[KidRed]

I am a graphic designer/illustrator/web designer and currently have a G4/ 17" CRT. I am waiting for the new G4s to debut to buy one, might even wait for the G5 if that comes out by Janurary. My question is, I have heard from a few people on both sides; half say the LCD has come far enough for designers and the other half saying LCDs still suck for color reproduction.

Well? I know the new G4/G5s won't support my CRT (at least without a converter) will I be OK with an LCD? I would really like to get the cimena display.

[Wattsy]

Why won't the new G4/G5 support your 17" CRT? It is highly unlikley that Apple will drop the standard VGA port on any Macs for quite some time. As far as colour fidelity goes I'm with the 'no' camp. The current crop of Apple LCDs are absolutely top notch but I'm still not convinced that I have the confidence to use one for pre-press work. It's not so much the fact that you get colour shifts depending upon viewing angle (the Apple LCDs suffer relatively little from this problem) but more that the high contrast screen image (which is beautiful to look at for most tasks) has a certain unreal air about it.

[Castor]

I have been using the 15" with my 533 G4 since feburary, and I am enjoying it for webdesign (I always check websites on my Winbox anyway) as well as print design. It does take abit of getting used to. You'll have to develop a new feel for what is going to print right with your printers> But if you take Photoshop files you have printed satiscfactory before as a starting point for new files, you'll soon be in the "LCD is great "camp. And when you work long hours like me, as most designers do, you'll appreciate the fact that your eyes stay less sore comparde to using CRT. HTH

Castor

[KidRed]

Why won't the new G4/G5 support your 17" CRT?

I was under the impresion that the gig/ethernet G4s use a different connection that the first batch of G4s which is what I have and in turn don't support CRTs, or was it that the old G4s don't support the new LCDs?

As far as the pre-press, I really don't do that anymore. 90% of my work is in Pshop and Dreaweaver doing web graphics. I print minor stuff but don't really need to proof any longer. But bacis concerns are that the blue on my screen is the same blue my client will see.

And when you work long hours like me...

LOL, I work 12 hours a day, 7 days a week I really don't have an eye proble with my CRT, or at least I don't realize it. So is the genreal feeling then, if you get used to it and learn the nuances then you'll be ok? Are the major differences between the colors on a LCD compared to a CRT?

Thanks for the responses

[aaanorton]

Originally posted by KidRed:
<STRONG>

LOL, I work 12 hours a day, 7 days a week I really don't have an eye proble with my CRT, or at least I don't realize it. So is the genreal feeling then, if you get used to it and learn the nuances then you'll be ok? Are the major differences between the colors on a LCD compared to a CRT?

Thanks for the responses </STRONG>

Bruce Fraser recently wrote an excellent article on just this subject in Macworld (06/2001).
Basically LCD's don't reproduce colors accurately across the entire screen and are more difficult/costly to calibrate.
Cliff

[ion]

for webdesign it depends on how picky your clients are, the apple lcds might be ok. for print or prepress forget it, you aint gettin paid.

[Castor]

Actually, my money is in the bank right now (unless there's a robbery going on at this very moment).
Anyway, I'd like to know a url to the Bruce Fraser story, since he generally knows his stuff.
In real-world-graphic-design-as-I-see-it-on-my-desk-situations, my LCD works just fine. We always have to check with proofs and swatches, even on a CRT you have to develop a 'feeling' for the difference of coated and uncoated printing of photographs. Look, I am not talking about reproduction of art for a MOMA catalogue here, just your everyday newsletters and such.

Of course there are disadvantages, like the angle problem, although Apple has done a lot to improve that. They need to do more to improve this color-situation, though (Since they don't produce CRT's anymore.)

As for the sore eyes, I never noticed when on a CRT, but I noticed the improvement when on LCD!

It is just something different, believe me. If you'd work with an LCD screen for a whole week and then look at a CRT, it'll seem blurry.
After years of CRT, you get put off by the angle problem, I can relate to that. It just takes getting used to, at least that's my experience. However I am not saying that you should use an LCD, I am just stating that it works for me, I am happier on LCD than on CRT.
HTH Castor

[KidRed]

So the basic advice is for print work, LCDs are not good enough, but for web design they are ok? I don't do any print work any more, no pantone matching, etc. All I do is primarialy web design. So I just need to know if the blue I would see on an LCD is close to what the rest of the world would see?

Come July, what choices would I have? I don't like non Apple monitors (look ugly) and Apple isn't making any CRTs so do you think Apple might improve on their current monitors or is the technology just not there yet for more accurate color matching?

[el matteo]

Unless you need really really high end color fidelity, the LCD is fine (it's as good as any Apple monitor has ever been). I just sold my 17" studio display crt to get a new 17" lcd, and i'm amazed at how much better this display is. The color is just awesome. Combined with the added benefits of being brighter, sharper, bigger, and thinner, I can't see any downside to an Apple LCD.

[el matteo]

double your pleasure, double your fun.

[ 07-10-2001: Message edited by: el matteo ]

[KidRed]

El Maetto,
Thanks for the info

[Castor]

El Matteo,

Couldn't agree more.

Castor