# photo editing on a laptop



## MACollum (Apr 23, 2007)

I use an old (7 years, LOL) monitor that is not calibrated. My prints always come back looking pretty close to the monitor where color is concerned so I haven't given much thought to calibrating my monitor. 

The color on my new laptop is off. I got to digging to see if I could calibrate it by eye and while I found the brightness control (the monitor's default is with the bright turned all the way up). I couldn't find a contrast control and did some reading up. I found out that some laptops don't have the necessary drivers to adjust contrast. Bummer.

I'm not against the idea of getting calibrating software and doing it right but with it missing controls how will it do its job? Can I even calibrate my laptop monitor? I don't want to bother calibrating my desktop monitor.


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## deadtoaster2 (Apr 23, 2007)

If I am not mistaken Photoshop comes with a program called adobe gamma or something along those lines. It sounds like your gamma just needs to be either raised or lowered depending on if your prints are coming out darker or lighter than your monitor.


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## MACollum (Apr 23, 2007)

I tried adobe Gamma, and I got closer after adjusting the color temperature and gamma but it's still off from my other monitor.

I guess at this point I have 2 options: either I don't edit on the laptop or just try to compensate for the color difference in my mind. Don't like either.


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## THORHAMMER (Apr 24, 2007)

whats the exact laptop model


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## darich (Apr 24, 2007)

it may be that you can't adjust the contrast on the monitor but you can adjust it on your video/graphics card.
If you have the latest drivers for your card there may be a function in there somewhere that will do the job.


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## Cuervo79 (Apr 24, 2007)

did you try to config the color in the video card options in the display properties > settings >advanced? most video cards have that option. That's where (at least I think) the spyder uses to calibrate my laptop monitor, since the only thing I can do is vary the backlight.


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## MACollum (Apr 24, 2007)

I have a Compaq Presario C500. I tried the display settings, and there's a shortcut key to adjust the brightness. It really seems, though, that the only thing that I haven't been able to adjust is the contrast. I've adjusted the gamma and color temperature but there's still a difference between the laptop screen and my regular monitor.

The info I got about lacking the drivers to adjust contrast came from the HP website. I don't know much about that sort of thing but I'll try downloading some drivers and see if that helps. Thanks!

i


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## MACollum (Apr 24, 2007)

THORHAMMER said:


> whats the exact laptop model


Compaq Presario C500.


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## AdamZx3 (Apr 24, 2007)

I use the Pantone Eye-One LT , I bought it from newegg.com for 140 bucks and it works wonders, the only thing i wish it had was an option to pick native white balance, but using the 6500k works great for lcd's (d50 is waaay to warm) It has a profile just for laptops that does its best to adjust the colors for you, while on my 23" lcd I can move the RGB values on the moniter up and down untill they and in equaliberium. when compared side by side they are pretty darn close and night and day differance from uncalibrated.

If you buy the LT and get the update on the net, it will let you use the provided cover as a light meter to measure the ambiant temp of the light and how dark the lights should be....very cool stuff.

I use this for graphic design (student) and when I make proofs on a calibrated proof printer (like an hp designjet) they are on, however the prints at walmart are a bit darker and the ones at kinko's are darker as well (even on my older uncalibrated crt)

go figure they have it for $20 bucks cheaper now lol
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882685002

P.S. dont even bother with the Adobe gamma app, I find its only usefull for taking away color casts, useless for proofs.


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## gmarquez (Apr 24, 2007)

From the video driver, you should be able to adjust things like gamma, curves, etc.

If you get color profiling hardware and software, it should be able to use the video drivers to "tweak" the settings to where the calibration hardware/software says it should be...or at least as close to it as possible.


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## Digital Matt (Apr 24, 2007)

Most LCD monitors have a fixed contrast ratio, and it cannot be changed via the controls on the monitor.  I'm sure this is true of your laptop LCD.  This doesn't matter however, because every calibration tool I've seen asks you to set the contrast to its highest setting right off the bat.  

In terms of calibration, LCDs are still a bit behind CRTs, unless you get into the big bucks, and I'm sure your laptop doesn't have a great one.  I personally would not do any serious color and contrast correction on it.


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## THORHAMMER (Apr 30, 2007)

thats tricky, I cant find any info on the web.. borrow a calibration tool from someone and adjust the options you can to make it match, 

also make sure your using the right monitor profile, sometimes its set on default and you need to set it to srgb etc... just a thought.. 

good luck !!


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## MACollum (May 2, 2007)

Digital Matt said:


> In terms of calibration, LCDs are still a bit behind CRTs, unless you get into the big bucks, and I'm sure your laptop doesn't have a great one. I personally would not do any serious color and contrast correction on it.


 
Thank you! That is what I really wanted to know. I can use the PC for all my editing (still getting used to this touch pad anyway) and use the laptop for uploading at the library. I haven't used my dialup ISP account at home for almost a week now.


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## Fiendish Astronaut (May 8, 2007)

Seems to me that the brightness on a laptop screen depends hugely on the angle it's at to your eyesight. I wouldn't have thought it's ever good for editing pictures as the image quality at top of a picture is never the same as at the bottom!


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## Garbz (May 8, 2007)

Fiendish Astronaut is right. There's no laptop screen that I have seen with a uniform brightness (gamma a better word?) from top to bottom. While processing my Aunts prints overseas I managed to completely screw up the first set of prints. Got them back and they were all washed out. When viewed on a real monitor I saw it was all my fault.

A laptop is an invaluable tool for field work when physically storing and quick cropping photos is necessary, but for the final prints I even dislike using desktop LCD panels. (at least you can plug monitors into laptops)


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## AdamZx3 (May 8, 2007)

Apple is releasing new lcd backlit displays that promise a wider color gamut, more uniform brightness, longer battery life, and they are more eviromently friendly

http://www.macrumors.com/2007/05/08/led-macbook-pro-update-in-june/

http://www.audioholics.com/educatio...es-guide-lcd-plasma-dlp-lcos-d-ila-crt-page-8


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## MACollum (May 9, 2007)

Garbz said:


> A laptop is an invaluable tool for field work when physically storing and quick cropping photos is necessary, but for the final prints I even dislike using desktop LCD panels. (at least you can plug monitors into laptops)


 
I got the laptop for storing pictures when I'm away from home and emptying my cards. In the summer we spend a lot of time at the in-laws' lake house. Not to mention vacations. A few summers ago we spent a month with my husband on his truck and we had to make several stops at Walmarts to empty my cards and get the pictures on CD.

I'll have to save the editing for my desktop, I suppose, since I can't even get the laptop screen anywhere near my desktop monitor, where color is concerned.


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