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Calibrating my Macbook Pro with Spyder 3 Express
Most of you who read this blog have some sort of fancy camera (i.e. a DSLR) and most of you have some sort of fancy editing program (i.e. PSE, PS or LR) but I cannot safely say that most of you have a monitor calibration system. So, I am going to briefly talk about what the heck that is and why you might need to do it (oh, and I’m giving one away).
What does it mean to calibrate your monitor and why should you do it?
Calibrating your monitor helps you see the colors you think you are seeing, so that the pictures you print have the color you meant them to have.
Simply put, the calibration system measures the colors on your monitor (in the right lighting conditions) and adjusts them to be truer colors if they are off. If you have ever edited a picture, loved everything about it, then printed it and got a big surprise because the picture did not have the colors you were seeing on your monitor, that was most likely because your monitor needed calibrating.
How do you calibrate a monitor? You buy a monitor calibration system. There are many available, some more elaborate and expensive than others. My suggestion to you is access your needs then find the calibration system that will meet those needs. My needs were simple, so I bought a simple system.
What do I use for calibrating my monitor? Spyder 3 Express. It is affordable, easy to use and effective. I bought it 1.5 years ago and I have been extremely pleased with it. I have a video showing how to use the Spyder 3 Express at the bottom of this post, for those interested.
Here are some tidbits about my Spyder that may be helpful to know:
- I can calibrate two separate computer monitors with it
- It notifies me when the calibration has “worn off” and to recalibrate
- I get notified when there are free software updates
- It is small and easy to tote with me if I need to calibrate while away
Things to remember about calibrating:
- Do not calibrate your monitor “cold;” allow it to warm up for 30 min before running the software
- Do not calibrate in the dark
- Do not calibrate with light directly hitting your monitor (like don’t have sunlight shining directly on the monitor)
- Do not calibrate then print at a discount lab (i.e. Walmart, Costco, CVS, etc.) and expect to see the same colors as your monitor – the problem there is the LAB.
To better explain what a calibration system does, here is the product description of Spyder3 Express (per the product page at Amazon):
The Spyder 3 Express adjusts the color on your monitor so your photos appear more accurately. Easy-to-use right out of the box, this award winning proven technology helps you calibrate your display – just like professionals. There’s a reason your on-screen colors aren’t always true. Chances are, your monitor color is the problem, not your camera or your printer. The Spyder 3 Express is a simple monitor color correction tool that automatically adjusts the color of your monitor so what you’re seeing is more true. It is designed for Photo Enthusiasts, Advanced Amateurs, Passionate Photographers and DSLR users of all kinds.
GIVEAWAY IS OVER
Comment #20, made by Beth, was the winning number chosen via Random.org. Thank you to all who entered!
I am giving away one brand new Spyder 3 Express calibration system.
To enter the giveaway simply tell me your favorite book (or top 3 for book lovers out there).
- One entry per person
- Comment must be left on this blog post, not on Facebook
- Giveaway ends Thursday, November 10 at 11:00 PM EST
- Winner will be chosen via Random.org
- Winner will be notified by me via email and has one week to respond, after which another winner will be chosen
GIVEAWAY IS OVER
Note: This is not a sponsored post. I will be buying the Spyder3Express for the winner, not DataColor. All links to Amazon are affiliate links which means I earn 3% of sales made through the link, which help me cover the cost of items I giveaway here.
About Amanda
My favorite books right now are written by Kristin Heitzman (sp?), especially “Freefall”.
My favorite book is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
Such an awesome idea! And you are correct, I’ve never calibrated my monitors!! 🙁
My Favorite book is Into This Air by John Krakauer.
Ok. Love love love to read.
Top choice would be anything written by Sarah Dessen.
Second choice. Anything written by Francine Rivers.
Three. The Harry Potter Series or Twilight series. (yes geeky I know).
Fave book – that is so hard to do!
My all time fave would probably be The Secret Garden.
My fave I’ve read in the last year would be The Zookeeper’s Wife.
Thanks for this very informative video. I have never calibrated my monitor and sometimes the colors are definitely off. I would love to win this great Spyder giveaway. Thanks for the opportunity.
Only one!!! Or three! How about my favorite book in the photography category: Understanding Exposure.
The Red Tent, Water for Elephants, and Watership Down.
My favorite books I’ve read so far is the Left Behind Series. I would also love to read the Chronicles of Narnia Book Series, but haven’t been able to get ahold of them yet!
Good Luck Everyone!
Brilliant Giveaway Amanda-would love to have this! My favorite book is called Savage Summer by Constance O’Banyon. It is one part of a four part series but that is my favorite 🙂
My favorite novel is A Time to Kill. I also loved The Indiana Torture Slaying which was a true story and a sad one I must say. Although most of my book collection now contains cookbooks.
I love the Harry Potter series!
Charlotte’s Web!
