments in-line on color management in general.

Second, it is very important to read the comments on how to read the color strips on the charts you print. It takes some practice to do this successfully.

In the few weeks that I've been using this system, I can by now pretty reliably read the color strips, but there are always a few to several patches that need to be re-read.

You need to carefully check the displayed charts on the monitor, switching repeatedly between the expected and measured results. You do this by pressing "1" and "3" alternately as explained in the software. This will allow you to compare and see which patches have been misread. Re-reading those patches is simply a matter of using your mouse to select that patch on the monitor, placing the spectrophotometer directly on that printed patch, and pressing the button on the spectrophotometer to obtain an additional reading.

You don't need to re-read the whole strip, just the patch that is wrong. Also, since the software expects you to go on immediately to the next patch (as if you're reading the whole strip), you need to wait at that point for the cursor to return by itself to the beginning of that row, and then use your mouse to select the next patch that you need to re-read. Once you are sure you've captured all the correct patches, you can save and close the measurement file.

Doing it carefully this way, I have produced profiles that exceed the accuracy of Epson's profiles for their paper. If you have some misread patches that are not corrected, you'll get unpredictable results. Getting it right gives you a very accurate profile matched to your specific printer and paper.

As I said in my earlier review, this is a good system when used carefully.

Comments about Datacolor SpyderSTUDIO:

I just use the spyder system for monitor calibration from that bag. It is ok.easy to use.
I use it with my two laptops macbook pro 17 and Toshiba. the results look like the same but I need help to now if the monitor color now is accurate. because the screen turn to be a kind of soft yellow and the portrait photo like we use filter warm 812 with it.

Comments about Datacolor SpyderSTUDIO:

This is a good product, or rather set of products. It is a complete solution for color management workflow. It starts with the little cube for exposure and white balance, which is an elegant little tool.

The monitor calibration is quite good, and it helps set the monitor brightness, which can be the source of print errors ("my prints are too dark"), so this is important. The color matching is excellent - I have used it to match two large monitors (a 27" iMac and 30" Apple Cinema Display) and the color and brightness match is very good.

Print calibration can be a bit problematic initially in the sense that it can be difficult to reliably read the strips of color patches until you get the technique down. However, the software tells you when you've missed a patch, and you can also review the readings (visually) and tell if you need to re-scan a row. This all gets easier with practice.

I've found the print profiles as good as or better than Epson's profiles (I use an Epson 3880 printer with various papers). I relish the freedom not to have to worry much any more about correcting color or brightness mismatches between my monitor and the printer output, so now I just worry about my photographic technique and aesthetic judgment.

The guy who said the packaging is a cardboard box covered in aluminum foil must have another problem, because the case that the instruments come in is very good quality.