How do I calibrate for a dual monitor setup? Surely, in order for it to be accurate you need a profile for each monitor? Is there a way to do this? Or should I just calibrate my main monitor and forget about the other? I have a CRT which I connect up to my laptop. The laptop's colors, even though it is brand new, are way too washed out and it is too bright. I have tried to use Adobe Gamma on it but then it affects the CRT too when I hook it up and, quite frankly, I just don't trust my eye with Adobe Gamma. I want to invest in decent calibration software. Am contemplating buying Spyder2Suite. Anyone any thoughts on this? Or are there better alternatives?

sincerely Syd

I don't know at all, have two monitors, exactly same model, but two totally different colour temps despite calibration of both

Pantone explains that calibration method:
From their site:"To profile two monitors, you need two graphic cards or a dual monitor card with two graphic chips and output signals. Also, the right graphic card driver needs to be installed.

i1Match's monitor profiling process has two steps:

1. Monitor calibration, which stores an individual gamma table in the graphic card.

2. Profile generation, which stores an individual IC monitor profile as current system profile in the control panel "Display."

The monitor calibration gamma curves are stored in the ICC profile and are loaded into the video card when the computer is started. Windows does not have dynamic calibration loading, so you won't see a change in the display when selecting a new profile. GretagMacbeth's free "Display Profile" program for Windows will download the calibration curves associated with a profile and thus change the display when the profile is selected.

If you have a dual monitor card with one graphics chip and two output signals, you can't store an individual gamma table for each monitor (both monitors will be controlled by the same gamma table). But you can set an individual IC profile for each monitor in the system's control panel "Display." On dual monitor cards with one graphics chip, you need to decide which of the two monitors should be used for color critical work. However, we recommend to use a dual graphic card with two graphic chips.

Example: How to profile dual monitors with Windows XP:

(Same whether you have two graphic cards or a dual card with two graphic chips and output signals.)

1. Activate the "Multiple Monitor Features" on system level. Go to Start/Settings/control panel Display/Settings.

2. Select "Display 1" and activate the option "Use this device as primary monitor."

3. Select "Display 2" and check the option "Extend my Windows desktop onto this monitor." Close the control panel. Now you can calibrate and profile both displays.

4. Start i1Match and move the appearing main window onto the monitor which you want to profile.

5. Perform the profiling process and save the profile. It should automatically be set as default system profile for that monitor.

To check or assign your current monitor profiles:

1. Go to control panel "Display/Settings."

2. Select "Display 1 or 2" and click on "Advanced."

3. Select the "Color Management" tab. In the list below, your created monitor profile should be set as default profile.

When using dual monitors (master and slave) with Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop will correct images for the display designated as the master, even when images are viewed on the slave monitor. For this reason, some projection monitors, even after calibration and profiling, do not display accurate Adobe Photoshop images. (To display accurately on a projection monitor, designate the projector as the master.)

Thank you for using askPantone.com.

Hardware calibrators come with utilities that allow different profiles to be loaded for each monitor (at least Gretag calibrators do).

Thanks Cassidy, Chillin and Doug.


This is the interesting part: When using dual monitors (master and slave) with Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop will correct images for the display designated as the master, even when images are viewed on the slave monitor. For this reason, some projection monitors, even after calibration and profiling, do not display accurate Adobe Photoshop images. (To display accurately on a projection monitor, designate the projector as the master.)


Thanks for that info Chillin. It helps a lot.

Do you think Gretag are better then Doug?

Syd

I can't say "better", since I've never used another, and the Spyders have an excellent reputation. But at the time of my purchase only the i1 line supported dual monitors (I've heard that the Spyder was going to add dual support, but can't confirm that it has). But the Gretag is an excellent unit, with a large professional following.

Digging up an old thread here, but I just recently learned how to do this.
I have a Huey, but the procedure should be the same for the other brands.

The monitors have to be calibrated one at a time, so pick one to start with.
Shutdown, unplug the other monitor, then restart.

Run through your calibration process.

Find the newly created icc file in C:\windows\system32\spool\drivers\color and rename it to something easily identifiable, such as monitor-left.icc...

Repeat the above steps for the other monitor. This time your icc file could be renamed to monitor-right.icc.

Shutdown and restart with both monitors now.

Download & install Microsoft's Color Control Panel Applet here (http://lb1.www.ms.akadns.net/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=1E33DCA0-7721-43CA-9174-7F8D429FBB9E&displaylang=en).

In the color applet, assign the appropriate icc proflies to each of your monitors.

Create a shortcut to wincolor.exe in your startup folder. Give it an 'L' switch to load the profiles. "C:\Program Files\Pro Imaging Powertoys\Microsoft Color Control Panel Applet for Windows XP\WinColor.exe" /L.

I don't know at all, have two monitors, exactly same model, but two totally different colour temps despite calibration of both
Same with me. It's really frustrating... the left almost seems as if it has a different type of light in it, because my reds are just FUBAR.

at a previous job we would calibrate the monitor in such a way that it would change the settings on the video card, so unless you have another card for the second monitor they won't be exactly the same..i know you can use a LUT for the 2nd monitor but i'm not sure how accurate that is...

Same with me. It's really frustrating... the left almost seems as if it has a different type of light in it, because my reds are just FUBAR.

Same here too. My left monitor had a green tint to it.
After the above process, the colors on both are the same.

I tried doing it from my video card - no dice.

hmmm. 3 modest home built rigs here, 2 with dual monitors. This worked on both of these. Just cheapo video cards with 2 outputs...

Are your color applet entries similar to these?

You must have the video card set-up/computer capabilities to support both monitors being calibrated. If you don't know how to check, you probably don't have the capabilities. Google.

I've got the latest drivers, and catylist for my ATI Radeon 1950 Pro, which allows me to set the colors for each individually... however, they won't - I'm guessing you couldn't google that, even if you wanted to :p

I dug this old post up because what I posted above does work. The key is using MS's color control applet.

I dug this old post up because what I posted above does work. The key is using MS's color control applet.
Okey, I'll stop being a knuckle head and try that now. :D


...Undoubtably the worst experience relating to computers in my entire life. I've spent the last two hours trying to calibrate them both, and now atleast one is worse than it was before.

I'm at that point where I'm questioning if destroying is really a bad idea. Someone PLEASE suggest the best known calibration software!

Software? What do you use to calibrate your monitors now?
At what point did the process go bad?

At what point did the process go bad?
Shortly after I laid my gaunt fingers on the settings.