Expert: LizaL - 7/25/2005

Question
I hope it's not too much trouble to ask you one last question.  You've been so helpful I really don't know how to thank you.  My question is bigger better?  I'm used to using the Viewsonic G90FB (18" viewable) but I've been thinking about steping up to somethin more like 20" viewable.  Which do you recommend and why?

Very truly yours,
Brian Butki

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Followup To
Question -
First of all I want to thank you for the extensive feedback.  It was incredibly appreciated.  It was also funny that you mentioned you have a 23-inch Apple cinema display.  I've been rather aggressive at trying to get to the bottom of my LCD vs. CRT issue and a graphic designer just a second ago told me that unless I am willing to pay the big bucks for an Apple Cinema Display, I should switch back to the CRT's.  And I guess that's what my real question is.  I recently purchased a Dell 19” Ultra Sharp LCD Monitor that specs out well and is supposed to be sufficient for graphic designers but no matter how much I tweak it – my old trusty CRT always looks significantly better.  I have performed most of the calibration operations you mentioned on the LCD and it seems I always semi-fix one problem but then create another.  But with the CRT, it's great right from the beginning with very little tweaking necessary.  I guess my real question is LCD or CRT?  Are the Apple Cinemas the only flat panels suitable for graphic design?  Should I switch back to a CRT if I really can't afford the upgrade to n Apple Cinema?

Thanks again – your help has been invaluable!

Brian Butki


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Followup To
Question -
I actually have a question regarding monitors in relation to website design using PhotoShop.  Can you recommend some monitor specs or furnish some guidance?  I have found huge differences in the LCD Flat Panels.  The biggest problem I am having is being able to see pale colors like white smoke (F5F5F5).  No matter how much I tinker with the settings, these pale colors are almost invisible regardless of which Monitor I have used.  Any advice would be most appreciated.

Very kind regards,
Brian

Answer -
Hi Brian,

You're certainly not alone in trying to view accurate color on your monitor. And it really becomes a problem when trying to design for the Web. I find it frustrating that due to platform/OS/monitor differences, nothing I do will ever look the same in two different places. It's a real challenge, and the advancements toward unification are coming too slowly for me. So as I say, you're definitely not alone here.

Anyway -- a couple of things come to mind that I would suggest you try, and if you're able, please post back or email me and let me know what happened.

You say you've "tinkered with the settings," and I'm taking this to mean your monitor calibration. So we'll scratch that off the list -- providing you're using the best calibration set designed for your particular monitor. By "best," let's just assume you're using the one your manufacturer suggests; it might not always look like the "best," but it's a starting point.

Oh, something else about that -- I'm sure you've used your monitor's software calibration program to calibrate your monitor, but have you used the actual controls on the monitor itself? Sometimes both, when used in conjunction, produce the best color.

I have a 23-inch Apple cinema display I have no trouble with, but I also use a second monitor, and that's usually the one that gives me trouble. I had used a Sony 18-inch flat panel for the longest time, but the color seemed to be fading, and so I switched it for my trusty Samsung 17-inch flat panel. I've found that if I calibrate the Samsung using OS X's Display Calibrator Assistant, and then also tweak that setting with the actual controls on the hardware, I get the best color.


Moving on:
1. Color settings in Photoshop. If you go to the File pulldown menu, you'll see a submenu for Color Settings. This is definitely worth investigating, as this will give you some insight on how you can tweak Photoshop in terms of viewing your images.

The Color Settings dialog box is not for the faint of heart; it has a lot of technical information in it, but if you arrow over any of the choices, you'll get a description in the bottom box.

Also -- if you choose, for example, the Web graphics set of default options, you'll be embedding this type of profile into any documents you create in Photoshop, from then on. In other words, the graphics you create under these color settings will adhere to the specs you've outlined in the Color Settings box, and be optimized, visually, for use on the Web, as opposed to use in print.

Have you ever opened a Photoshop file and gotten a message about the document having a certain color profile? The reason this happened was because the file creator had set up a profile here in this area of Photoshop, and had checked, under the Profile Mismatches section, that the recipient of the file should be warned upon opening -- so that they could either accept or reject the color profile. (This isn't an option with the Web graphics set of options, understandably.)

Anyway, I would suggest setting your color preferences to Web graphics, and see if that makes any difference.

Here's what that dialog box looks like, with Web settings chosen:
http://little-works.com/all_experts/color_settings.png


2. ICC profiles
An ICC profile describes how a monitor reproduces color, and it does this by describing what's referred to as the monitor's "color space." Now when you calibrated your monitor, if you made new settings and saved them, you were creating an ICC profile. But if you want, you can always try another set that someone else has created. Of course, it's always recommended by the monitor's manufacturer that you use *their* profiles, but if you're really having trouble, there's nothing wrong with experimentation.

Here's a page from the Adobe site that describes ICC profiles, and towards the bottom is a list of places for obtaining software that will help you calibrate your monitor and revise its ICC profile:
http://www.adobe.com/support/techdocs/321382.html


3. Finally, here's a great page that has a BUNCH of links on it for color management  resources:
http://www.photoshopsupport.com/resources/color.html


So check this out, and see what you think -- if you continue to have problems, please post back and let me know and we'll try something else.

