Spyder X2 Software
User Guide(Version 6.0)

Spyder X2 Software V6.0

1

Table of Contents
INSTRUMENT SPECIFICATIONS

3

INTRODUCTION

4

WHAT’S IN THE BOX
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTSDOWNLOAD AND ACTIVATE SOFTWAREBEFORE YOU GET STARTED

4
4
4
5

WELCOME6

WORKFLOW7DISPLAY CALIBRATION8DISPLAY SETUPCALIBRATION SETTINGSCALIBRATION (FULLCAL AND RECAL)SAVE PROFILECHECKCALSPYDERPROOF

8
9
11
13
14
15

SPYDERTUNE

16

PROFILE OVERVIEW

17

STUDIOMATCH

18

DISPLAY ANALYSIS

21

SOFTPROOFING

22

PROFILE MANAGEMENT TOOL

23

APPENDIX24TOOLSCURVESINFORMATIONCOLORIMETERTOOLSCURVESINFORMATIONCOLORIMETERHISTORYEDIT CURVESGLOSSARY OF TERMSERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.
ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.
ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.
ERROR! BOOKMARK NOT DEFINED.
24
24
25
25
27
28
29

FAQ’S

31

Spyder X2 Software V6.0

2

Instrument Specifications

Power Requirements
Dimensions

5V DC, 100 mA, via USB connector plugged into personal computer
Width: 44.8 mm
Height: 76.0 mm
Length: 79.1 mm
Weight: 140g
Operating Temperature:
5°C to 40° C

Environmental Requirements

Agency Compliance

Maximum Relative Humidity:
80% for temperatures up to 31°C decreasing linearly to 50%
relative humidity at 40°C
Maximum Altitude:2,000 meters
SGS, CSA, C-Tick, CE

This product is to be used only as specified by the manufacturer, and according
to the instructions for operation and maintenance provided herein. The protectionof the device may be impaired if used in a manner not specified by the
manufacturer.

Main Company Office:Datacolor, Inc.
5 Princess Road
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648

Spyder X2 Software V6.0

Manufacturing Facility:
Datacolor Suzhou
288 Shengpu Road
Suzhou, Jiangsu
P.R. China 215021

3

Introduction
Thank you for purchasing your new Spyder X2 monitor calibrator. This document
will guide you through using your Spyder X2 software to get the most accurate
color from your display(s).

What’s in the Box••••

Spyder X2 Sensor
Serial Number
Welcome Card with link to software and support resources
USB-A Adapter

System Requirements
•
•
•
•
•

Windows 10,11 32/64
Mac OS X 10.14, 10.15, 11 (Big Sur), 12 (Monterey), 13 (Ventura)
Monitor resolution 1280x768 or greater, 16-bit video card (24 bitrecommended), 1GB of available RAM, 500 MB of available hard disk
Internet connection for software download
USB-C or USB-A port

Download and Activate Software
Download the software from http://goto.datacolor.com/getspyderx2 and open thefile to install.
Plug your Spyder X2 into a direct port on your computer (not on a keyboard, hub,or extension cable). If your computer does not have a USB-C port, use theincluded USB-A adapter. This cable provides power and communications
between the Spyder X2 and your computer.
Open the Spyder X2 application and follow the prompts to activate the software.
Note: Your serial number is located in the Spyder X2 box under the sensor.
A license code is provided after activation on another machine. Please reach out
to Datacolor Spyder support to recover a lost license code.

Spyder X2 Software V6.0

4

Before you get started

The first screen will provide you with condition reminders before starting acalibration.

•
•
•
•

Warm Up
Ensure your display has been powered up for at least 30 minutes prior to
doing a calibration.
Lighting Conditions
Ensure there is no direct light falling on your display as this could havean adverse effect on your calibration.
Display Controls
If your computer has these controls, set them to the default settings orequivalent and deactivate any auto brightness features.
Spyder Connection
Ensure your Spyder X2 is plugged into a direct port on your computer.
Avoid using a keyboard, hub, or extension cable port as this could
prevent the device from getting the proper data flow.

Once you have completed these steps, click Continue.

