TFT monitors with Photoshop CS

To work on high resolution color photos (digital + slide sources 24x36 mm) in Photoshop CS, I plan to buy a 19" - 20" TFT monitor. Photos will be scanned by NIKON Super Coolscan 5000 ED. Idea is to prepare the images for regular paper publications to such state, which editors and graphic shops would have a hard time to chnage and spoil prior printing. Perhaps an amateur blue-eyed thought?

Questions:
- Is TFT suitable for such job at all?
- Will the 19" - 20" size be sufficient?
- What graphic cards to choose?
- Any suggestions on monitor brand?

Your suggestions would be highly welcome - Otto

On 13 Feb 2005 05:29:29 -0800, (Otto
Braasch) wrote:

To work on high resolution color photos (digital + slide sources 24x36 mm) in Photoshop CS, I plan to buy a 19" - 20" TFT monitor. Photos will be scanned by NIKON Super Coolscan 5000 ED. Idea is to prepare the images for regular paper publications to such state, which editors and graphic shops would have a hard time to chnage and spoil prior printing. Perhaps an amateur blue-eyed thought?

Questions:
- Is TFT suitable for such job at all?
- Will the 19" - 20" size be sufficient?
- What graphic cards to choose?
- Any suggestions on monitor brand?

Your suggestions would be highly welcome - Otto

TFT can be fine. I recently switched from
a CRT to a 21" LCD (Samsung 213T.)

Either/both can be profiled with any decent
monitor profiling tool (eg. Colorvision's
Spyder or Gretag's Eye-One Monitor.)

Gamut on LCDs is a bit limited compared
to CRTs -- unless you go for the very
high end Eizos or similar. LCDs are
a bit weak in blue/green gamut, but very
good in red/yellow.

Any decent video card should do. For
still imaging work, I'm partial to Matrox
cards.

rafe b.
http://www.terrapinphoto.com

On 13 Feb 2005 05:29:29 -0800, (Otto
Braasch) wrote:

To work on high resolution color photos (digital + slide sources 24x36 mm) in Photoshop CS, I plan to buy a 19" - 20" TFT monitor. Photos will be scanned by NIKON Super Coolscan 5000 ED. Idea is to prepare the images for regular paper publications to such state, which editors and graphic shops would have a hard time to chnage and spoil prior printing. Perhaps an amateur blue-eyed thought?

Questions:
- Is TFT suitable for such job at all?

Not for print, unless you are thinking of buying something like an Eizo. "normal" priced TFTs do not have good enough colour repro.

- Will the 19" - 20" size be sufficient?

Actually, you'd be better off buying 2 CRTs (or 1 cheap TFT and a good CRT) for the price of a quality TFT and using the second monitor for your palettes.

- What graphic cards to choose?

If all you are doing is working in 2D i.e. Photoshop, then it really doesn't matter much. Matrox and ATi are best at 2D, but the difference isn't large between them and nVidia based cards. If you are contemplating 3D, or run a lot of 3D games, then either ATi or nVidia. If you're equipping yourself with a ne2w computer make sure the card and motherboard are PCI Express, and get an one of the new PCI-E AMD motherboards and an AMD 64.

- Any suggestions on monitor brand?

Depends on what you're going to buy. I quality TFT like an Eizo or 2 CRTs or a CRT and TFT. If it's the latter look at Iiyama whose CRTs and TFTs are good.

--

Hecate - The Real One

veni, vidi, reliqui

For accurate color, CRT is still the way to go. Both Sony and LaCie make very good monitors. You can by a CRT and a monitor calibrator (Gretag MacBeth and Monaco work well). for less than a TFT monitor.

I hope this helps,

Mike

On 13 Feb 2005 05:29:29 -0800, (Otto
Braasch) wrote:

To work on high resolution color photos (digital + slide sources 24x36 mm) in Photoshop CS, I plan to buy a 19" - 20" TFT monitor. Photos will be scanned by NIKON Super Coolscan 5000 ED. Idea is to prepare the images for regular paper publications to such state, which editors and graphic shops would have a hard time to chnage and spoil prior printing. Perhaps an amateur blue-eyed thought?

Questions:
- Is TFT suitable for such job at all?
- Will the 19" - 20" size be sufficient?
- What graphic cards to choose?
- Any suggestions on monitor brand?