Hope this helps!

Lisa

Answer -
Hi again Brian,

Hey, that is a weird coincidence, about the Cinema Display conversation! Well, I'll tell you... it is indeed a very expensive piece of hardware, but I've never regretted the purchase. This monitor is amazing in terms of color, clarity and resolution and has never come even close to failing me, either in terms of hardware, or performance.

That said, everyone's circumstances are different. And I'm also an avid believer of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

In my case, before the Cinema Display, I had two CRTs (I'm really, really used to working with two monitors and doubt if I could handle using just one again). Well, those two monitors heated up my office something fierce! It was amazing how hot it would get in here, even with the A/C on. And aside from the heat problem, they took up a lot of space. My larger monitor was a 21" ViewSonic, and the other one was a 19" CTX I'd picked up at a trade show. But the ViewSonic was going down the tubes fast, and the CTX wasn't far behind. Unlike yours, my  monitors just weren't reliable, and were beginning a slow decline.

So when I made the decision to get the Cinema Display, it was out of need. I do a lot of Web work, and also photo retouching -- and you just can't have a poor-quality monitor for those kinds of things.

However -- like I say, if it ain't broke...

If your CRT gives you good performance, and if the color is correct (which is the most important aspect, really), then I'd stick with it.

And NO, Cinema Displays are NOT the only good LCD out there, by far! I may be a long-time Mac user, but I'm not a Mac evangelist. I'm of the opinion that whatever works for the individual, and whatever causes the least amount of work/trouble for the individual, and whatever is most comfortable -- is what the individual should be using. A computer is just a box with an operating system, after all. All this blather about Mac vs. PC is just that, to me: blather. LOL!

I think your decision on the Dell LCD was a good one, and what you could do is just hang on to it, and work with it. Make your CRT your primary monitor, and if it gives you good performance, don't get rid of it until need dictates. But work with the Dell, and see if you can become acclimated to it, or vice-versa!

It's true, LCDs are easier on your eyes, and you'll find this to be true if you spend a lot of time at the computer. They really are virtually glare-free. And they take up less space, and are cooler than CRTs, temperature-wise. There are some definite advantages to using an LCD, I'll agree.

But I would never advise anyone to get a new LCD (and especially one with a big price tag) for no good reason.

Here's what I'd do if I were you:

1. As mentioned, hang on to the Dell LCD and work with it.

2. Have you tried printing out color samples, based on what you see on your LCD? If not, make up a color chart in Photoshop or a similar program -- using the LCD as your monitor -- then have a service bureau print this out. They could probably do it fairly cheap on a high-speed color copier; those things are really accurate these days. Then you can compare these printed colors to your monitor, and see how "off" it is. Use Web-correct colors only so you'll have something concrete to work with.

I guess this is sort of a physical calibration; at least it will show you where any discrepancies lie.


3. Have you looked at graphics you've done on another monitor? Do something in Photoshop using your LCD as your monitor, upload it, then go to a friend's house and look at it online with his/her monitor. You don't want to get in the habit of altering colors just to make them *look* right, even though they might not *be* right.

4. I have a friend who owns a very successful photography business, and she has a G5 in her studio -- with an NEC CRT monitor. However, her retoucher does use a hood on it, that keeps out ambient light.

You might want to check into something like this:
http://www.photodon.com/mgrh.htm

or

http://www.ergomart.com/monitor_hood_visor/monitor_hoodMVA.htm

A hood might make your CRT experience even better than it already is!


So bottom line, if your CRT does a better job than your LCD, keep it, and use it! But I'd hang on to the LCD. CRTs do wear out over time, generally faster than LCDs.

As for good LCDs other than Apple's, I think that Dell you got is probably pretty good. I've always liked Sony products in general, but I think the Sony monitor I have is so-so; this Samsung I'm using is good, too. I'd say any of those three manufacturers would be fine to check into.

But use the CRT, if it's what gives you the best results.

Hope this helps, too! And glad I could help you before.

Lisa


Answer
Hi Brian,

If you've been comfortable with the 18" viewable ViewSonic, go with it. When it comes to monitors, the physical size doesn't always matter -- it's the resolution that counts.

One thing that might help you figure out which monitor to get is to consider the work you're doing. If you're doing a lot of page layout, size might a consideration. You might find you want a larger screen so you can view, for instance, a two-page spread very comfortably, and not so zoomed out you can't read the type.

But if you're doing things like portrait retouching, a larger size screen might not be that important -- probably because you'd be zooming in and out a lot.

One thing you should be aware of and check before you buy is pixel density. The higher the pixels per inch (ppi) of an LCD (or CRT), the higher the resolution that can be displayed on the screen. So you want to look for a monitor that has a high density -- thus, more pixels can be displayed, and the resolution will be beter.

Also take into consideration the footprint of the monitor -- that is, how much room it will take up on your desk! Make sure you have adequate space, especially for a CRT, since those do tend to put off more heat, and you want it to be well-ventilated.

Hope this helps!

Lisa