Canon ip4200 Help needed

[snappa]

I am getting desperate ! I have bought a Canon ip4200 and I am having a few problems.
I have set up a separate file for some piccies in My Documents. When I click on a picture my PC automatically enables Photoshop Elements and the picture appears there. This means I can dabble before printing.
When the picture appears it is perfect apart from slight sharpening which I then do. However when the picture prints it is considerably darker than the picture shown on PE.
I have tried adjusting the Brightness, Intensity, Paper type and Print type. Adjusting these makes no difference whatsoever. Every print comes out exactly the same. The only thing left to try is the colour profiles of which there are six. As I have little idea what these are I thought best to leave well enough alone but I am getting frustrated with my inability to produce a lighter print.
The prints are superb from such a cheap printer but they are too dark.
Any help would be much appreciated.

[snappa]

Anybody please ? Forgot to mention that when I click on the picture and XP transfers me to PE then a window appears asking whether I would like the picture to be in the default colour depth. I usually click "Yes" which may be the problem.
If I click "No" then I get another message stating that "Could not open because the file uses a colour depth not supported by PE". ?

[The Hardcard]

I can give you a solution for Photoshop, which may help with PE.

If you have "Print with Preview," go to that, select Color Management in the lower section, then go to Color Handling in the Options grouping. Select "Let Printer Determine Colors".

This is assuming you are using color management. If not you need to enable use of Microsoft ICM in the printer screen, I don't directly recall how to do that, (I don't have access to my PC now).

I have the iP4200 and I have so far found that it is bess to tell the printer driver that you are printing on Photo Paper Pro, regardless of the actual paper you are using. So far it is the one that looks most accurate and pleasant, even for plain paper.

[guitarman]

Originally Posted by The Hardcard

I can give you a solution for Photoshop, which may help with PE.

If you have "Print with Preview," go to that, select Color Management in the lower section, then go to Color Handling in the Options grouping. Select "Let Printer Determine Colors".

This is assuming you are using color management. If not you need to enable use of Microsoft ICM in the printer screen, I don't directly recall how to do that, (I don't have access to my PC now).

I have the iP4200 and I have so far found that it is bess to tell the printer driver that you are printing on Photo Paper Pro, regardless of the actual paper you are using. So far it is the one that looks most accurate and pleasant, even for plain paper.

I think it could differ depending on the paper you use. Although I have a Pixma 8500 I use Ilford paper with the available profiles for my printer. Ilfords suggestion was to use photo paper + glossy for the classic/smooth pearl paper. It turns out very nice. I used canons photo paper pro which is pretty expensive and I thought it wasn't very good.

[The Hardcard]

Well, I haven't really used any photo paper yet. On plain paper, all the other setting have an reddish-orange cast to them compared to a photo that appears correct on the monitor. The Pro setting makes the print have the same colors as is on the monitor, at least so far for me.

[snappa]

Thanks for the help guys. I did try the Photo Paper Pro thing and it did not make any difference on either plain paper or photographic paper. It seems that as soon as you settle for the default colour depth, on PE, then that is it !
I may be totally wrong but I cannot see how a different paper would do the trick. If guitarman could not get good results using Canon paper with a Canon printer then all may well be lost.
I did ask a boffin at my work and he suggested that PE does not have sufficient colours available hence the default window. He then suggested that I use a different application.
I shall have to try different papers and possibly start to tinker with the different colour management settings.
Anybody else with any suggestions would be more than welcome.
Thank you again.

[Redr8]

Have you done the screen calibration? Might help out a little too if your settings are way off.

Start --> Control Panel --> Adobe Gamma

Hope that helps.

[snappa]

Thank you Redr8. I have not calibrated the screen yet. I would like the printer to print the pictures exactly as they appear on the screen. At the risk of appearing totally stupid I do not understand how calibrating the screen will affect the colours of the prints other than if the calibration makes the screen darker.

[The Hardcard]

It may or may not be the issue. You definitely will have a harder time solving the problem unless you have a reasonably calibrated monitor. One of the main things calibrated is gamma. Gamma affects the brightness of the screen. It is very possible that you have the wrong gamma, in that many people prefer a bright gamma to look at on screen. While more pleasing to many eyes, images on such screens will be brighter than what the computer and applications agree they actually are.

I strongly recommend this as the first step to solving any problems in having images from one device look like those displayed on another device. You will almost guaranteed not get a fully accurate calibration from the Adobe gamma control panel, but it can make a huge difference.

[Glyyde]

its probably a little hard for the printout to appear exactly like wat u see from the monitor, more so if u r using LCD.... ip4200, though its quality is nice, are not that good until it can produce exact colours of wat u see I think.... haven't tried a more sophisticated printer yet... I own the ip4200 as well...

what I notice is, go to print with preview, change it to let photoshop determine the print colour, and it will turns out to be much much better.... I tried printing with the printer deciding the colour and it turns out to be duller.... hope this helps

[soupdragon]

Well, if it's any consolation, I use the 5000 and all my prints come out with a yellow cast. I have to make all my pictures look blue on the screen before printing, Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

[aliflack]

try setting the settings in the printer dialogue to AdobeRGB or sRGB (depending on what colour space your Photoshop is set to)...I found that sorted out colour issues.

In terms of colour management you need to:
* get photoshop to accurately display the image in the first place on your monitor (photoshop colour management settings)
* calibrate your monitor so that you see white when it thinks its displaying white etc (Adobe Gamma)
* calibrate your printer so that it recognises what photoshop is telling it (Printer settings)

Hope that helps.

[soupdragon]

Originally Posted by aliflack

try setting the settings in the printer dialogue to AdobeRGB or sRGB (depending on what colour space your Photoshop is set to)...I found that sorted out colour issues.

In terms of colour management you need to:
* get photoshop to accurately display the image in the first place on your monitor (photoshop colour management settings)
* calibrate your monitor so that you see white when it thinks its displaying white etc (Adobe Gamma)
* calibrate your printer so that it recognises what photoshop is telling it (Printer settings)

Hope that helps.

You're right I really should sit down and sort these things out.

[snappa]

Thanks again guys. I am about to delve into the world of Adobe Gamma as a first step to printing perfection !
Although I know next to nothing about computers I still have the feeling that the window that opens when I first go into PE2 may be having an effect on my prints. It asks if I want to go into the default colour depth. This would suggest to me that PE2 does not have the resources to deal with the print as it is.
This is coupled with the second message if I decline the default colour depth that "Could not open because the file uses a colour depth not supported by Photoshop Elements". It would appear that I am trying to print something via PE2 that it is not capable of printing.
I shall now calibrate my monitor. Yes it is an LCD monitor. Oops !

[The Hardcard]

You mentioned that color depth issue before, but I wasn't thinking about it. Are you using 24-bit color for your monitor? You don't mention what color depth Windows is set to. You should be at 24-bit color. You should make sure of that before you even go into Adobe Gamma.