Will Pro-10 print borderless on fine art papers?

[Bob_H]

I'm considering buying a Pro-10. I basically do nothing but 13x19 bleed prints,

and am aiming to produce archival prints on watercolor paper. 

I saw a review in   dpReview (April 2013)

that said the printer (and perhaps the Pro-1) were unable to print borderless on fineart papers.

The review of the Pro-1 made it seem like a 3 mm border is the default for all prints

(this is ambiguous - maybe the default this could be overridden?)

It's not clear from the article on the Pro-10 if that meant just using Canon software,

just using fine art paper,

and if a workaround was using Photoshop/Elements/Lightroom etc.

The conclusion of the review said that Canon was working on a firmware upgrade to address the issue.

The review was in April.  Has the firmware been updated?

If not, what exactly is the printer able to do?  Is it able to print borderless at all?

Thanks

Bob H

[ebiggs1]

I don't think it will. I don't have the Pro-10 but I do have two Pro-100's and the specs list it as 12.95". But I never print a full borderless 13x19 because the frames are so darned expensive. I use mine for 11x14 most of the time. Which would be, of course, borderless anyway. You are the first person I have run into that said they use 13x19" routinely!

I actually prefer the Pro-100 over the Pro-10. You might want to look at a Pro-100 because the price is fantastic right now. You don't get the archival inks though.

[Bob_H]

I found instructions on using the printer profiles on the site, and it looks like even if managed by Photoshop you still have a border.  Is there any way to set custom sizes?  If not, this is a deal breaker.

I've had a cheapo HP 13x19 dye ink printer (it just died) and have used a Canon 9000.  Both do borderless on 13x19.

I'm afraid I don't understand why upgraded professional printers would do less.  The dpReview article said they had been in contact with Canon and a firmware upgrade was in the works.  That was April 2013.  It would be nice if a Canon rep would jump in here.

Nobody else uses 13x19 bleeds routinely?  I've been doing landscapes using the Photoshop Panorama tool that sort of "demands" large prints.  I've been combining up to eight bleed prints as one image - like these: http://robert-hagan.squarespace.com   For my use at least, I've been using a 13x19 frame by MCS or Lawrence.  I'm in NYC so I get them from Adorama.  Cheap - around $10, though plastic/cheesy.  For better framing, you're right - expensive. 

I'm getting requests for archival prints, so I have to switch to pigment inks with art paper.  Bigger than 13x19, I'm going to have to go to a professional printer. 

Thanks for the reply.  Would still like an "official" response from Canon.

[Karl1]

Hi Bob_H,

As long as you don't choose the Fine art media type setting and use the ICC profile for the Fine Art paper you are using you can print borderless.  Most ICC profile manufacturers I've seen recommend using the Premium Matte driver setting along with their ICC profile which will allow you to print borderless.  The Pro9000 did have the same restriction if you chose Fine Art, but used the same workaround of choosing Matte.  The reason for this is that Canon has found that when you print Borderless on Fine Art Paper using the Fine Art settings, curling of the paper often occured, so it was decided to prevent this that option would be disabled when Fine Art paper was chosen from the Media Type.

[Bob_H]

So is this the "official" solution?

I found this forum after I read the digital photography Review articles on the Pro-1 and Pro-10.   The Pro-10 review showed pictures of wide borders on fine art paper, but suggested that Canon was working on a firmware "fix". 

Is that not the case? 

How well does this workaround actually work? Are there still problems with curling on fine art paper, or does the change in settings prevent this?  If curling is a problem, are there any papers that are known to work better than others?  Or is this a "your mileage may vary, use at your own risk" solution?

Is this workaround documented somewhere?  The only thing I found was instructions on using the icc profiles, and I don't think this is mentioned there.  Also, someone from Canon should probably go back to the review and talk to the reviewer and/or post this explanation there.  My unanswered question in the forum is the last word there.

Thanks

[Bob_H]

An additional question - does the same issue of curling happen on 13x19 photo papers, and/or on smaller fine art paper sizes.

I found an offer to do a letter size test print on the canon web site and that gives the choice of photo/fine art and border/borderless.  Are borderless printed on a larger size and then trimmed? 

I feel I know less now that when I started.

[MarkII]

The curling issue typically occurs with any thicker rag or art type paper. When printing full bleed, the ink is excessively absorbed on the edges and curling may occur.

We recommend following the guidelines for your paper. Selecting the proper size and media will ensure that you receive the most vibrant prints and truest representations of your image.

Printing on larger paper and then cropping the media to your preferred size is a good option as well. Just be sure to give the image ample time to dry or fix to the paper before manipulation.

[doane2u]

I know this is an old thread, but I need clarification. I'm looking at buying a Pro-10 but am concerned about the very limited borders lost when set to art paper types because of smeering? It looks like I would be restricted to largest sizes for art papers being 10-3/4 x 14-5/8" for 11x17 and 12-3/4 x 14-5/8" for 13x19 with no ability to print the longer 14 x 23" in the manual tray?  I don't mind a small border all around of 1/8", but loosing 1-3/8" top and bottom is not acceptable.

I plan to print matte coated art papers, not from Canon, will they still print full size on a different matte setting?

Thanks,

[Patrick]

Hi doane2u,

When using genuine Canon Art Photo Paper with the PIXMA PRO-10, borderless printing is not supported.

When using third party paper, the border size is determined by the paper profile that is provided by that manufacturer.  If you are planning on using third party paper with the PIXMA PRO-10, it is recommended that the manufacturer of that paper is contacted for further assistance.

For a list of the PIXMA PRO-10's supported media types, please use the following link:

https://support.usa.canon.com/kb/index?page=content&id=ART163127

[doane2u]

Thanks, Patrick. I have plans on using different types of actual artist papers, hand made papers, etc. and coating them with InkAid white matte precoat or similar. After printing I will be using artists materials over the printed image. So, basically, I won't have access to a predetermined paper profile and will have to do a bit of expermenting. Since I am not looking at gettting photo perfect results, my main concern is just getting the image onto the paper with out huge borders, as I discussed.  Any suggestions?