Tutorial: How to Calibrate Dual Monitors using ColorVision Spyder 2?
Andy H. Chan | Jun 08, 2009 | Comments 6
I have been using [ColorVision Spyder 2 Suite](http://spyder.datacolor.com/) with my single monitor setup Power Mac Dual G5 for years and I was very happy with the Spyder. The Power PC tower served me for years and it was time to retire. I replaced it with the latest Intel based 24″ iMac. Again, ColorVision Spyder 2 calibrates the color on the iMac’s awesome 24″ LED backlighted display perfectly.
I was using the old 20″ Apple LCD display as my secondary monitor with the iMac. Since the Spyer 2 Suite/Express only supports single monitor, I was unable to calibrate the 20″ display anymore.
I copied the profile from my old G5 tower to the iMac and used it as the profile for the 20″ display. The color is off a little bit (due to different video card), but it’s better than using the native default color profile.
Recently, I bought a Dell G2410 24″ LED LCD monitor for less than US$250. The default profile has very serious blue cast and the color is off horribly. The G2410 really cannot compare with Apple’s 24″ LED display (US$224 vs US$899). However, I really need to have the color fixes as much as possible.
ColorVision Spyder 3 Pro and Elite support multiple monitors but ColorVision is asking for US$169 for the Pro and US$249 for the Elite model. The price is really beyond my budget. So here is the little hack to let your Spyder 2 to calibrate on dual monitor settings.
1. Goto System Preferences
2. Goto Display
3. Goto Arrangement
4. Click on Mirror Displays
5. Launch the Spyder 2 software
6. You should see the mirrored display on both monitor
7. Put the Spyder on the secondary monitor instead of the primary monitor
8. Start calibrate!!!
Filed Under: Tutorial
About the Author: Andy H. Chan has years of enterprise software development and architecture experience. He is also the co-author of the book Pro Spring Integration. He can be reached Twitter @iceycake.
THANK YOU for this tip! You just saved me, after about 30 minutes of searching for a way around this.
I can’t disagree any of your statements. You should write more often!
Ok… I’m confused. I tried mirroring my displays but when I do, the software says the second monitor isn’t connected. How do I have it profile that monitor and not the one on my Macbook Pro? If I have it profile the mirrored display, it will overwrite the settings for the laptop screen.
Another way of doing it is by calibrating each monitor individually…
Windows settings… Display monitor 1 only … Spyder calibrate
Windows settings… Display monitor 2 only … Spyder calibrate
Windows settings… Extend desktop on both displays
Restart computer. Done!
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Wanted information on that. I wrote it off as merely another cost, but I am about to look at it once more.