Hi Folks,
I hope this post isn't too off topic. I'd be grateful for any insight into the following problem. For the last year I've regularly calibrated my Dell Trinitron CRT monitor with a Colorvision Spyder and with good results. However, for some reason since using the Spyder device and associated software, I've noticed that the mouse pointer is very blue. In addition, video files played in Windows Media player etc have a noticeable blue cast. My photographic question (in case I go too off topic!) is this: is the profile created by a Spyder only of use to 'profile aware' software or should it affect everything displayed on the monitor (for example the mouse pointer icon).
Any help or insight would be appreciated
Regards
Stephen

I've been using Colorvision's Colorplus spyder for just under a week now and I have to say it't not quite what I expected. After calibration, my monitor has a slightly red (warm) cast. I assume my monitor is correctly calibrated, but I can't say I prefer it to the way it looked when I was using Adobe Gamma (nobody laugh). If I had a printer then I could use the spyder more conclusively, matching prints to what I see on my monitor, but for now I have to say I don't like the way my monitor looks after calibration with the Colorvision spyder.

Also, like Stephen, any part of my mouse cursor that would normally be white has a pale clue cast - very odd I think.

In any case, I guess we both might have the same underlying question, which is, why are we noticing these particular color cast (red for me, blue for Stephen), and what's up with the mouse pointer?

Thanks!
Jamie

Make sure that Adobe Gamma is not loading. Look at a test target with known values and profile space in PS and be sure you are seeing what you should see.

Les

Adobe Gamma is definitely not loading.

I don't know how much subjectivity should be in play when it comes to monitor calibration - is what I think of as "correct" really just what I personally prefer and so think is correct? Not to get all philosophical or anything...

Jamie

it's a guess, but did you calibrate the screen at 5500 or 5000K.

If so make sure there is not a strong light source directed at the screen (daylight or lamp) during the calibration process influencing the result.

Look here http://www.normankoren.com/makingfineprints1A.html

Bob

Actually, I'm having a similar problem.

After purchasing and playing with the new Spyder 2, my monitor is MUCH warmer than looks accurate to me. On top of that, my mouse is pink now.

My color temp is 6500 and I've draped a black cloth over the crt when calibrating. I think my problem may be connected to this: my old hp monitor comes with very few settings, but it does have an unuseful set of icons that can be selected to make the display ideal for different apps. There is an icon of a person, a joystick, a camera, and a piece of paper. Selecting these appears to change the color temp, brightness, etc. Calibrating my monitor on these different settings results in slightly different results. I don't know if or how I can get rid of whatever influence these settings have. There is no 'off' setting. Is it possible my color temp is being thrown off by these icon settings?

Regardless of the settings, my mouse is still pink and everything is very warm. Example: Mr. R's latest addition to his Antarctica page, Blue Ice and Clouds, has a distinctive pink cast. I'm going by the name here, and it doesn't look BAD, but I don't think it should appear pink.

Maybe it's time to buy a new monitor.

UPDATE:

I just downloaded a couple of different color charts available online. And while these may or may not be reliable for critical work, I used enough of them to come to one conclusion: my mouse pointer is pink but whites are white and greys appear to be grey.

Everything else does look too warm. However, I think in a week or so after I have gotten used to the new calibration, it may not seem so. By then it will be time to do it again.

Non-aligned R/G/B tonal reproduction curves of a monitor (even and in particular after calibration) are visible in non-icc-aware applications. Photoshop compensates for this via the monitor profile.

Typical reason: Too much calibration-work for the video card to get your monitor in the desired state regarding whitepoint (‘color temperature’) and gamma.

Do you pre-calibrate the whitepoint via the front-panel controls / single RGB-guns of the monitor? If this is not possible for any reason, it might be better set the target whitepoint to ‘Native’.

Further, if you want D65 white (like I do), select D65 – not 6500°K. Sounds strange, but there was bug regarding CIExy definitions … could be still around; I’m not sure.

Peter

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