Mac Display Is Unusable After Profiling With ColorMunki Display
Profiled the monitor with the ColorMunki Display and now the screen is unreadable on Mac OSX.A bad profile can occur when users have the device on the screen backwards or if there is a conflict with ADC. The resulting profile can be corrupt and it can render the computer unusable. Sometimes the screen will be completely gray, white, black, or sometimes strong neon colors. The simplest way to remove the corrupted profile is to boot up the computer in Safe Mode and delete the file itself.Follow these steps to start up into safe mode.
- Start or restart your Mac.
- Immediately after you hear the startup sound, press and hold the "Shift" key.
- Release the "Shift" key when you see the Apple logo appear on the screen.
It might take longer than usual to reach the login screen and/or your desktop. This is because your Mac performs a directory check of your startup disk as part of Safe Mode.
Once the computer is completely booted up navigate to this location:
Mac HD/Users/<user name>/Library/ColorSync/Profiles**
Locate the corrupt profile and delete it to the Trash bin. After the corrupt profile has been deleted, restart your computer without pressing any keys during startup to exit Safe Mode and start normally. The computer will load the generic profile that came with the monitor.
**The User Library is hidden by Apple by default. The easiest way to temporarily access the User Library folder is to open Finder. On the menu bar in the upper left, select "Go" to reveal the drop-down menu and then hold down the "option" key ( also marked "alt") and you will see a "Library" folder appear. You may now select this "Library" folder with your mouse or trackpad to access the Mac HD/Users/<user name> folder. Select "ColorSync" and then "Profiles" to locate the corrupt profile.
After that is complete go back into the ColorMunki Display software to reprofile the monitor once again. Make sure that when you place the device on the monitor the side of the device with the felt around the one-inch diameter clear lens should be lying flat on the screen while the white ambient light cover is facing outward. If desired, use the recommendations to re-profile that will help avoid this issue moving forward:
- Open ColorMunki Display 1.1.3 with the Munki plugged in and then go to “ColorMunki Display” in the menu bar and click on “Preferences”.
- Uncheck “Achieve display luminance value using video LUTs” and uncheck “Enable ADC”. Select “White LED” for your Technology Type if it is an Apple display manufactured after 2009. If this is the new 4K 21.5" or 5K 27" Retina iMac manufactured in Late 2015 or later, select "GB-LED (RG Phosphor)" for the Technology Type. Click “OK” to save these settings and close the “Preferences” window.
- Select “Profile My Display”.
- When profiling, select the “Advanced” method and use D65 for the white point target and select the bottom radio button to choose a target luminance of 120 cd/m². If you have been using other target settings or your print lab recommends other settings, feel free to use them.
- Uncheck both of the “Advanced Options” (Ambient Light Smart Control and Flare Correct) and click “Next”.
- When saving the profile, use the unique name (includes a year/date/time stamp before ".icc"). The profile name MUST end with “.icc”.
The recommended display profiling settings of a D65 white point, 2.2 gamma, and 120cd/m² has been set by the industry experts. The photographers and graphic designers of the world have determined that a monitor profiled to these parameters will most closely match a print that is viewed in a 5000K light booth (Graphic arts standard). The default gamma (aka; tone response) is set at 2.2 in ColorMunki’s Preference menu found in “File” > “Preferences” from the home screen. We would recommend using the Advanced method and select the bottom option to set luminance to a specific level and then select “120”. If your prints are darker than your display, feel free to try a lower display luminance setting of 100, 90, or even 80. When adjusting brightness on an Apple display (iMac, MacBook, or Apple displays), you may need to open System Preferences > Displays to fine tune the brightness to more closely match the target.
The following link will take you to our ColorMunki Display profiling training video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oA2XqWo-JfQ
