Datacolor Spyder3 Elite Reference guide

Spyder3 Help Index
Welcome Screen: An overview of the application.
Before You Begin: Preparatory Steps.
New Display: Define whether a new display is to be calibrated.
Select Display: Choose which display to work with.
Current Settings: Shows current choice of calibration settings.
Select Gamma: Choose or define a gamma selection.
Select Response Curve: Select a non-Gamma curve.
Create Response Curve: Define your own custom response curve.
Select White Point: Choose a whitepoint value or create your own.
Display Type: Select type of device to calibrate (first time only).
Select Target: Choice from predifined calibration targets.
Select Ambient Light Compensation: Decide if you wish to correct for ambient light.
Ambient Light Analysis: identify and adjust your ambient light level.
Select Luminance Mode: Decide if you wish to target specific brightness endpoints.
Measured Luminance Mode: Uses your Spyder to define black and white.
Specify Luminance Values: Allows user to enter values for black and white.
Identify Controls: Designate what general controls your display offers (part of the New
Display Assistant).
Identify Color Controls: Designate what color controls your display offers (part of the
New Display Assistant).
Adjust RGB Gain Controls: Adjust the color of white with RGB Gain Controls (an
advanced option activated in Preferences).
Adjust Kelvin Slider: Adjust the color of white with a color temperature Slider.
Adjust Kelvin Preset: Adjust the color of white with a color temperature Preset.
Reset Factory Defaults: Info on resetting your display to factory default settings.
Set Black Luminance: Adjusting Black on displays that have a black control.
Set White Luminance: Adjusting White Luminance and related controls.

Check Calibration: Allows checking display calibration, and ReCALibration.
Current Calibration: Displays useful data about your Current Calibration, and recommendation
based on it.
Gray Balanced Calibration: Allows user to select this default option, or deselect it.
Gray Balance Refinement: Allows user to select this advanced option, or deselect it.
White Luminance Reduction: Allows user to select this advanced option, or deselect it.
Remove Sensor: Remove the Spyder from your screen.
Specify Profile Name: Name your display profile.
Profile Created: Verifies completion, shows path to profile location.
SpyderUtilityTM: Checks for correct diplay profiles, calibration data, and ambient light levels.
SpyderProofTM:Check your profile and calibration against a series of test image.
Expert Console: Advanced option for seeing all the settings for a display in one screen.
SpyderCertifiedTM:Allows users to define a display to be held to tight certification
standards.
StudioMatchTM:Allows users to define a studio target, based on the capabilities of
their monitors, and their studio conditions.
In Closing: Final suggestions, and a chance to calibrate other displays.
Curves Window: Shows graphs of your correction curves for analysis.
Information Window: Gives statistics on your display and calibration.
Preferences: Allows users to chose among various options.
Advanced Preferences: Offers advanced options and settings.
ICC Settings: Allows choices of ICC profile options.
Further Information
For information such as a list of Frequently Asked Questions and details on all
Datacolor products be sure to visit our website: http://www.datacolor.com/Spyder3

Welcome
Help Index
Introduction
Calibration keeps your monitor in a consistent state so that it displays colors in the
same way, day after day, month after month.
Profiling allows you to create an ICC profile that describes the monitor characteristics
including: White Point, Tone Response and RGB Primary colors. This profile is then
used by ICC-aware applications such as Adobe® Photoshop®, InDesign®, or
Illustrator® so they can display colors as they are intended.
Further Information
For information such as a list of Frequently Asked Questions and details on all
Datacolor products be sure to visit our website:
www.datacolor.com/Spyder3

Before You Begin
Help Index
Display Settings
Please set your display to 24-bit color or better. Settings lower than 16-bit are not
recommended. Monitor color settings can be changed using operating system controls:
Macintosh: System Preferences > Displays
Windows: Display Properties > Settings
Warm Up
CRT and LCD monitors should warm up for an hour before calibrating, to assure
correct color. Projector lamps should be on for at least ten minutes before calibration.
Connecting the calibrator and allowing it to warm up for at least five minutes will
ensure optimal results.
Lighting Conditions For Monitors
The lighting conditions in the room where you are viewing the monitor should be
stable and repeatable. If the light changes while you are viewing the monitor this can
effect your color perception. Calibrating in one lighting condition and then viewing in a
different lighting condition should also be avoided.
Light should not fall directly on the display screen. For example, if you have overhead
lighting, you should prevent those lights from shining directly on the face of the
monitor by using a hood or other shield.
Exterior windows are a common source of variable light. Outside light entering the
viewing area will change in both intensity and color throughout the day (and across
seasons) which can affect your color perception.

