topic Re: Canon Pixma Pro-100 prints very dark in Professional Photo Printers

Canon Pixma Pro-100 prints very dark

nsrkb — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 00:58:43 GMT

I see that this is a recuring problem with the Canon Pixma Pro-100, but as nothing I have found online helps I'm asking and are hoping that someone can solve this problem for me.

Just picked up a Pixma Pro-100 today, and installed it on my 2011 iMac 27" (Yosemite) with downloaded drivers from Canon's website to be sure i have the latest ones. I also checked the printers firmware but that's the latest at 1.100. Wether I'm printing via Lightroom or Photoshop; or via Canon Print Studio Pro, My Image Garden, or via LR / PS directly; with- or without PS as color manager; the prints turns out to be much to dark.

I have to set an exposure of +2/3 in LR to be anywhere close to getting the same result as on the screen. I'm also careful to select the right ICC profiles for the correct paper. My monitor is calibrated with an Spyder4pro and I also re-calibrated it during this process to see if that helped.

Well. Long story short; the prints are to dark. So i borrowed my wife's 2013 MacBook Pro (Yosemite) Spyder4pro, and installed the latest drivers from Canon. Again; on this machine the prints are also to dark with about +2/3 to correct for the printer to do something that looks like the monitor. Both monitors are also set to about 30% brightness.

I also have access to an Epson Stylus Photo R3000 and the prints from this comes out much brighter.

Sadly I see that many others also have the same problem. So; here's the question. How do I fix this? Do i have to return the printer again and get a refund? Because this is clearly not good enough.

Re: Canon Pixma Pro-100 prints very dark

jrhoffman75 — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 03:06:45 GMT

Two items. 1. What brightness do you have your monitor set at? 2. Download the test image from this site: http://outbackprint.outbackphoto.com/printinginsights/pi049/essay.html

And print it without making any adjustments to it. How does it look?

Re: Canon Pixma Pro-100 prints very dark

nsrkb — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 03:33:45 GMT

1. At this moment my monitor brightness are 85. I calibrated it when it was at the same brightness. And i have downloaded and printed the test image with the correct ICC profiles selected.

On the lower left patch ramp (the black) i can; on my monitor see the difference between 2 and 2. On the print (Canon Luster paper) i cant distinquish between 2 and 6 (2 and 8 is the first one that's clearly different).

Colors looks great but to dark. As it has been since i first installed it.

Re: Canon Pixma Pro-100 prints very dark

jrhoffman75 — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 03:45:59 GMT

You can go into the printer driver and boost the brightness.

http://forums.usa.canon.com/t5/media/gallerypage/image-id/6565i1210DEFF47CBACE0

Re: Canon Pixma Pro-100 prints very dark

nsrkb — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 03:55:48 GMT

Yes i can. But that's guessing regarding the brightness and i still won't be able to get it right without a printer calibration tool, or a working ICC profile / working driver.

It looks to me that it's more of a contrast problem than a brightness problem. But that would probably end up in me having to guess again.

There's a difference between fixing the decease and hiding the symptom. I believe in the first one and i "refuse" to believe there's nothing that can be done besides having to play games every time i want to print.

Re: Canon Pixma Pro-100 prints very dark

jrhoffman75 — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 20:53:04 GMT

Hello again. I recognize that a print is good if you like it and bad if you don't, despite what others might say, but I will at least share my experiences. They might help you or others who are following this thread.

My monitor is calibrated with Spyder 3. Gamma 2.2, 6500K, 83 cd/m^2. Contrast at 50%; brightness about 52%. My monitor lets me choose blackness level - it defaults to 50%.

When I print the test image I linked to above, using Lightroom, with no adjustments, my technical output is as follows:

Middle step wedge shows twelve disticnt steps. Whitest step is color of unprinted paper.

It varies from paper to paper, but I can discerne at least the 252 step and on some papers 253 - telling me I have good highlight detail.

On the black side I discerne 8 or 10, nothing lower. (That sounds like what you are reporting).

Artistically I am very happy how my print looks - nice red strawberries, good flesh tones, etc.

One my monitor, the on-screen image is almost identical to the print. I am surprised that you can see the 2 wedge step on screen at a very similar brightness.

I also checked out this B&W test image:

http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/article_pages/bw_printing/bw-test-image-2.html

You are probably aware of this since you are printing with Print Studio Pro, but others may not be.

You can print a series of test images:

find the one that best suits your taste, enter the calibration values in PSP, and save them as a custom setting. Then, each time you want to print recall the setting.

You can do a similar thing in Lightroom using the printer driver and User Templates.

There would be some one-time trial and error to that approach.

