I just attended a professional photographers workshop and the host, Scott Kelby, highly recommended the X-rite i1 display 2 for monitor color calibration. It's only $200. Calibrate the monitor every month.
Calibrating the monitor is useless if your input and output devices are not properly calibrated as well. Not trying to pick an argument but I have seen this in every Photoshop/NAPP event I have attended where they briefly touch a subject, push a product for a quick sale and leave it at that. With that being said, the i1Display2 is a great product, very well built, easy to operate and calibrate your monitor but thats all. You still will need to calibrate your scanners, cameras, printers to achieve any sort of true color management in your workflow. The i1Basic would probably be the best $1000 (you can get it less that that now) you can spend regarding color management. However --- not all devices play nicely. Scanners for example. There are a reason they sell $50 off the shelf scanners, $700 Epson V750-M Pro and $20,000 Hasselblad Flextight X5 drum scanners. Then there is the software with your scanner...and aftermarket scanner software like Silverfast which allows for even greater control of color management.
I guess what I am trying to say is the monitor calibration is a good start, but a good start at best. Kelby is certainly a master of his craft, but he is also an excellent salesman as well...
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