Spyder X2 Software V6.0

5

Welcome
Choose what you would like to do: Calibrate My Display(s) (1) or Soft Proofing(2). Click on your selection and click Next.

Spyder X2 Software V6.0

6

Workflow
Choose a workflow: Display Calibration (1), Studio Match (2), or Display
Analysis (3). Click on your selection and click Next.

Spyder X2 Software V6.0

7

Display Calibration
Display Setup
If you have more than one display connected to your computer, choose thedisplay you want to calibrate from the dropdown menu. The software willautomatically move to the selected display.

Ensure the Display Information (2) is correct. If not, click Edit and change theinformation.
Ensure the Display Type (3) is correct. If not, click on the correct descriptor.
Select the Display Technology (4) that best describes your monitor. Clicking oneach option will provide a detailed description of each backlight type.
Identity and select (5) the controls available for adjustment on your monitor or
select None of the above.
Once you have made all the necessary selections, click Next (6).

Spyder X2 Software V6.0

8

Calibration Settings
Calibration TypeIf this is your first time calibrating this display, you will automatically have Full
Calibration selected. On subsequent calibrations you can choose to do a
FullCAL, ReCAL, or a CheckCAL.
FullCAL (full calibration) uses the entire sequence of patch measurements tocalibrate your screen.
ReCAL (recalibration) uses a subset sequence of patch measurements to updatea previously created FullCAL.
CheckCAL (check calibration) evaluates the accuracy of your current calibration.

Select your settings for Gamma, White Point, and Brightness from thedropdown menus (2), or select Other to type in your own values. You also havethe option to select Target (3) settings based on industry standards that willchange these settings for you from the dropdown menu.
Choose if you want to measure your Room Light (4) to help set the brightness of
your display properly based on the level of lighting in your room. Selecting On
will prompt a notification when a room light level change is detected. Selecting
Automatic Room Light Switching* will create multiple profiles that the software
will change between automatically when a room light level change is detected.
Please note, both options require the Spyder X2 sensor to be plugged into yourcomputer to detect the changes in light.
Spyder X2 Software V6.0

9

Choose if you want Gray Balance Calibration (5). Faster will do the minimalgray balance required to get a calibration. Better will do an iterative gray balanceby measuring more target patches to create a more precise calibration. Offshould only be used when calibrating a front projector.
You also have the option to measure your current ambient light with the RoomLight Analysis (6).
Once you have made your selections, click Next (7).
If you selected Room Light – On (previous screen), the software will take areading of your room light. Place the Spyder X2 on your desk and ensure no
direct light is falling on your display or the Spyder X2. Click Next to measure yourcurrent ambient light for recommended target settings based on thismeasurement. Select to keep the settings you selected on the previous screen or
accept these recommended settings. Click Next.

Spyder X2 Software V6.0

10

Calibration (FullCAL and ReCAL)

Follow the prompts to place your Spyder X2 on the screen. Remove the cover ofthe sensor as it is used as a counterweight so that the calibrator remains in placeand flat against the screen.
We recommend that you slightly tilt your display back so the unit rests against
the screen without you having to hold it in place. Click Continue/ Next. A seriesof color patches will flash on the screen.
If you selected any controls on the Display Setup screen, the calibration process
will ask you to adjust your display to be within recommended levels.

Make adjustments and hit the Update (1) button to prompt the software toremeasure. Repeat this process until the Current (2) value is as close as
possible to the Target (3) value.
Spyder X2 Software V6.0

11

Note: The display may not be able to fall within the Target range. Adjust to be as
close as possible.

Once you have completed your adjustments, click Continue (4).
Once the calibration measurements are completed, click Finish.

Spyder X2 Software V6.0

12

Save profile
Enter the name you would like to save the profile as. Here is a sample file namewe think works best to keep an archive of your monitor profiles:“Make_Model_yyyymmdd(date)_ver1”
You can also set a reminder of when to recalibrate your display, we recommend
once a month.
Click Save then Next.

