Have you discovered that no matter how much you did, you just could not print the same colors from the screen to the printer. Either the printout is too dark or the colors became strange?

I have been toying around the idea to buy a printer calibration device. I need to print something close to what i see from my screen. My screen has been calibrated. I have purchased the Eye-one display 2 a few years back.

I have searched the vendors who produces such a device and shortlisted 2 products: The Datacolor’s Spyder3Print SR and the X-Rite’s ColorMunki. They cost below US$400 (SG$600).

Color Munki

Spyder3Print SR

Monkey (Color Munki) VS Spider (Datacolor Spyder3Print SR)

I do not have the physical device but based on what i have researched online. Below is the advantages and disadvantages of the two devices:

The Monkey

Advantages:

1. All-in-one. It is a screen calibration device as well as a printer calibration device.

2. Big color strips for printer calibration.

3. Simple to use.

Disadvantages:

1. Only offers 100 color patches for calibration. This results in some weakness in the printing. One of the weakness is Black & White.

2. Not upgradeable

The Spider

Advantages:

1. Offers a variety of patches (150, 225, 729, B&W 238). This results in better printing matching.

Disadvantages:

1. More time needed for more patches scanning.

2. Only printer calibration. For monitor calibration, you need to purchase another device. They do offer a package set called the Studio.

Related posts:

1. Printer profiling service
2. Color Workflow for Digital Photography
3. Monitor calibration service
4. Why color calibration is important?