color-matching 2 monitors

I've read many times that you can't get 2 monitors to match (color, brightness, etc) so I was wondering what's the usual work-around? Do you calibrate one, then eye-ball the other until they're close?

I just got an Asus PB238Q to go with my ViewSonic VP2365wb, and I'm still in the fooling-around-with-it stage. When I calibrate them both, the difference is atrocious, but I can manually adjust the VS until it's very close to the calibrated Asus. I'm tempted to stick with that, but I know I won't ; there's still too much fooling around to do before settling on a setting.

I believe if you try to manually change the color of two monitors, you'll never be satisfied! Based on your perception at the time, they may start to look close. Then with other light conditions and times, you'll start seeing deferences. IMO, it's totally worth it to invest in a calibration system. It consists of a sensor that might monitor ambient light, but will go flush with the surface of your monitor and configure it to be consistent. The overall color temp will be the same across all monitors.

Don't use them both for editing. Edit on the one that calibrates best, and use the other one for panels, email, etc.

Why can't you achieve this, at least within the limitations of the two display devices? This is what color management is all about. Using the proper hardware and software makes this possible. That said, trying to make an incapable display match a very capable display is probably unrealistic unless you calibrate and profile to the lowest common denominator.

kirk

I have two monitors - one (NEC Multisync LCD30WQXI1) has spec of 97.5% Adobe RGB, and the other (Dell UltraSharp UP2716D) claims 100% AdobeRGB.

I can't see the difference between them, even with an image spanning both.

I use two monitors. I have for years. I think it helps if they are the same brand and model. Mine are and I can't see or tell if there is a difference in them.

Well, I'm very surprised and pleased that you guys are able to get your monitors to match; I've just read so many times that it's impossible.

And I found out why mine looked so different when I calibrated the new Asus: I've always calibrated the Viewsonic to 5000k and I realized I accidentally calibrated the Asus to 6500. (But then when I tried to calibrate the Asus to 5000 I ran into a problem. But that needs a new thread of its own.)

Thanks for the replies.

ncjohn wrote in post #18452410
Well, I'm very surprised and pleased that you guys are able to get your monitors to match; I've just read so many times that it's impossible.

And I found out why mine looked so different when I calibrated the new Asus: I've always calibrated the Viewsonic to 5000k and I realized I accidentally calibrated the Asus to 6500. (But then when I tried to calibrate the Asus to 5000 I ran into a problem. But that needs a new thread of its own.)

Thanks for the replies.

Well, not to rag on you or anything, but I doubt that Photoshop or Adobe RGB was on the minds of the designers of either of those monitors. I'm not surprised that at 5000 they look different. You might try them at a more normal 6500.

Two monitors can be made to match; more than you wanted to know can be found at https://photo.stackexc​hange.com …d-i-set-my-lcd-monitor-to. The software recommend in the response is pricy but a lot of what you want to do can be accomplished by using the procedures at http://www.lagom.nl/lc​d-test/. The test images there can be saved to a stick and taken to a store for test purposes.

John from PA wrote in post #18452551
Two monitors can be made to match; more than you wanted to know can be found at https://photo.stackexc​hange.com …d-i-set-my-lcd-monitor-to. The software recommend in the response is pricy but a lot of what you want to do can be accomplished by using the procedures at http://www.lagom.nl/lc​d-test/. The test images there can be saved to a stick and taken to a store for test purposes.

Wish I'd seen this sooner; I didn't get notified that this thread had more responses. Thanks for the links, I'll definitely take a look.