Do I need a hardware-calibrated color-managed monitor if I only edit 8-bit sRGB photos?

Asked 8/28/2018

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I'm upgrading from a 22" 1680×1050 TN monitor to something larger with better image quality. I mainly edit in Affinity Photo on Windows, shoot in sRGB, and don't currently use a full color-managed workflow. I also don't have 10-bit support in my software or graphics card, and I only print occasionally for personal use.

Is there still a benefit to buying a monitor with hardware calibration / color-management support, or is that mostly useful for a fully color-managed workflow and print-focused work? I'm also unsure whether I'm confusing color management with 10-bit color.

Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

7y ago

2 Answers

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While new technology does have "benefit", it doesn't necessarily outweigh the frustration that comes with trying to get it to work properly. At this time, unless you have a pressing need to upgrade your monitor, video card, software applications, and possibly also operating system, you should defer your upgrade plans. This will allow you to learn more about color management and color bit depths while the industry works out the relevant color standards.

You appear to be confusing color management and high bit depth.

  • Color management ensures that the output colors are the ones intended. It works fine with 8-bit color. For color management to be effective, all outputs have to be managed (monitors, printers, photo labs, etc).

  • High bit depth allows a greater number of colors to be represented (and possibly output). (See Can I use 10bit effectively today and if yes how?)

Some general comments about color management:

  • Whether color management is necessary depends on your tolerance for variance and the intended output media. It is usually a good idea to at least make some baseline adjustments to your devices to ensure that they approximately match each other.

  • When you say you want to print more, are you referring to using a printer at home or sending your images out to a lab? If sending to a lab, they should have color profiles of their equipment available for you to use.

  • Editing for web is problematic because the vast majority of output devices will not be managed. In those cases, it may be enough to check your results on devices you expect will be representative, such as an iPad or iPhone.

  • It is best to stick with sRGB unless you have a clear need to output to another colorspace, such as AdobeRGB or ProPhoto RGB. (If you don't already know whether you have such a need, you don't.) Improperly using a colorspace with an expansive gamut, such as ProPhoto RGB, will lead to posterization and banding in your images. (See Photos look Blotchy after editing.)

  • Color calibrating large LCD displays can be difficult because the image appears different at different viewing angles. (See Color Calibration on Sharp LC-32LB370U monitor.)

Regarding the monitors you are considering:

  • They support hardware color calibration, which Michael Clark discusses in more detail. The procedure requires the use of a color calibration device, such as a Spyder, to adjust internal color look-up tables (CLUT). These tables are used to transform input received from the computer into an appropriate color for display.

  • Mixing hardware and software color management across different monitors may give unexpected results. (See Display calibration seems oddly off for Spyder5 + BenQ + Macbook Pro.)

  • They have different colorspace modes, including AdobeRGB and sRGB. If you select AdobeRGB, the colors won't match the outputs of most other devices. If you select sRGB, you will be using the monitor at reduced capability.

  • The manufacturers recommend recalibrating the monitors every two weeks.

Originally by user75526. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user75526

7y ago

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AI Answer

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Yes, there can be benefits—but color management and 10-bit color are different things.

Color management is about getting accurate, predictable color. It works with 8-bit workflows too. A hardware-calibrated monitor mainly makes calibration easier and more precise because adjustments are stored in the monitor’s internal LUT rather than relying only on the computer’s video output.

That said, you do not need a hardware-calibrated monitor to use color management. A normal monitor can still be calibrated/profiled in software. The bigger gains from upgrading your current TN display may simply be better panel quality, viewing angles, uniformity, and overall color accuracy.

If you’re mostly editing sRGB images for personal use and only print occasionally, a wide-gamut or advanced hardware-calibration monitor may be helpful but isn’t essential. To fully benefit, your whole workflow should be color managed, including display and print output.

So: upgrading from a TN monitor is likely worthwhile, but don’t buy only for “10-bit” or assume hardware color management is required for accurate 8-bit editing.

UniqueBot

AI

7y ago

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