Spyder X2 Software V6.0

13

CheckCAL
A CheckCAL will quickly see if your display needs calibration. Follow the prompts
to place the Spyder X2 on the screen and take measurements of a small amountof color patches. When finished, a report will be generated to confirm if thecurrent settings match your target settings. Green check marks denote a pass,
and red X marks denote a value out of the acceptable range and recalibration isrecommended. Click your choice to Recalibrate or continue with Next.

Spyder X2 Software V6.0

14

SpyderProof
Review the calibration results by comparing images in Calibrated andUncalibrated (1) view by clicking the toggle.

You can click the image to zoom in for more detail.
Click Open Custom (3) to choose a .tiff or .jpeg image from your computer files
for review.
Choose from the dropdown menu (4) to switch between the standard set
image or your custom image.
Click SpyderTune (5) or Next (6).

Spyder X2 Software V6.0

15

SpyderTune
These settings should only be changed if you want to match multiple monitorswith different backlight technologies, as it will change the precise correction doneby the Spyder X2 calibration.

If you are using multiple displays and they work with different backlighttechnologies and different panels, matching them can be difficult and acompromise to match the screens may be required to achieve alignment. Only
use SpyderTune if absolutely necessary.
You can change the White Point (1) from Cool to Warm and from Magenta to
Green. You can also change the intensity of the Gamma (2) and Brightness (3).
We recommend using the better display as the standard and only tune the otherdisplay profiles to match the standard view. If you made a mistake, you can click
Reset (4) to reset the sliders to the original state of the Spyder X2 calibration.
Once you have completed your adjustments, click Save Adjustments (5).
Click Next.

Spyder X2 Software V6.0

16

Profile Overview
View your display gamut and compare to industry standards or profiles you
previously made.

Click Quit (1) if you have completed your calibration(s) or Calibrate Another
Display (2) if you have another display connected to this computer that you wantto calibrate.

Spyder X2 Software V6.0

17

StudioMatch
Choose the displays you want to match as closely as possible with calibration. If
you are matching displays from another machine, enter the Lowest Brightness
Value. If you haven’t calibrated the other machines yet, leave this blank.

Click Next and follow the prompts to place your Spyder X2 on the screen tomeasure maximum brightness of your connected monitors. Ensure yourbrightness is set to its maximum before clicking Measure. Click Finish.

Spyder X2 Software V6.0

18

The software will take a reading of your room light. Place the Spyder X2 on yourdesk and ensure no direct light is falling on your display or the Spyder X2. Click
Next to measure your current ambient light for recommended target settings
based on this measurement.

You can keep these recommended settings or select values from the dropdown
menus. Remember the Targeted Brightness value if you are going to match
displays from another machine. Click Next.

Spyder X2 Software V6.0

19

Click Save to create the target file. You will see the file’s save location to use if
you are going to match displays from another machine. Click Next.

The calibration process will begin. Follow the prompts and move the sensor toeach display connected to your system when needed.

Spyder X2 Software V6.0

20

Display Analysis
Run a series of 6 tests on your monitor to see its strengths and weaknesses.

Select the tests you wish to perform and click Begin Tests. Follow the prompts
to place the sensor and change the brightness on your display.
Note: All tests other than Color Accuracy are performed with the current display
profile disabled, to show how your display behaves in an uncalibrated state.
When performing the Brightness and Contrast test, the first portion of the test will
have you set your display to 0% brightness. Once you click Measure it will takeabout 10 seconds to perform the test. As your screen will be fully dimmed it will
be difficult to see when the test is complete, please wait about 10 seconds before
turning the brightness up to continue.
Once finished, select View Report to see the results of all the tests you selected.

Spyder X2 Software V6.0

21

SoftProofing
Improve “Screen-to-Print” matching with this workflow of tools to simulate how
your photos will look on any printer or device – including home printers, online orretail printers, and certain mobile/tablet devices.
If you are using a home printer, you may already have ICC profiles installed onyour computer. If you don’t and would like to profile your printer, we recommend
using our SpyderPRINT product.
If you want to SoftProof for a retail or online print provider, go to and search theirwebsite for ICC printer profiles to download.
Click Add Folder or Add Files to add .tiff or .jpeg images to the SoftProof list.
Select a profile from the Device to Simulate dropdown.
The preview area will simulate your selected image from the SoftProof list using
the selected profile.

