Gretag Macbeth have been leaders in the field of monitor calibrators for some time, so it was interesting to see their latest affordable calibration tool in action.

The Gretag Macbeth huey is an entry level device for those who need to be color accurate for photography, video, web design or graphic design. At $240 it is a fantastic investment even if you only have one screen. Some industry experts say your screen can vary over time and needs calibrating every month at least.

I have to say on both the 23 inch Apple LCD and the 17 inch iMac screen the change was immense. I will be monitoring results as prints go to the Epson for accuracy and artwork that goes to press. At least for now the various screens in the office now look identical, something that is essential in a collaborative environment. Drop into the office with your laptop or Mac to have it calibrated, we will demo the unit for free as we are sure you will want to purchase one if you need color accuracy. Prices for more expensive models are also available.

From the Getag Macbeth site.

There’s a reason your blues aren’t always true. Same goes for your reds, greens and every color in-between. What you’re seeing onscreen isn’t necessarily accurate - it all depends on your monitor. huey is an entry level, easy-to-use monitor color correction tool that automatically adjusts the color of your monitor so what you’re seeing is true. huey can even make further adjustments to your monitor to compensate for changes in room lighting. Everything becomes more accurate and predictable: digital photos just as you remember the scene, game graphics that give you the intense edge you’re after, movies with brilliant life-like color and a Web-browsing experience that delivers colors that you can trust.

Ideal for digital photo enthusiasts, freelance designers, gamers and serious Web shoppers, huey is easy to use on any CRT, LCD and laptop monitor for the best possible color.

UPDATE:
In testing the accuracy I ran through the process of preparing a Canon 5D RAW camera file for print on the Epson 4800 Pro. First it was opened in “Aperture” on the iMac edited for color and density, then exported to my Mac as 16 bit per channel TIFF. When edited in Photoshop it was printed selecting the supplied output profile for the ink/paper combination used, allowing Photoshop to color manage output.
I have to say that this represents the closest I have been to monitor accurate color in a print. Now that I know how close it can be I will have more faith in the screen representation prior to print.