13 Replies Latest reply: Dec 13, 2008 8:04 PM by jrsforums RSS

    2nd monitor ICC profile?

    jrsforums Community Member
      When using the dual monitor support in LR2, if it is opened in the 2nd monitor, is it aware of the different icc profile for this monitor or does it use the profile of the primary monitor?

      Can you manually change the profile used?

      Can you interrogate LR (main screen and/or dual screen) to see what profile is being used?

      I am using WinXP, but the video card I use looks like two cards and windows has a different default profile for each. Many cards do not do that, which is where being able to manually enter an icc profile would be useful.

      John
        • 1. Re: 2nd monitor ICC profile?
          Jao vdL Community Member
          Yes, it does use the correct icc profile, providing you have a display card that supports it. This includes all Macs and most modern PCs.

          >Can you manually change the profile used?

          Yes, In the monitor's properties pane (you're using XP it sounds like). The icc profile is set in the OS and not in Lightroom.
          • 2. Re: 2nd monitor ICC profile?
            J McWilliams Community Member
            In this sense, doesn't every application, CM managed or not, 'use' the Profile that you set in the O/S? (Leaving out for the moment PS's proofing capabilities.)
            • 3. Re: 2nd monitor ICC profile?
              Jao vdL Community Member
              No, most color managed apps will only use the icc profile for the main monitor. The exceptions are apps like Lightroom and Photoshop, but many will just ignore the one for the second monitor. Multiple profiled monitors are case they don't often program for strangely enough
              • 4. Re: 2nd monitor ICC profile?
                Wolf Eilers Community Member
                Although XP will allow two ICC profiles for a dual monitor setup you need to do so with Microsoft's Color Settings applet. See the following article. It's best to use with an admin account.

                Dual monitor calibration on Windows XP
                • 5. Re: 2nd monitor ICC profile?
                  jrsforums Community Member
                  Thanks, Wolf...

                  I believe the applet is needed when the video card does not appear to the OS as dual cards. I think the applet will load the actual separate LUT for each monitor on the card. However, in WinXP, doesn't the "default" ICC profile for each remain the same...that is they are not different for each head. I think you can only have separate "default" ICC profiles if the card looks like two separate cards to the OS.

                  Am I wrong in my understanding?
                  • 6. Re: 2nd monitor ICC profile?
                    jrsforums Community Member
                    Jao...

                    Does the secondary monitor always assume it will open in the monitor which WinXP defines in settings as '2'?

                    The reason I ask, is that if I have the secondary monitor open as "full screen" it opens on the 2nd monitor.

                    However, I have a slightly different set up. I have my primary LR space stretched some into the 2nd monitor, so that the right hand panels are on the second screen. This gives me a larger space to view the images on the main screen. When I open the secondary LR space, it is not full screen, but sized to just fit in the rest of the available space on the second monitor....and I usually use this space for the 'grid' of thumbnails.

                    My concern is that if the secondary LR space is even slightly larger than the available space on the secondary monitor, it will pop up in the middle of the primary monitor. After much trial and error, I found the sizing solution and it works....

                    However, since it seems to open either in #1 or #2 screen, I still have this nagging question....and there is no way I know to query LR to know what ICC profile is being used.

                    Thanks...JOHN
                    • 7. Re: 2nd monitor ICC profile?
                      Jao vdL Community Member
                      >However, since it seems to open either in #1 or #2 screen, I still have this nagging question....and there is no way I know to query LR to know what ICC profile is being used.

                      I don't know for sure how this works on XP, but you can test it by setting a crazy profile as your monitor profile on the second monitor. This way you should get really nasty color if the "correct" profile is used on the second monitor and sort of OK color if the 1st monitor's profile is used still on the second one. My assumption is that it works just like it does in Photoshop that it notices when a window changes monitors and redraws the colors.
                      • 8. Re: 2nd monitor ICC profile?
                        Wolf Eilers Community Member
                        >However, in WinXP, doesn't the "default" ICC profile for each remain the same...that is they are not different for each head.

                        Yes, XP applies the default profile of the main monitor to the secondary monitor if you have a single grahphic card (regardless if it is a dual-head).

                        On my dual-head GeForece 7300GS I need to hardware calibrate (must be multi-monitor compliant), use an admin account, and use the Microsoft Color Settings applet to assign the profile to each monitor at OS startup.

                        My calibration tool can recognize multi-monitors and LCD/CRT (which is my current setup).
                        • 9. Re: 2nd monitor ICC profile?
                          jrsforums Community Member
                          Wolf...

                          I think the applet only loads the LUT table for each monitor. An application will one ICC profile for both monitors. Assuming the profile loaded is for the primary, the secondary colors will be off slightly.

                          John
                          • 10. Re: 2nd monitor ICC profile?
                            DJ-G Community Member
                            I'm using XPx64 with a FireGL 7300 card, the latest ATI driver and dual monitors. Going through the XP display properties, I set up my dual monitors. Selecting the Advanced dialog for each of the monitors, in the Color Management tab I can assign the appropriate profile to that monitor. It's loading a different profile for each monitor, even though it's a single card. I can see the difference.
                            • 11. Re: 2nd monitor ICC profile?
                              Wolf Eilers Community Member
                              All my tools for colour accurate work run on my primary (largest) monitor. If colours are off slightly on my second (aging CRT) monitor then so be it.

                              All I know is that my calibration tool builds profiles for both monitors and that the Microsoft applet loads them both.
                              • 12. Re: 2nd monitor ICC profile?
                                jrsforums Community Member
                                DJGarcia...

                                I do not have direct experience, but have been told that many (most?) of the ATI PCIe dual head cards work that way...but it is very hard to get definitive info.

                                However, I also understand that most of the Nvidia cards do not. I do have direct experience that the 9800GTX+ does not....and it cost me a 15% restocking fee.
                                • 13. Re: 2nd monitor ICC profile?
                                  jrsforums Community Member
                                  Wolf....

                                  I would agree with PS, as I mainly use the primary display and just have the panels on the secondary.

                                  However, with LR, I would find it much more flexible to have both primary and secondary window be properly color matched....at least close, I know they will rarely be exact....which is why I started this thread.