I’m not a graphic artist; I’m a photographer. Since I travel a lot, I work a lot on the Macbook, and sometimes I have to make pictures of prints quickly. Therefore, my first demand was that the photos are displayed on the Macbook exactly as they are at home on the iMac. Since both systems are from Apple, I thought that the colorfast and thus very real colors play. This is true in any case; the Macbook and iMac represent the colors of images approximately the same. What’s wrong is the color accuracy. The monitors are actually much too bluish, that is, all the images you develop with Photoshop or other programs on the monitor look much colder than the print on photographic or printing paper. This is a catastrophe !!! and mega angry. For graphic designers, it’s hell, but they’re more likely to learn that monitors should be calibrated. The graphic designers are so fussy that they even make special color corrections depending on the color space and paper, printing process, etc. The photographers are often sloppy. Due to the many filters and another artistic debauchery, the result is not color true anyway. Therefore, it is often not as amazing how next to the colors on the monitor. I still calibrate my monitors monthly. When I have a picture developed in the photo lab, I want to know in advance what it will look like.
Another factor that is totally forgotten is the image brightness. Today’s monitors are extremely bright, and people like it bright. If I develop my pictures in Photoshop and set the monitor extremely bright, then I will develop the pictures too dark. In print, everything is dark and low in light. Again, it is important to set the monitors correctly. Brightnesses between 120 and 160 candelas per square meter are ideal and reflect a realistic picture. Today’s monitors easily create 300-400 cd/sqm. For the Internet to that may be quite funny, for photo and video editing that is too bright. In passing, there are some studies that rant on the high-energy light of the screens and mobile phones. Especially the high-energy blue light is questionable for the health because it prevents enough melatonin to produce. The consequences are insomnia, sleeping disorders, and fatigue.
Conclusion
Screens have to be calibrated. Color and brightness can be adjusted quite well. The simplest is with appropriate assistance. I use the i1Display Pro from x-rite (costs about 200 €). This is very easy and fast because within 5 minutes everything is done. As I said, as monitors get older and change, you should do that from time to time. Color accuracy is not so much in demand nowadays, because the internet hardly makes any difference. It’s pretty important to me. You do not have to do it as meticulously as the graphic designers do, but a little more professionalism in the photographic industry would be nice.
Finally, I propose another test. Take a picture, have it developed in a good photo lab, and compare the view with the picture on the monitor. I do that now and then and I’m happy because it always fits very well