Spyder X2 Software V6.0

22

SpyderUtility
Profile Management Tool
Have complete monitor profile flexibility and control with this tool that allows you
to turn off, switch, delete, and rename existing profiles.
Click on the SpyderUtility icon in the menu bar/system tray and click Profile
Management.

Spyder X2 Software V6.0

23

1-Click Calibration
A recalibration can also be performed using the ‘1-click calibration method’. Clickon the SpyderUtility icon in the menu bar/system tray. Then select the monitor
you would like to calibrate. Complete the calibration process as you would
normally.

**Note: 1-Click Calibration is only available for your monitor(s) after you havecompleted a full calibration in the software.

Appendix
Tools
CurvesCompare the different gamma and white point adjustment parameters of yourdisplay in the form of a graphical curves.

Spyder X2 Software V6.0

24

Information
View a report of absolute values for the current calibration of the selecteddisplay.

Colorimeter
Use your Spyder X2 to measure any RGB color on the screen.

Spyder X2 Software V6.025

Use the Backlight (1)popup to select which backlight setting will be used when
taking measurements.
After typing in your RGB values, place your Spyder X2 on the color patch in thewindow and select Take Reading (2) . The results are displayed in different setsof coordinates.

Spyder X2 Software V6.0

26

History
You'll typically change the Brightness settings of your display to match a
Brightness target setting from the Calibration Settings screen. This windowshows you luminance data measured during your display calibrations.

Use the dropdown to switch between displays which have saved calibration
results for your computer. Switch between the Luminance Graph and Detailed
Data... to see the history as a graph or numeric values.

Spyder X2 Software V6.0

27

Edit Curves
Adjust the Calibrated curve using the arrows (1) below the graph to change eachcontrol point.

As you adjust the shape of the Calibrated curve, you’ll see the effect of thesechanges in real time on your calibrated display.
Click OK to save the results into a Target (.tgt) file and use as a gamma
calibration target in the future.

Spyder X2 Software V6.0

28

Glossary of Terms
AdobeRGB
Default color space for computer displays.
Ambient Light
Light from any source, other than the display, that reaches the screen surface.
Brightness
Amount of light radiating from the screen.
Calibrate
To measure and correct by comparison with a standard, of the correct value or
each reading on a measuring instrument.
CandelaBasic unit of luminous intensity.
Color Temperature
Measurement of the color of white light, expressed in degrees Kelvin. The color
temperature is the color of light a perfect black-body radiator emits when heatedto the temperature. Computer monitors typically have a color temperature of
5000-9300 Kelvin: 5000 Kelvin is a yellow-white, 9300 Kelvin is a blue-white and6500 Kelvin is a standard white point that matches daylight at noon.
Contrast
Difference in color and/or brightness of an image and other images within thesame field of view.
CurvesGraph of tonal response characteristics in the display.
Gamma
Non-linear operation used to code and decode brightness values in an image.
Gamut
Refers to the complete set of colors which can be reproduced/captured by adevice.
KelvinKelvin scale is a measure of temperature, starting from absolute zero.
Luminance
Amount of light emitted or reflected from a surface.
NTSC
Default color space for television.
OSD
Abbreviation for “On-Screen Display”.
ProfileData file used to define and match color.
Room Light(See Ambient Light.)
Saturation
Intensity of a color, expressed as the degree to which it differs from white. Can
also be described as vividness or richness of a color.
sRGB
Default color space for the Internet.

Spyder X2 Software V6.0

29

Tone
Lightness, brightness or value of a patch in an image: dark tones correspond to
shadows, light tones correspond to highlight areas.
White Point(See Color Temperature.)

