Why do my edited photos look great on one monitor but dull or blown out on another?
Asked 7/3/2012
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2 answers
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I edit RAW files in Lightroom, sometimes apply Topaz adjustments, and export JPEGs. On my desktop monitor the images look vivid and well balanced, but on my laptop they look less saturated and some highlights appear blown out. My export settings seem normal, and I’m not using any hardware monitor calibration on either display. Is this likely an export problem, or is it mainly a monitor calibration/display issue? Is there anything I can do without buying a hardware calibrator?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
14y ago
2 Answers
12
There's nothing wrong with your settings. On my monitor the clouds look fine, not blown out and the greens are nice and saturated.
The most likely explanation is that your laptop screen is inferior i.e. it can't display the same range of colours or the same contrast as your desktop. In addition to that it's not calibrated either.
You don't have to buy hardware calibration, you should be able to get it close enough by eye for your purposes. Simply get both screens side by side, load up one of the images that is distorted and blown out and adjust the settings on your laptop until you get a better match, accepting that it will never look quite as good as the other screen.
Also check your viewing angle as laptop screens can be extremely sensitive to getting the angle just right.
Originally by user1375. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1375
14y ago
0
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This is most likely a display/calibration issue, not an export-setting problem. Your JPEG can look correct on the monitor you edited on, yet appear flatter or more blown out on another screen if that screen has different brightness, contrast, color gamut, or poor viewing angles.
A few key points:
- Laptop screens are often less accurate and more sensitive to viewing angle.
- If the image looks right after export on your editing computer, Lightroom/export settings are probably not the main issue.
- Without calibration, two monitors rarely match well.
What you can do without hardware calibration:
- Put both screens side by side and manually adjust the laptop’s brightness/contrast/color to get closer.
- Start from neutral display settings if possible.
- Use monitor calibration/test images and guides to manually tune brightness and contrast.
- Check your editing environment: strong room light or reflections can affect judgment.
- Avoid editing with the screen set excessively bright.
A hardware calibrator is the best solution, but manual adjustment can still improve consistency a lot. Just keep in mind that different displays will never look exactly the same.
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