Color correcting the DA Lab

This article explains how to color correct monitors and printers using the eye one color correcting software.

Monitors

Start

Plug in the Eye-One, Open the Eye-One Match software, and click on the monitor icon. At the bottom of the window select the Advanced mode and click the forward arrow button.

Monitor Select

Select the monitor type and click the forward arrow button.

Settings

Select the appropriate White point, Gamma, and Luminance. If it is a Macintosh computer, The white point should be Warm White (5000), the Gamma should be 1.8 and the Luminance should be 140.

Calibrate

Calibrate the Eye-One by placing the Eye-One on the white tile plate and clicking the Calibrate button or pressing the button on the side of the Eye-One.

Attach

Attach the Eye-One to the monitor strap attachment and then drape the weight over the back of the monitor so that the sensor of the Eye-One is a close to the center of the screen as possible. Make sure that the Eye-One is lying flat on the monitor then click the forward arrow button.

Contrast

Click the Start button to start the contrast calibration.

Your screen will turn black and boxes will start flashing on the screen. Once they stop, a meter will appear in the upper right-hand corner of the screen. Use the monitor control to adjust the contrast so that the black marker is in the center of the meter. After it is balanced, click Close then click the forward arrow button.

White Point

Click the Start button to begin the White Point calibration.

The screen will flash like it did for the contrast calibration then in the upper right-hand corner of the screen three meters for R G and B will appear. Use the monitor controls to make all three black markers centered on the RGB meters. It is easiest to first center the "B" meter then the "G" meter and finally the "R" meter. When one meter is adjusted this will effect the position of the other meters so you will have to experiment with all three meters to make them centered. After the RGB is balanced, click the Close button then click the forward arrow button to continue to the next step.

Luminance

Click the Start button to begin the luminance calibration.

Once again, the screen will flash. Once it completes you will have to use the monitor brightness controls to center the black marker on the luminance meter. After the luminance is balanced, click the Close button the click the forward arrow button to continue to the next step.

Measure

After clicking the forward button, Eye-One match will do one last measurement to create an icc profile for the monitor. Let this complete. This step does not require you to manually change anything.

Build Profile

Uncheck the reminder checkbox and click the forward arrow button to save the profile as the default name and to finish the calibration.

Finishing

Navigate to System preferences and click on "Accounts". Click the "Login Items" tab and highlight the profile reminder item from the list. Click the minus button to remove the profile reminder from the list of login items.

Other Notes

It typically takes about 10 minutes to color correct each monitor. Allow enough time for a total of 19 monitors.

Printers

Start

Plug in the Eye-One, Open the Eye-One Match software, and click on the printer icon. Click the forward arrow button to continue to the next step.

Printer Select

Select the printer you wish to calibrate (DA_Lab_Color), and select the i1 CMYK 1.1.txt chart. Print the chart by clicking the Print chart button. Click the forward arrow button to continue to the next step.

Printer type

Since the DA Lab Printer is a laserjet printer, select the laser icon for the separation type. Click the forward arrow button to continue to the next step.

Calibrate

Calibrate the Eye-One by placing the Eye-One on the white tile plate and clicking the Calibrate button or pressing the button on the side of the Eye-One. Click the forward arrow button to continue to the next step.

Measure Chart

Make sure the mode is set to Strip Mode. Use the measurement ruler and the Eye-One to scan each line of the chart you printed in step #2 from left to right starting with line 1 and ending with line 17. To scan a line, press the button on the Eye-One, wait for the beep, scan the line, release the button, wait for the beep again, and move to the next line. Once you have scanned all 17 lines click the forward arrow button to continue to the next step.

Build Profile

After clicking the forward button, Eye-One match will do one last measurement to build an icc profile for the printer. Let this complete. This step does not require you to manually change anything.

Save Profile and Finish

Check the Save and set as standard printer profile check box then click the forward arrow button to save profile as the default name and finish the printer color correction.

Scanners

Start

Plug in the Eye-One, Open the Eye-One Match software, and click on the scanner icon. Click the forward arrow button to continue to the next step.

Proofing Mode

Select the proofing mode. On a typical flat bed scanner select Reflective scan Click the forward arrow button to continue to the next step.

Reference File

For the most accurate color calibration possible choose to Measure the reference chart. Click the forward arrow button to continue to the next step.

Calibrate

Calibrate the Eye-One by placing the Eye-One on the white tile plate and clicking the Calibrate button or pressing the button on the side of the Eye-One. Click the forward arrow button to continue to the next step.

Measure Chart

Make sure the mode is set to Strip Mode. Use the measurement ruler and the Eye-One to scan each line of the reference chart that came with the Eye-One device, from left to right starting with line 1 and ending with line 16. To scan a line, press the button on the Eye-One, wait for the beep, scan the line, release the button, wait for the beep again, and move to the next line. Once you have scanned all 17 lines click the forward arrow button to continue to the next step.

Save Measurement File

To save the measurement data click the Save the data button. Next name the data as Scanner_Date. Click the forward arrow to continue.

Scan in the Reference Chart

Temporarily leave the Eye-One software without quitting the application. Open the software that came with the scanner (Epson Scan) to scan in the reference chart.

Epson Scan: Settings

Open the scanner and lay the reference chart on the bed of the scanner and then close the lid. Choose Professional Mode from the popup menu at the top of the Epson Scan window. Select a resolution of 300 DPI. Click Preview.

Epson Scan: Scan

If the preview scan worked, a sample of the image can be seen in the preview window on the right of the Epson Scan software. Click Scan.

Epson Scan: Save

After clicking Scan in the previous step, a dialog box will appear. Make sure the prefix is set the days date (i.e. 101009 for October 10, 2009. Set the type to set to Tiff. Click OK.

Epson Scan: Save to Eye-One

To make this scan easier to reference later save it in the Eye-One Scan Tiffs directory. It can be found at: Macintosh HD/Applications/Eye-One/Scan Tiffs.

Load Scanned Chart

Go back to the Eye-One software and select Load Chart. Locate the chart that was scanned in during step 11.

Crop Scanned Chart

Use the rotate tools in the Eye-One software to rotate the scanned chart so it is readable on screen. Then use crop tools to outline the chart. Get as close as possible to the edges of the chart.

Compare Charts

If the two charts look similar click the forward arrow button to continue to the next step.

Save Profile and Finish

Type the name of the scanner profile as Scanner_Date and click Save As to save it in the predefined location.