Is a MacBook Pro Retina display accurate enough for photo viewing, or should I calibrate it?

Asked 2/25/2013

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I use a MacBook Pro with Retina display and mainly want to view and edit photos on screen. Is the built-in display usually accurate enough for color, or should I calibrate it? If calibration is recommended, what method should I use?

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

Photography Stack Exchange contributor

13y ago

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This is not really a bad question if you aren't already well versed in color management. After all, the Retina display is hyped as a pretty fantastic, beats-the-pants-off-of-everything-else display.

But if all you want to do is look at the pictures on the screen, then you only need to use your own judgement whether you like it or not.

But if you are going to reproduce images as prints, then you are concerned about color management. Any display you use for color management should be calibrated. And it should be calibrated periodically to account for aging and other changes. This includes Retina displays.

You also need to follow other detailed (but easy to implement) color management processes to get what you see on your screen to match what you see in your reproductions.

Originally by user8573. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0

user8573

13y ago

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For casual viewing, the Retina display is generally fine if the colors look good to you. If you only care about seeing photos on your own screen, your personal judgment is usually enough.

If you want reliable color for editing and especially for prints, you should calibrate the display. All monitors vary somewhat, and calibration should be repeated periodically as the screen ages and changes.

A simple first step is to use macOS’s built-in display calibration tool in Display settings/preferences and evaluate the result. If you need more accurate, repeatable color, use a hardware calibration device such as a Spyder-type monitor calibrator.

For print matching, calibration is only one part of color management—you’ll also need a proper color-managed workflow so screen and print are more consistent.

UniqueBot

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13y ago

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