For someone who works with graphics and colors, having a display calibrator is extremely important. This is because different monitors can display the same color differently due to different settings. With a display calibrator, you can make sure that your monitor indeed shows the right, accurate colors. X Rite Colormunki is a very popular display calibrator tool that has been used by both amateur and professional photographers to edit and improve images. However, the company has just released a new model, namely X Rite i1 Display Pro. So, what is the difference between X Rite Colormunki and X Rite i1 Display Pro?
Same Hardware, Improved Software
Interestingly, the manufacturer claims that X Rite Colormunki and X Rite i1 Display Pro are using the same hardware. They use the same sensors and processors. However, X Rite i1 Display Pro do offer better overall performance with faster measurement and adjustment speeds than X Rite Colormunki. The enhanced performance is resulted from the new, improved software. Apparently, the manufacturer has evaluated and improvised the algorithm used in the software to make it work more efficiently.
Additional Features
X Rite i1 Display Pro has also been equipped with new features. It now has the spectral calibration architecture, which makes it compatible with a wider range of instruments. This feature is highly beneficial if you work in an environment that involves multiple instruments. X Rite i1 Display Pro is now also compatible with third-party software. X Rite Colormunki is not compatible with third party software.
X Rite Colormunki is wizard-driven, easy and simple to use. While there is indeed a degree of control given to the user, the main purpose of X Rite Colormunki is to make things simple and straightforward to use. On the other hand, X Rite i1 Display Pro comes with nearly endless possibilities of combinations in the advanced mode. You can make custom patch sets by using the built-in small, medium, and large base patches. There are also built-in video presets for popular video formats.
Profiling
Both models are able to profile projectors and regular computer screens, with nearly identical features. However, compared to X Rite Colormunki, X Rite i1 Display Pro has more choices of White Point targets, luminance targets, color patches, user-defined contrast ratios, and the ability to make LUT-based profiles for better accuracy.
Quality Assurance
But the biggest advantage of X Rite i1 Display Pro is the Quality Assurance features. While both models do provide before and after visual checks, X Rite i1 Display Pro goes further by providing industry-standard reference values, such as the Color Checker and FOGRA patch sets. It also estimates the accuracy of the profile and the uniformity of the monitor.
Conclusion
If you prefer something simple and straightforward, the wizard-driven X Rite Colormunki is great. However, if you need the fullest control and customizability, then you should choose X Rite i1 Display Pro. It also should be your choice if you routinely edit videos or work with various instruments.