Spyder X2 Software V6.0

30

FAQ’s
1. What does calibrate mean?
To measure and correct by comparison with a standard, of the correct
value or each reading on a measuring instrument.
2. What is a profile?
A data file that describes the color behavior of a physical device (such asa scanner, monitor, or printer) or that defines the color of an abstract color
space (such as Adobe RGB or ColorMatch RGB) in terms of a deviceindependent color model (such as CIE LAB or CIE XYZ). Used by colormanagement systems to define and match color.
3. What is the Curves window?
It provides a graphical display of the tonal response characteristics of themonitor system. This includes representations of the monitor’s default
behavior, the desired behavior and the actual behavior.
4. What does color temperature mean?
It is a measurement of the color of white light, expressed in degrees
Kelvin. (The Kelvin scale is a measure of temperature, starting fromabsolute zero.) The color temperature is the color of light a perfect blackbody radiator emits when heated to the temperature. Computer monitors
typically have a color temperature of 5000-9300 Kelvin: 5000 Kelvin is ayellow-white, 9300 Kelvin is a blue-white and 6500 Kelvin is a standard
white point that matches daylight at noon
5. What is native white point?
The native white point is the color temperature that the monitor hardware
exhibits without any software calibration applied. With some monitors it
can be adjusted with front panel controls, with others, it is fixed, and can
only be corrected with software adjustments.
6. What is ambient light?
Light from any source, other than the projection device, that reaches thescreen surface. The amount of ambient light affects the contrast, andresolution of the screen.
7. How do I receive software updates?
Datacolor is constantly working to improve and upgrade our software.
These updates are then posted in the ‘Software Upgrades’ section of our
website, where our customers can download them free of charge. The
only thing the customer needs in order to successfully install their
Datacolor update is their serial number.

Spyder X2 Software V6.0

31

8. Where is my software serial number?
Your serial number will be either 17 or 18 digits long; depending on yourapplication. It is located on the inside of your box under the hardware
device. Please do not confuse this with the hardware serial number foryour hardware device(s).
9. Why don’t my monitors look the same after calibration?
Visual observation of two monitors sitting side-by-side will never appear tomatch. Even if they are the same type, make and model, two displays will
have subtle differences that are readily discerned in side-by-side
comparison, but become negligible when each display is viewed
separately.
Comparing a CRT monitor to an LCD monitor will be even less rewarding
because of the inherent differences in display technology. In a side-byside comparison between a CRT and an LCD, the LCD will always beperceived as 'brighter' and having 'higher contrast'. This is because thepeak luminance of an LCD is typically about twice that of a CRT, evenwhen you calibrate both monitors to have the same Gamma and White
Point.
To compound the effect, the organic eye-brain colorimeter (aka humancolor perception) causes one kind of difference to be perceived as if itwere another kind of difference. Even if two samples have the same color
but different luminance, they will be perceived as also different in color.
Thus, when you calibrate a CRT and an LCD to the same Gamma andWhite Point and place the monitors next to each other, the fact that the
LCD is twice as bright will cause them to appear different in color even if
an instrument records identical chromaticities.
The human visual system has another powerful feature, referred to as'adaptation'. For example, if you move from a room with incandescentlighting to one that is lit with fluorescent tubes, you will initially perceive
white objects as having a bluish cast, and possibly brighter than they
were. However, after a few minutes, your visual system 'adapts' to the
new environment and your 'adapted' perception is that white objects are
merely white.
Visual adaptation allows us to use two different technologies, like CRT
and LCD, to view the same image file with similar perception. However, if
you place two different monitors side-by-side and view themsimultaneously, the visual system cannot adapt to both simultaneously.
They will always appear different (in color, luminance and contrast) due tothat very sensitive 'comparison' function of human visual perception.

Spyder X2 Software V6.0

32

Therefore, a side-by-side comparison of two monitors is not a reasonable
metric for determining whether you can use each monitor individually andachieve similar results. A better test would be to put each monitor in a
separate room, displaying the same image file (using the same software).
Then view the image on monitor 1, allowing time for visual adaptation.
Next, move to monitor 2, again allowing time for visual adaptation.
In such a test it is important to confirm that the image file being viewed
has an embedded ICC profile that accurately defines its color space. Alsothat Photoshop's Color Settings are set such that the embedded color
profile is used, and that each monitor is correctly calibrated, profiled andits profile is set as the current monitor profile.
10. What is Datacolor’s technical support policy?
Datacolor provides technical support at no additional charge. If you have aquestion, please visit our support site:
support.datacolor.com

Spyder X2 Software V6.0

33