Spyder

the SPYDER3EXPRESS

Guest post by Ara Roselani

I work on three different monitors when editing photosone at home and two in my office. Before I found a calibration system, it was incredibly frustrating when my photo looked good on one screen, light on the second, and dark and yellow on the third. If I printed the photo, it looked different than any of the monitors had reported.

To avoid these four possible outcomes, I tried the Spyder3 Express. It is easy to installpop in the CD, attach the little plastic Spyder via USB and drape over the front of the monitor. I would recommend using a large rubber band or something similar to keep the Spyder touching the monitor while it calibrates to avoid your arm wearing out from holding it in place. The software cycles through different colors and tones, and in less than five minutes, it offers a new shade of white I had never previously experienced on any of my screens. When comparing to a print from WHCC, it is spot-onnot bad for an $89 tool. The post-calibration screen allows you to view the difference between your original look and the new version. On both my PC and Mac, the difference compared to factory defaults was startling.

The product recommends re-calibrating every two weeks or so. Its a small time investment, and well worth it. I can’t believe I used to live without all my monitors and prints showing the same results.
_______________