You're going to laugh but I need photo printing advice

[sortof]

I have a bunch of old printers and I am willing to buy a new one but I thought I would try printing some photos on a NOS ip3500. I know it's cheap and I know it's old but it does say "photo printer" on it so I assume someone once intended it for this purpose. 

The prints are garbage on glossy photo papermade by canon. The colors are way off and chaging color management and profiles and driver management seems to do nothing. But, worse, the detail is atroucious, I mean blurry, everything looks like it's running and the inks are new and the printer has not been used. I'm not expecting miracles but why would I buy a better conon printer when this thing acts like this? I can't imagine anyone printing photos on it. 

Am I missing something? doing something wrong? I could have used a new but cheap canon printer/scanner but this said photo printer on it and I was hoping for something. I am printing 4x^ so this is not a micro-detail issue. Anyone?

[jrhoffman75]

Download any updated drivers for your particular OS and see if that helps.

https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/support/details/printers/support-inkjet-printer/ip...

Also run head cleaning and be sure all is well on that front.

[Patrick]

Hi sortof,

Please print a test page from your iP3500.  To do this, please press and hold the RESUME button until the printer light blinks 2 times.  Once printed, please compare your printout to the example below.  Does your test page print correcty?

[sortof]

the colors look light compard with what I am seeing here but it works okay. When I turn up the intensity on the printer it does not look better and the issue for me is more the lack of detail than color accuracy 

[BurnUnit]

What size prints are you making, and what are the pixel dimensions of the image files you're working with?

[sortof]

ive been doing 4X6 prints off of pretty high res files, 300 dpi or better, 3200x1800

[Patrick]

Hi sortof,

What paper type are you printing with?

What version of Windows is installed on your computer?  If using a Mac, what version of OSX is installed?

What application are you printing from?

[sortof]

been using epson ultra premium glossy photo paer

[sortof]

windows 8.1 photoshop

[BurnUnit]

Well then, the problem certainly isn't resolution related.

So just how old is this printer and how new of an operating system are you using it with? If you're using something like Win 10 have you tried installing the printer software in Compatibility Mode for an earlier OS?

Maybe it would help if you could post a photo or a scan of one of the prints so we can maybe see what's actually going on.