Originally posted by: Squidmaster
I downloaded the Microsoft Color Control Panel Applet for XP, and nothing changes at all. Where should I notice the change?
I'm not really sure as I don't use this program. One of the reasons I don't use it is because it's so confusing. With xcalib, you give it the name of the ICM, and it works. The best thing to do is to use
xcalib "c:\path\to\myicm.icm" and put that in your startup by using a shortcut in the Startup start menu directory. With dual monitors you can use xcalib -s 0 "file" to use screen 0 or -s 1 "file" to use screen 1, etc.
I'm looking at a website of my own creation, so I feel like I know the color scheme there quite well and could compare, but there is absolutely no change to the naked eye between having no profile and having Toasty's. Gamma is still off by exactly the same amount, etc. I'd really like to fix the gamma at the least.
I'm guessing that the MS software didn't apply it. I've heard that it's flaky. xcalib is more logical and simpler to use.
Do I install the profile in both the color tool and via the monitor advanced settings or just in one? If I install the profile in Windows, do I still do it in Photoshop as well?
Installing it in the MS color tool will automatically have it associate with your monitor in advanced settings AFAIK. Essentially, placing it in "advanced settings" lets programs have access to it. In and of itself, placing it here will change absolutely nothing to your eyes. Loading it in the MS program should have loaded the gamma table, changing the colors on your screen by a little bit.
So, you want an association (placing in "advanced settings") and a "LUT loader" like xcalib (or what WinColor should have been doing). xcalib will not automatically associate the ICM. But you can just do that in "advanced settings" and use xcalib to load the LUT.
Programs like Photoshop or Firefox will pick up the association and use the ICM for other things like gamut transformation. The LUT has nothing to do with gamut transformation. The ICM is serving two purposes here.
I have 2 monitors on the same video card, and they both show up as "plug and play monitor" in the color tool. Is monitor #1 always the top one? It also appears that applying a profile applies to both, so maybe this is a moot point. I could use a few tips.
With two monitors I'm absolutely clueless about how to use WinColor so as I said, using the "advanced settings" is the best route by right clicking each monitor if you know which is which. You should install your monitor "drivers" and it'll take care of all this for you anyway (including naming the plug&play monitors appropriately), including installing an ICM capable of gamut transformation even if it lacks a LUT. And then you won't have to worry about it.
It doesn't matter that you used the ICM from the CD for association because the gamut on that ICM and the one on the web should be very close for your monitor. It's the gamma tables you want from someone's ICM off the web.
1. Install monitor drivers with manufacturers' setup EXEs or instructions.
2. Use an icm from someone off the web with xcalib -s 0 (screen 0) and -s 1 (screen 1) for each of your monitors. Dual monitors complicates things because one setup program might want to take over another and screw up the associations, but I hope that won't happen. You should be able to figure that out and verify that each monitor (after it has been properly named by the drivers) is using its own proper ICM. I suppose specifying the the same ICM you're using with xcalib to the advanced settings/association might change things 1%.