Pixma Pro-100 printing very dark

[kmyers]

Hi All, 

I just purchased my Pro-100 and installed last night. I upgraded from an HP that was strictly CMYK (only 4 ink). I installed according to the instructions, but my prints seem to be coming out noticably darker than they should be. The lime greens are printing a darker kelly green. The bright blues are printing a darker royal blue. The bright reds are printing a very dark red. The pinks are printing a dark shade of pink. Skin tones are much, much darker than they should be. 

I am printing from Adobe programs (Illustrator, Photoshop, and Pro - all CS6). Am I missing a setting somewhere? On my previous printer, I would choose "preserve CMYK primaries" and it printed perfectly. Now, I can't seem to get my prints a normal shade. I'm not attempting to "match my monitor", just simply trying to get the colors closer to their true color. I've unchecked preserve CMYK primaries and checked to have the printer decide the colors, but neither of those options seem to be helping. 

I called Canon support, but they were unable to help me. He had me put my settings all back to default and test print. When that didn't work he stated "well printers vary per brand so theres really nothing we can do to fix it". I can't imagine that this great of a printer prints that far off on colors. 

Any help is very greatly appreciated!

[Toby_K]

New printer vs what is on the screen.  Sooooo different.  

[jrhoffman75]

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@Toby_K wrote:

prints from the web site.  

old on the left, new printer on the right.  

new printer is more precise/crisper, which is good.  But its just printing too dark.  😞  The photo doesn't really show how much difference there really is.  

Toby

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The print on the right is closer to what the test image should look like. The one on the left is too light/washed out.

Did you make any adjustments to the image before printing (if you didn't that is good. If you did reset the adjustments to original download.)

A property of the test image is that it has a number of "memory colors" - items that everyone knows what they should look like. The red strawberries, yellow aspen leaves and Monument Valley red rocks look reasonable, but a little too red/magenta; black doesn't look true black. Are you using the ICC profile that applies to the paper you are using?

Have you run a nozzle check/cleaning?

The test image is digitally correct and should pass the digital data directly to the printer; that is why you don't want to make any adjustments in the application software.  - just select the correct media type and corresponding ICC profile.

If the image doesn't come out looking good on its own - don't compare to the monitor - then you need to address a printer issue. I am assuming you are using Canon OEM inks and Canon paper. Is that correct?

Once the printer issue is addressed (and it is not unheard of to have a defective printer) then you make sure the monitor reflects a close approximation of the print. They will never be exact because one is reflected light an the other transmitted backlight.

Does you monitor/display have different settings, like Internet sRGB, Adobe RGB, like that?

[ebiggs1]

Pay very careful to what John said.

However, "I don't want to adjust my screen, as I have hundreds of cards bult with specific color pallets that would take thousands of hours to change." dose not mean your settings and monitor were correct then. If true that is unfortunate. But form where I sit and look at your art your old prints looks washed out. The is probably do to the fact the Canon is a high end "photo" and the old one is not.

This is paramount especially the ink, "I am assuming you are using Canon OEM inks and Canon paper. Is that correct?"

[DundeeTrooper]

Hi Guys,

It's been a few years since the last reply, but I am at a loss to an answer.

I have a Canon Pixma G3501 and it used to print great.  Actually it does print great except it suddenly started to print very dark in the last few days.  I have read many of the threads above, including the screen brightness (which I have at 0/100) and the many setting for PS (which I use) etc.

But I know it's NOT PS or MS Paint which I have both printed off, including emails where the colours are just dark. So I know its the machine settings somewhere and not the software I'm printing from.

I have manually set the printer to Main / Manual / Matching / None, but this has not helped. I've printed out the TEST image with the strawberries and that too is dark.

I am using generic paper at the moment but his should not dramatically change the colours.  I use this paper to get it lined up then use gloss paper (changing the setting) and it usually comes out perfectly.

I've updated the driver and cleaned the heads too.

As I said..... at a loss.

Two images, one I downloaded as I know the colours should be bold, but the printout is dark.

[DundeeTrooper]

Hi John,

As I've said, I use generic paper, so I've not got any ICC profiles installed, I just use the "Standard" and "Plain" settings. Printing the test image, no adjustments (that I am aware of).

KR

[jrhoffman75]

 If you select "None" in the driver then a profile needs to be selected somewhere else. What software are you printing from?

Try selecting "Auto" instead of "None". Then the driver should automatically pick an appropriate profile for the media type you select.

I am assuming that the nozzle check prints correctly.

If you print a webpage does it print correctly?