Favorite all time book: Jane Eyre. Second fave is Gone With the Wind. Currently reading: The Law of Attraction.
Thanks for the info and the giveaway!
My favorite book is Coming of Age in the Milky Way by astronomy-writer Timothy Ferris. I am such a nerd. Thank you for this great giveaway, Amanda!
My favorite book(s) would have to be ‘a tale of two cities’ by Charles Dickens. ‘Jane Eyre’ and ‘Game of Thrones’ by George R.R. Martin
I have really been enjoying books by Augusten Burroughs. He has a weird sense of humor but I find him very funny.
OH this question is way too hard. My Antonia ranks high as well as These Is My Words. I also love the Lord of the Rings Trilogy.
Talk Before Sleep by Elizabeth Berg is my favorite novel. It is a great story about friendship. Thanks for offering such a great giveaway.
My all time favorite book is “Roots” by Alex Haley. I read it so many times in high school (and it’s not a short book at all) that I have it memorized.
Well today it must be Photoshop Elements for Mac – The missing manual by Barbara Brundage. LOL
thanks!!
Difficult question. As a book lover, I have to list 3: The Eye of The World, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Stand. Lovely giveaway, thank you!
I love The Help!
My favorite books are probably the Narnia series. So rich with allegory for my walk with Him.
My favorite book goes back to my childhood reading. It is “A Girl of the Limberlost” by Gene Stratton-Porter. It’s about a girl who collects moths & butterflies to pay for her education. Loved it when I was a little girl and still love it today!
Right now I am LOVING the Flavia de Luce series by Alan Bradley. I am DYING for the fourth one to come out.
Charlotte’s Web has to be my all-time favorite, since early childhood.
My favorite books are Israel My Beloved by Kay Arthur and the Skippyjon Jones series by Judy Schachner
My some of my favorite authors are John Grisham , Gary Paulsen, Kimberly Willis Holt and Jerry Spinelli.
This is fantastic! I haven’t read a book in awhile other then photography books so I’ll say Understanding Exposure.
Thanks for a very useful giveaway!! My most favorite book is probably Pride and Prejudice, followed by Anne of Green Gables and Wives and Daughters.
Three of my favorite books (at this moment) are : Devil in The White City, The Art of Racing in the Rain and What It Is Like to Go to War.
I would say my favorite book right note is Discovery of witches by Deborah Harkens. I think that’s right. 🙂 Just waiting on the second one to come out.
My favorite book is a short read but touches close to home, The Fireman’s Wife, by Susan Farren. And of course I have not calibrated my monitor but was planning on making this purchase this week, I will hang on another couple days, thank you!
I love anything by Jodi Picoult. Think my three favs would have to be Mercy, The Pact and Nineteen Minutes.
I would love to win this. I just put Spyder 3 Express on my Christmas List. Sure would be nice to win it instead!!!
Thanks,
Natasha Nicholson
My favorite book this year is The Help!
My favorite book is pride and prejudice 🙂
My favorite book is Jane Eyre!
My 1st favorite book is the Bible- It has so much to learn in there.
My 2nd favorite book is Redeeming Love- It is so stinking awesome I don’t think I’ll ever be able to read it without crying.
Gosh! To pick just one would be impossible! I ready so many books! Narrowing it down to three , I would have to chose The Help, The Pillars of the Earth, and The Catcher in the Rye.
You expect me to narrow my list of favorites to THREE???? Where do I even begin? I love Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights by the Bronte Sisters, Gone with the Wind, To Kill a Mockingbird, A Separate Peace, Night by Elie Wiezel, the books in the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer, the books in the House of Night series by P.C. and Kristin Caste, the Temperance Brenan books by Kathy Riechs (the “model” for the Bones series), all the Harry Potter books, anything by Victoria Holt, . . . . Just about anything I read is my “favorite” at the time. And I am waiting for the sequel to A Discovery of Witches as well.
There is no way I could choose a favorite book since I adore so so many books! I could say an author I’d drop everything for n run out to get their latest is Nora Roberts :0)
I don’t think I could pick a favorite of all time, but my recent favorite is The Help. Loved the movie too.
My favorite book is anything by Nicholas Sparks!
My favorite book is The French Gardner by Santa Monteforie; second favorite Colony by Ann Rivers Sidon
As a child the Secret Garden is tops in my teenage years it was Gone with the wind and now the winner is Atlas Shrugged.
My favorite book is Pride & Prejudice!
Tough question–But a GREAT giveaway 🙂 I would have to say one of my favorite books is Of Mice and Men. Very powerful read 🙂 Cat’s Eye by Margaret Atwood is very good too 🙂
Ooohhhh, this is a tough question! I’m an historical fiction junkie, and I also love a good love story. I don’t know that I can narrow my favorites down to three, but here are three that have really stuck wih me: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver; The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger; and the Clan of the Cave Bear series by Jane Auel. Thanks for the giveaway! 🙂