7 Replies Latest reply: Dec 7, 2011 8:12 PM by peterpica RSS

    Hardware or Software?

    peterpica Community Member

      Have a 30" Cinema Display... my Adobe CS5 apps all of a sudden started having difficulties displaying 20% or lower screens of black. A 20% of black on screen looks like a 10% screen and when exported to PDF, all but disappears. Non-Adobe apps (Freeway Pro, i.e.,) started behaving the same way.

       

       

      Any ideas appreciated. Puleeze don't tell me I need a new monitor!

       

       

      gasp, groan (maybe)

        • 1. Re: Hardware or Software?
          Community Member

          Re-calibrate your monitor and re-save your monitor profile, preferably with a reliable hardware calibrator puck.

           

          If you can't get satisfactory result, you probably need to buy one of those things you don't want others to tell you you need to buy.

           

           

          ____________

          Wo Tai Lao Le

          我太老了     

          • 2. Re: Hardware or Software?
            peterpica Community Member

            Appreciate your objectivity Tai Lao!

             

             

            • 3. Re: Hardware or Software?
              Bo LeBeau Community Member

              If the image is in CMYK, when you use the eyedropper does it say K20?

               

              You say it practically disappears in PDF.

              When you export as PDF, open in Acrobat Pro, and go to Advanced menu, Print Production, Output Preview what does it show in the K channel?

               

              Maybe your graphics card is going bad. Have you tried running the Hardware Disk Test?

               

              Apple Hardware Test is included on the DVDs that are shipped with some Macintosh computers. If the copy on your hard drive becomes unavailable, use the DVDs to run Apple Hardware Test.

              • For Intel-based Apple computers that shipped with Mac OS X v10.5.4 or earlier, Apple Hardware Test is located on the Mac OS X Install Disc 1 and should be included with your computer.
              • For Apple computers that shipped with Mac OS X v10.5.5 to 10.6.7, Apple Hardware Test is located on the Applications Install Disc 2 and should be included with your computer.
              • For some Apple computers that shipped with OS X Lion, if Apple Hardware Test cannot be found on the hard drive, an Internet-based version starts up instead.

               

              Do you still have Apple Care on this monitor purchase?

              Good Luck!!

              • 4. Re: Hardware or Software?
                peterpica Community Member

                Thanks Bo...

                 

                I booted off of a virgin BU HD that has Lion 7.2 on it and the images in InD and Acro are fine... some pref or other files must've gone south on me.

                 

                I'm currently restoring from another BU HD (that works fine)...

                 

                 

                zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

                 

                 

                tx!

                • 5. Re: Hardware or Software?
                  Community Member

                  peterpica wrote:

                   

                  …some pref or other files must've gone south on me…

                   

                   

                  That could very well be your monitor profile file.  That file can easily get hosed.

                   

                  So, as I typed in post #1:

                   

                  Re-calibrate your monitor and re-save your monitor profile, preferably with a reliable hardware calibrator puck.

                   

                   

                  ____________

                  Wo Tai Lao Le

                  我太老了

                  • 6. Re: Hardware or Software?
                    Community Member

                    …or you can try copying the good monitor file from your BU HD that seems to be working to your regular boot drive.

                    • 7. Re: Hardware or Software?
                      peterpica Community Member

                      Thanks again Tai... I took the easy way out... I did a complete restore from an external 'emergency' HD; then restored current user files from my Time Machine HD.

                       

                      I was going nuts trying to figure out what prefs, what drivers, whatever files were wonky.

                       

                      Appreciate your suggestions tho.

                       

                      Have a good one!

                       

                      Regards,

                       

                       

                       

                       

                      from...

                         Peter Stremic