Are LCD monitors greatly better than CRT monitors that have been discontinued?

These are the two questions to ask in order to understand what you need for graphic computing.

LCD Monitors offer very sharp images from corner to corner. The wavelength of a CRT is smooth, whereas a LCD has spikes. However, when calibrated a LCD can offer an excellent image, crisp and detailed with accurate color.

Unlike gaming monitors that need high contrast and super fast settings, graphic computers need to have a lower contrast that can produce a smooth shadow to highlight range when calibrated. While most gaming computers have low 160 narrow angle of view, There are a new breed of monitors that offer a 176 to 178 view angle. This assures that the image will not appear to change values as you move off angle from the monitor.

With a proper LCD monitor one that can control white point, kelvin temperature, and black point, you should be able to create a profile that is ideal for your printing work. There are choices in Kelvin temperature and while a number of companies use Daylight 6500, the use of 5000 has been excepted from the beginning of pre-press and is closer to gallery lighting. It is important to match your viewing conditions to your monitor calibration. Using our reference image, this solution will save you from many hours of reprinting. All this combined with a great monitor offers you the solution you need. Call us for suggestions.

Let us understand the idea of "what you see, is what you get."

Different lighting systems have different wave forms. The smoothest is Daylight and tungsten. While both wavelengths' cover the spectrum differently, they both offer smooth transitions. Fluorescent lighting and LCD monitors do not. They have spikes and peaks. There are several different Fluorescent tubes. You want to use a tube with a CRI rating as close to 100 as possible. You can find some good daylight and 5000 Kelvin tubes that are decent for the money. The accuracy of these tube are slightly off and can cause you to mismatch your monitor calibration settings if you do not read the viewing lighting and calibrate to that value.

This will bring the monitor's viewing color spectrum to a very close proximity to your viewing conditions.

If you are confused between the image profile and monitor profile, I will explain how they interact.

A RGB image must have a RGB profile attached to it in order to describe its color appearance. There are several profiles to choose from. The most popular are Adobe1998 and SRGB.

When you have calibrated the monitor to your lighting conditions, you will be able to see what the image with its tagged RGB profile will look like when printed. What You See Is What You Get. If you change RGB image profiles you still will be able to see how they will appear when printed under your viewing lights. However, your monitor calibration will only not reveal how the image will look under other lighting conditions unless you create specific profiles for those conditions. This is where LaCie color management control is so valuable. You can create a number of monitor profiles for different lighting conditions and toggle between them to choose the appropriate one. See Color Management to understand the output profile effect on your printing.

There is another major point to understand.

When you are viewing an image off a monitor, you are looking at a transmitted image that emulates a transparency with brilliance and vibrancy. When you are looking at a reflective image, that dynamic effect diminishes greatly. This is where careful monitor settings is necessary. You need to calibrate the monitor to give you a contrast range that emulates more closely the reflected image. High contrast monitors will mislead you.

So now that I have a Monitor that is calibrated to my viewing conditions does that mean I will get perfect printing results?

No!!!

This is the first step. You must also calibrate your printer through your print driver or Rip. There are different view between using a sophisticated Rip or the printer driver. See Rip and Color Management for more detailed information. Because each printing media, each printer, and each ink differs, it is important to bring them to the most accurate point. This is accomplished by making a profile which balances the combination together and tells the printer how to print the image that you see on your screen.

Now assuming all these steps are performed correctly, what you see should very closely match what is on your monitor.

When you buy these associated products from us and you need help, you have us to for help and support. Remember, we use what we sell.