Lighting Conditions For Projectors
The room in which the projected image is being viewed should be as dark as is
practical. Especially during calibration there should be no lights shining on or near the
projection screen. Be sure that no ambient light is shining toward the Spyder sensor.
Screen Saver
Screen Savers and Energy Savers should be turned off before calibration. If the
monitor turns off or dims during the calibration process the process will have to be
repeated. If the monitor goes to sleep and wakes up again during regular use, color
accuracy will be affected until the monitor warms up again..
Further Information
For information such as a list of Frequently Asked Questions and details on all
Datacolor products be sure to visit our website:
www.datacolor.com/Spyder3

New Display
Help Index
Usual Setting
Mark the checkbox to allow the display to be calibrated by the software.
The Purpose of This Step
When a new display device is found by the software the New Display Assistant will run.
New Display is the first screen of this process. Successive screens will then ask the
user to identify the type of display (CRT/LCD) and indicate what controls the monitor
has (Brightness, Contrast, etc.)
Also on this screen (New Display) there is a checkbox where the user can indicate
whether they want the software to calibrate this display. If this checkbox is not
marked then the application will ignore the corresponding display – not offering to
calibrate it and (on the Windows operating system) not trying to apply calibration data
to that display’s video card upon computer startup.
Further Information
For information such as a list of Frequently Asked Questions and details on all
Datacolor products be sure to visit our website: www.datacolor.com/Spyder3

Select Display
Help Index
Usual Setting
Choose the display you wish to calibrate from the popup menu.
The Purpose of This Step
For multiple monitor configurations, this step selects which monitor to calibrate, or
which to calibrate at this time.
The Long Answer
Computers may have more than one display attached. Each display has different
characteristics and must be calibrated and profiled individually.
A separate monitor profile will be created for each monitor that is calibrated.
Note: Multiple Monitors
Computers using the Windows operating system with multiple displays may need to
have a separate video card for each display. Multi-head video cards (a single card that
drives two or more displays) that are not PCI Express cards often are not capable of
holding unique calibrations for multiple displays. Each display must have its own
profile, created specifically for that display, associated with it. Associating different
profiles to displays attached using a multi-head video card may not function correctly
under Windows.
Computers using the Macintosh operating system do not have this issue. There is no
problem using multi-head video cards on Macintosh.
Further Information
For information such as a list of Frequently Asked Questions and details on all
Datacolor products be sure to visit our website: www.datacolor.com/Spyder3

Current Settings
Help Index
Usual Setting
You will typically use the current settings, and continue on by choosing the Next
button.
The Purpose of This Step
This screen displays the current settings that will be used for calibration. These are the
values that will be used to adjust the monitor’s characteristics.
The Long Answer
The settings are the desired values to which the monitor will be adjusted.
Settings include:
White Point (the color of white)
Tone Response (often called Gamma)
and optionally:
Black Luminance (darkness and detail at the black end)
White Luminance (brightness and detail at the white end)
If you want to calibrate to values different than those shown, you may click the
Change button to see other choices.
Why choose one calibration setting over another?
Calibrating to the expected gamma and white point for the type of work you do can make non-color
managed applications display in a more reasonable manner. Color managed applications will compensate

for your choice of gamma, so choosing a gamma setting close to the display’s native gamma minimizes lost
levels and increases smoothness. Choosing a whitepoint near to paper white under your viewing or proofing
lights can make display to print matching easier. More advanced settings and options are described
elsewhere in the Help files. If in doubt, start at 2.2/6500, unless you find a specific reason to use other
settings.
Further Information
For information such as a list of Frequently Asked Questions and details on all
Datacolor products be sure to visit our website: www.datacolor.com/Spyder3