Laptops for editing

RCNPhotos

While you guys are talking about Mac books, I was hoping you could shed some light on something for me. hen using a laptop for photos how....finniky....is it with regards to the screen? What I mean is, how can you be sure about say how a pic will look when it's printed since the screen changes depending on the angle and the light it's under etc. Know what I mean?

elven

Thought this would get lost in the 'Bee's Knees' thread RCN, hope you don't mind the split...?

As for the whole editing on a laptop thing, you can calibrate them with a thingamabob sticky on screeny whojemawhotsit (spyder, pantone huey, etc) but you still have to contend with the issues of screen angle and how it affects the lightness or darkness that you see. But If you were to calibrate it to yourown printer results (even if your printer is photobox), consistency would be within your grasp.

I really should plug in the external monitor when i'm photoshopping but I haven't learned how to balance it on my lap whilst sitting on the sofa...

RCNPhotos

Oh yeah I know about Spyder and whatnot but yeah, the screen angle thing is what worries me, consistancy.

rymus

as her elvishness says, you can calibrate your screeneola. I've my macbook pro calibrated with a basic spyder which is so close to the prints I get from photobox, I see no reason to calibrate further.

Also, the screen has a matte surface so unlike most laptops, it's not like a mirror that reflects absolutely everything behind it so colours tend to stay truer and more predictable in varied environments.

rymus

elven wrote: »

I really should plug in the external monitor when i'm photoshopping but I haven't learned how to balance it on my lap whilst sitting on the sofa...

Get one of those floor standing variable height stands that your monitor will mount onto. Problem solved.

Jagera

I use a laptop for editing, and I'm resigned to the fact that ther's going to be a difference in what I print. However I don't do any commercial stuff, so it's not important to me, most of the time.

If it's important that you get what you see, then you can easily output your laptop to a monitor or your LCD telly or whatever to really get a better idea.

I find it's the choice of printing lab that I need to make allowances for, rather than the monitor. I use 3 different companies for different types of shots (black & white, portrait or vibrant being my categories) as they all vary depending on the in-house printer.

I'm yet to find ANY good printer for black & white. I've never got that true B&W like I used to get from a thing called 'film'. The ones thing I miss is PERFECT black & white from a roll of Ilford..

rymus

same problem recently.. I print all my own stuff at photobox but all the paid work I'm doing goes to a different lab up the country. I've pondered on either setting my monitor to their lab and living with dodgy prints from photobox or buy a second monitor and calibrate it to the paid work printer. PITA!

stcstc

laptop screens are not really up to quality editing

they dont have enough gamut, and generally are waaaaaay to bright


better off plugging in an external monitor if you want to do serious editing

Borderfox

I use a Sony laptop for editing and calibrate it with a spyder 2 and everything is within limits for me.

mathias

Most screens can be calibrated , even cheapo TN panels , so in a lot of cases , once calibrated , everything should be fine ,

A different program entirely is used to calibrate printers though , ( one comes with the pro or semi pro version of the Spyder , ) you should never calibrate a screen to a printer , rather you calibrate the screen and then calibrate your printer to the screen.

Macs , overpriced that they are , generally have the best ( S-IPS ) type of screen , so for photo editing , especially if its part of your income , Macs are the machines to have.

I got myself a 23 inch apple display for photo editing , and its brilliant , pricey though , I even calibrated it with a spyder , but there was nearly no difference before and after , it was that good out of the box.

Borderfox

Thats what I noticed with the Sony screen, very little difference before and after.

stcstc

but most laptops only have 6bit/channel tn panels in them

thats what i was getting at

and although its calibrated with something like a spyder, setting the brightness correctly is the issue, the spyder software doesnt do a very good job, it uses your eyes to check it rather than measure it and there generally your prints will look a lot darker than your image on screen

Dakar32

Hi, I have that brightness problem alright. I have a Dell laptop with one of those Ultrasharp screens (seemed a good idea at the time). I had a problem with my photos coming out very dark from Photobox so I am just after getting a spyder. It did help a bit but the images on screen still look brighter than the ones I got back from Photobox. I have a whole 7 steps of brightness adjustment, I've tried all of them with no luck matching prints and screen up. Any tips on what I could try next? Or am I on a lost cause with a laptop screen?

Dave

rymus

get a calibration print from photobox.. thats what I did

stcstc

I think you are on a lost cause, because you dont have the sort of control needed to setup the screen correctly

what i would suggest is getting a monitor to hang off the laptop, where you will have the control

Dakar32

Yea got the calibration print can't quite get it to match up, might try adjusting the video card settings but that just looked messy.
I think I might have to go with the trying an external monitor idea or sneckernet to Boots till I get it right.

Thanks
Dave

elven

rymus wrote: »

same problem recently.. I print all my own stuff at photobox but all the paid work I'm doing goes to a different lab up the country. I've pondered on either setting my monitor to their lab and living with dodgy prints from photobox or buy a second monitor and calibrate it to the paid work printer. PITA!

I thought you could have more than one calibration setting on a monitor though?

Must look into adjustable height monitor stand thingies too...

rymus

You can.. I can setup a thousand profiles if I want to.. I just don't know what to set it at for the other printer yet

stcstc

be very careful using lots of profiles. you shouldnt be using more than one.


in theory you should actually only need one, as calibration is for making your monitor display colours to a set standard, ie the icc colour standard.


also switching between profiles wont generally work as you will need to adjust the contrast and brightness settings of your monitor. this has to be done under measurement to be accurate

Fenster

I use a Macbook Pro calibrated with a Spyder (30 dollars on Ebay, glee!), and I never have problems although I admittedly rarely print.

I mostly calibrate for the sake of consistency in presentation on screen.