Re: Canon Pixma Pro-100 prints very dark

nsrkb — Sat, 13 Dec 2014 07:24:34 GMT

Thank You for Your answers. But sadly i have "been there, done that" on all of Your advices.

I'm returning the printer on Monday and are replacing it with an equal printer from Epson as i have only good experiences with that brand and the prints i get without using hours tinkering settings.

This was my first (and last) Canon printer.

Re: Canon Pixma Pro-100 prints very dark

ebiggs1 — Sun, 14 Dec 2014 14:08:09 GMT

Of course that is an option but I will suspect you will have to do some "tweaking" of it's, or you laptop's setting's also.

I like Epson printers, they do a great job. I switched from them to Canon. They (Epson) tend to be cool and Canon tends to be warm. Maybe what you are seeing as dark or brighter. For people pictures, warm is more pleasing.

You can get your Pro-100 to print very well. Many, many 1000's of have. You don't need all the ambigious settings offered and suggested but you do need to do a few essential things. The Epson will be no different.

Laptops are not the best printing platforms for the best prints but they can work.

Re: Canon Pixma Pro-100 prints very dark

nsrkb — Sun, 14 Dec 2014 03:09:15 GMT

I simply love the colors from the Canon. The main reason i bought a Canon and not an Epson. So that's not the issue. The issue is that the prints are getting to dark. Simple as that. And it's not a case of "it's a little bit to dark". It's quite extreme. I have tested now for a few days, and still have one day mor of testing before i return it (if i don't find a solution quickly). I have now used up the black, and "light black" and are running low on all other colors. _ONLY_ because of the Canon printers lack of ability to give me the prints that i want.

Untill now i have only used HP and Epson. It's not even the case of me being a novice as i have printed- and sold my photos for well over eight years. So i have some idea of what i'm doing when it comes to tweaking, calibrating and creating ICC profiles for different settings.

Can't say I see the link between what kind of machine and the prints. Both my iMac 27" and MacBook Pro 15" are printing equally good. So does my wifes MBP 15".

But the Canon Pixma Pro-100 are by far the worst printer i have worked with. I want more than good colors in my prints. I want it all.

Re: Canon Pixma Pro-100 prints very dark

ebiggs1 — Sun, 14 Dec 2014 14:19:26 GMT

"So i have some idea of what i'm doing when it comes to tweaking, ..."

You have me wondering about that statement because like I said, the Pro-100 works for man, many of us. No disrespect meant, please. My only goal is wanting to get you satisified. However, at this point I think a return and a different (brand) printer is the best solution for you. Sometimes people get so frustrated with something, a change is best. Not saying it's right or wrong, good or bad, but the best choice.

Barring a factory defect with the printer, though, it will do a fabulous job. Of that there is no doubt. I use three of them.

Re: Canon Pixma Pro-100 prints very dark

suetwo — Sun, 23 Aug 2015 22:46:34 GMT

I bought the Canon Pro-100 too about two months ago. I am having the same problems you wrote into this forum about. I am wondering if you were ever able to conquer the issue of the dark photos? Did you return the printer?

Thank

Sue

Re: Canon Pixma Pro-100 prints very dark

jrhoffman75 — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 00:28:31 GMT

Hi Sue. So we can assist you better, are you saying:

1. you tried the recommended advise and it didn't work for you or

2. are you asking if the advise worked for the others before you spend time trying it?

Re: Canon Pixma Pro-100 prints very dark

suetwo — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 01:04:29 GMT

Hi John

I calibrated my monitor and I also followed your suggestion to make sure that the printer

doesn’t have any preferences or presets enabled.

I did see a little bit of an improvement at that point but it is still a far cry from the quality

Of the prints I got from my Canon i9900. Is this because this is a cheaper printer?

I don’t recall ever having any of these issues with my i9900.

I use more than PhotoShop for printing. I also print from Illustrator and InDesign because

many times there is text involved. My images get placed into those programs.

Thanks

Sue

Re: Canon Pixma Pro-100 prints very dark

jrhoffman75 — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 01:21:22 GMT

Hi Sue. Have you tried to print the test image? Have you tried printing in Photoshop using Canon Print Shop Pro?

If you can't get it to print right for you call the Canon phone support line. I have used the email and phone support and have gotten prompt effective response.

The Pro-100 is an excellent printer. Have Canon get it right for you.

Re: Canon Pixma Pro-100 prints very dark

suetwo — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 01:57:41 GMT

Hi John

You know, I adjusted the paper settings in the print settings dialogue box

and the print is the best Ive seen yet. Much closer to what I am viewing on screen.

Thans for all your advice

Sue

Re: Canon Pixma Pro-100 prints very dark

jrhoffman75 — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 02:01:58 GMT

That's good news.