Your suggestions would be highly welcome - Otto

On Sun, 13 Feb 2005 22:00:27 -0500, Michael Riddle
wrote:

For accurate color, CRT is still the way to go. Both Sony and LaCie make very good monitors. You can by a CRT and a monitor calibrator (Gretag MacBeth and Monaco work well). for less than a TFT monitor.
I hope this helps,

Actually, despite what I said above, I have seen a recent review of the NEC Spectraview 1980 which is 19" TFT which, when calibrated, using DisplayMate to test, a near white box with RGB 253 was clearly distinguishable with a pure white RGB 255. The same applied for near blacks and grays. And it supports the AdobeRGB colour space. of course it's still not cheap at GBP 939.

If you really want a good monitor though, the best around at the moment is the Eizo ColorEdge CG220. 23" widescreen, gamut covers Adobe RGB *and* CMYK ISO-coated colour spaces. And, being an Eizo of course, it's reassuringly expensive at 3737 GBP. ;-)

--

Hecate - The Real One

veni, vidi, reliqui

(Otto Braasch) wrote:

To work on high resolution color photos (digital + slide sources 24x36 mm) in Photoshop CS, I plan to buy a 19" - 20" TFT monitor. Photos will be scanned by NIKON Super Coolscan 5000 ED. Idea is to prepare the images for regular paper publications to such state, which editors and graphic shops would have a hard time to chnage and spoil prior printing. Perhaps an amateur blue-eyed thought?

Questions:
- Is TFT suitable for such job at all?
- Will the 19" - 20" size be sufficient?
- What graphic cards to choose?
- Any suggestions on monitor brand?

Your suggestions would be highly welcome - Otto

I think that depends on 1) your budget 2) your skills and 3) if it is your hobby or your profession.

If you're highly skilled in color consistent work and have an unlimited budget I would consider buying two Eizo CG21 or CG220 and a graphics card with two digital outputs (Matrox P750).

If your an amateur like me, a "normal" but calibrated TFT is good enough for you and you are dreaming of more space on your desktop for quite a while you might want two Eizo L885 and above mentioned graphics card.

Whatever brand you like to buy I would strongly suggest buying 20" or bigger TFTs because of the pixel resolution of1600x1200. Although the step from 19 to 20" is just one inch, the resolution increase from 1280x1024 to 1600x1200 is worth every single cent.

If you want to save as much money as possible I would buy one calibrated CRT and a cheap secondary monitor for your palettes.

Best regards
Thorsten

--
Suche: Streuli für Mamiya Sekor C 90/3,8

"Hecate" posted:
"...
the best around at the
moment is the Eizo ColorEdge CG220.
...."

The promotional material looks really good ... in spite of the 400:1 contrast ratio.

However, I have yet to find any retailer, either "on line" or "bricks and mortar," that will admit to having one to either demonstrate ... or actually SELL.

"Hecate" wrote in message

On Sun, 13 Feb 2005 22:00:27 -0500, Michael Riddle
wrote:

For accurate color, CRT is still the way to go. Both Sony and LaCie make very good monitors. You can by a CRT and a monitor calibrator (Gretag MacBeth and Monaco work well). for less than a TFT monitor.
I hope this helps,

Actually, despite what I said above, I have seen a recent review of the NEC Spectraview 1980 which is 19" TFT which, when calibrated, using DisplayMate to test, a near white box with RGB 253 was clearly distinguishable with a pure white RGB 255. The same applied for near blacks and grays. And it supports the AdobeRGB colour space. of course it's still not cheap at GBP 939.

If you really want a good monitor though, the best around at the moment is the Eizo ColorEdge CG220. 23" widescreen, gamut covers Adobe RGB *and* CMYK ISO-coated colour spaces. And, being an Eizo of course, it's reassuringly expensive at 3737 GBP. ;-)

--

Hecate - The Real One

veni, vidi, reliqui

On Thu, 17 Feb 2005 03:08:36 GMT, "RSD99"
wrote:

"Hecate" posted:
"...
the best around at the
moment is the Eizo ColorEdge CG220.
..."

The promotional material looks really good ... in spite of the 400:1 contrast ratio.

However, I have yet to find any retailer, either "on line" or "bricks and mortar," that will admit to having one to either demonstrate ... or actually SELL.

<g> It's only just appeared in reviews in the UK :)

--

Hecate - The Real One

veni, vidi, reliqui