PRO-100 True B&W Prints

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Hello,

I just received my PRO-100 printer and I am trying to print a "true" black and white print. The two test prints I have created have a color cast to them and I cannot get rid of it.

I received a test print from Canon of the same image printed using the Canon PRO-1. It is a truly stunning print. The PRO-1 is currently out of my price range, hopefully that will change in the future, but for now I have the PRO-100. I understand the differences between DYE and Pigment but the issue isn't there. The issue seems to be that I just cannot turn off color from being introduced onto the final print.

The image was multiple color raw files combined into an HDR image, then converted to B&W. I have tried using LR4 to print the image with color correction set to none on the printer driver, and have also tried using the "Black and white" button within the Canon PRO-100 print dialog.

Questions are:

Is the PRO-100 Capable of utilizing just the black, grey, and light grey inks to produce a "Black and White" Print?

If it is, how is this accomplished?

My older Pixma Pro9000 printed just using the black cartridge; it at least printed a black and white print without any color cast.

Thank you.

[ebiggs1]

In Print Studio Pro, when the Print Black and White Photo checkbox is selected, images are converted to black and white data.

Color tones in black and white printing are delicate. In Print Studio Pro, you can finely adjust color tones for black and white printing. Produce subtle color tones by combining with color adjustment of the image editing software. In addition, you can print with the same settings repeatedly since the specified settings can be registered.

Besides selecting Cool Tone, Black and White or Warm Tone, you can finely adjust colors.
In addition, in order to find the color tone you want, you can utilize Pattern Print to view images with slightly varying color tones at one time.

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My point is that I have already converted the image to black and white via software prior to starting the printer dialog.

Images are processed in Lightroom, converted to black and white via Silver Efex (or Photoshop), I may follow up with further processing by dodging, burning, levels adjustment, etc... Color is removed from the image. If I wanted a sepia or other tones added to the image I would incorporate that into my process.

I want a black and white image. Canon, or it's printer, the PRO-100 in this case, is adding color where I am asking for none.

I'll have to look at the images under a loop or a spectrograph to check the color, but I can see a color cast with the PRO-100 software set at None (for matching) and neutral (under the toning).

I also checked using Print Studion Pro from within Lightroom. When I select "Print Black and White Photo" my image quality drops from 1 to 2. Has Canon set this to only allow 2 as the highest quality image if B&W image is selected?

I never had these issues with the Pixma Pro9000.

I upgraded to the PRO-100 for the additional monochrome inks to help with tonal gradations between black and white, not to have color thrown in. There must be a way of COMPLETELY turning off the adding of color.

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Just wanted to add this from Canon's site for the Feature List of the PRO-100

True Monochrome Prints:
The 3 monochrome inks
which are part of the 8-ink ChromaLife 100+ system3 consist of Black,
Gray, and Light Gray. These inks deliver enhanced, deep black density to raise
your level of professional print quality when creating the dramatic expression
of grayscale photography.

If I am missing something I hope someone on this forum can help. 🙂

[Tinman]

Blumb:

I hope that you get an answer as I am in the same boat as you. I just want to print a B&W photo that does not have a blue or yellow cast. I do not want to adjust every feature in the print dialog box just to accomplish this task.

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Tinman,

I am with you.

Grayscale should be shades of gray NOT well a little bit of cyan, magenta, yellow, etc... because some programmer decided not to let us have a TRUE monochrome print.

[ebiggs1]

This is a photo of a little boy that I printed with PS and my Pixma Pro-100.

All the settings are the defaults that come with the printer except B&W is selected in the Printer settings. The Color match is set to Auto.

All the settings are defaults for the color print. The Color match is Auto.

PS converted it to B&W and PS is set to manage color on both prints. It seems pretty good to me and if I did a little tweaking I could probably make it even better.

The print was scanned on my Canon Canoscan 9000f so it could be posted from the actual print.

[Tinman]

To bad Canon does not state that you must purchase Photoshop to use with a Pro-100 if B&W prints are to be made. When I make color prints I have no problems. It should be the same with B&W.

[ebiggs1]

Well if you want me to, I can do the same prints with LR but I suspect it will look the same.

I really don't know how to help you. 

The printer will print B&W. Something is a fowl here. I doubt PS is required to print B&W. It is just the preffered software I use along with LR and Bridge.

What color seems to be in your B&W prints. Possibly you could add a filter to remove it. If it is a reddish, you could add some cooling filter. Just thinking out loud, now.

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I am sure that the printer will print in true monochrome as it was intended.

As stated in my previous post, the file was of a HDR bracketed images, converted to black and white within Silver Efex, dodged and burned within PS CS6, and then returned to Lightroom.

I sent the same image to Canon to have it tested on the PRO-1 and the PRO-100 and it was printed on Ilford Galleria Gold silk Paper, using their "Try my print" service.

The print from the PRO-1 is nothing short of amazing; beautiful tonality, crisp detail, and a true monochrome print.

The print from the PRO-100 is good but not as crisp, and with a slight color cast, towards green I would say.

I thought it was maybe the paper as the Gold Silk is primarily used with Pigment inks.

Granted, I have only tried printing with the supplied Pro Luster paper, but the prints of the same image has the same greenish cast to them. I tried first with LR managing the color and then the printer managing the color.

If my scanner was working properly I would scan them and attach the images.

If you go to the print properties dialog box you will see that you cannot turn off all of the colors. The software allows a warm or cool toned print while the black and white image is selected. Granted, this may be wanted in some cases. In this case I want a PURE monochrome print. I should have the option of having no color added to the final image.

There is also the case where once you select black and white image, the quality also drops in the dialog, you may no longer select a quality of 1, 2 is the Max when printing B&W. If you have the quality set to 1 then select "black and white" the quality level drops to 3; unless you have "always print in the finest quality setting" selected in the advanced print settings dialog; even then it only allows a Max quality of 2 with black and white prints.

This weekend when I have more time to devote to the printer I will run more test prints to see where the cast is; maybe try the pattern print option. I may also see about profiling the printer but without a high and profiteered it will be difficult.

Sorry for the rant...