Screens for accurate color

[Maxie]

What screens show accurate colors?
In our graphics dept we have Dell screens that are ok but don’t give us accurate color rendition.
What we see on the screen doesn’t in any way match the Pantone color.
Is there a way to see accurate colors without spending a fortune on high end screens.
I know there is a program for color correcting the screen.
Maybe a I phone or I pad or some other phone shows accurate colors, I am looking for a cheap solution.

[Colin]

Its been a while since I have used one of these.  If someone knows of a better solution, shout it out

https://www.pantone.com/pantone-colormunki-display

https://www.pantone.com/pantone-i1display-pro-2

[T Shirt Farmer]

Maxie

It is a function of monitor calibration more than the monitor itself, Colin has pointed you the tool to calibrate in his prior post.

[blue moon]

Its been a while since I have used one of these.  If someone knows of a better solution, shout it out

https://www.pantone.com/pantone-colormunki-display

https://www.pantone.com/pantone-i1display-pro-2

we have both, I like the colormunki much better. Also, get an LCD monitor that uses IPS technology. The other stuff shifts colors with angle changes too much. The back lighting should be LED, fluorescents change color too much with time.

I've bought decent monitors in the $300 range. You might have to go to $500, but for what we do, anything more is probably overkill.

pierre

[Maxie]

Thanks for the replies.
Once you calibrate a screen does it stay accurate or do you have to recalibrate regularly?
Also are you calibrating only the screen or the system, computer and screen?
If you switch computers will the screen still be color calibrated?

[blue moon]

Thanks for the replies.
Once you calibrate a screen does it stay accurate or do you have to recalibrate regularly?
Also are you calibrating only the screen or the system, computer and screen?
If you switch computers will the screen still be color calibrated?

Its a system that marches your computer to the monitor. You should recalibrate monthly, but we do it quarterly.
Pierre
P.S. munki will calibrate your printer too!

[mimosatexas]

Just a quick noe, but even calibrated monitors will not match ink on a shirt. One is light, one is reflecting light. Inherently different. Not to mention, unless your client is also using a properly calibrated monitor what they see and what you see will be different. This is pretty much the whole reason the physical pantone books exist.

[Maxie]

I'm not too smart, I forgot to ask my brother who is a photographer.    He has a Xrite I1 Display that I am now using to correct my screens.

[ABuffington]

I will second that even with a color monitor, an ink matching system, and all the controls in the world, a QC person somewhere is saying it isn't the right color.  Don't get me wrong, great to calibrate your monitor, but the viewing circumstances, and the inks used often shift color perception.  Discharge is a great example.  Red discharge on a really humid rainy day in Socal will be brilliant PMS186, but the next day it could be offshore wind and dry and that red print will shift to a darker red due to the lack of humidity that will affect some discharge colors.  Subjective viewing comes down to us as well.  How I perceive color and how a QC worker with better color sense will often be different.

[Frog]

I will second that even with a color monitor, an ink matching system, and all the controls in the world, a QC person somewhere is saying it isn't the right color.  Don't get me wrong, great to calibrate your monitor, but the viewing circumstances, and the inks used often shift color perception.  Discharge is a great example.  Red discharge on a really humid rainy day in Socal will be brilliant PMS186, but the next day it could be offshore wind and dry and that red print will shift to a darker red due to the lack of humidity that will affect some discharge colors.  Subjective viewing comes down to us as well.  How I perceive color and how a QC worker with better color sense will often be different.

Almost need a disclaimer paraphrasing the signs about credit or complaints I've seen almost all of my life:
Helen Waite is our resident color expert. If you need an absolute dead-nuts match, please go directly to Helen Waite!

[ABuffington]

Before PMS matching systems, back in the day of ovals and all air carousels, we mixed by eye.  Luckily I had a great ink matcher until one day we got some pigment in and the label had fallen off.  He couldn't tell what color it was since he was color blind!!!  He mixed by greyscale and used the pigment labels and leadman's comments of, a little more red, not so much orange. But he always nailed it, to this day I have no idea how he could do it. For those who have done waterbase, it's no easy feat repeating the color, but that's what we printed mostly.  Jorge is still mixing ink and running presses at my friend's shop.  Miss my old crew.

[1964GN]

Its been a while since I have used one of these.  If someone knows of a better solution, shout it out

https://www.pantone.com/pantone-colormunki-display

https://www.pantone.com/pantone-i1display-pro-2

We really need to get one of these for the shop. I run two monitors and they are vastly different from each other.

I do a little art side work at home and work on a Mac that I have calibrated by eye. The lady I do work for keeps telling me that 326 C is Blue *sigh*