Canon 9000 mk II & Lightroom 3 Configuration

First of all, if your monitor is not calibrated, all bets are off for Color Management. I use a Datacolor Spyder3Elite 4.0 to calibrate mine. The settings are adjusted to 6500K & 2.2 Gamma.

Canon’s Easy-PhotoPrint Pro Ver. 2.7.2 plug-in is installed on my PC. It’s a stripped-down version of the Easy-PhotoPrint EX software that was originally packaged with the printer. The plug-in provides only the features needed to integrate Adobe & the 9000 mk II. I use a Windows 8.1 (64-bit) PC with 8gb of RAM.

This narrative will guide you through the process of configuring Lightroom 3.6 & Canon’s Pixma Pro9000 mark II printer so that Lightroom controls the Color Management & how to create a Print Preset. I don’t have the latest version of Lightroom, so I don’t know if this information applies to the later versions. However, I suspect the process would be similar.

To illustrate the process, I will arbitrarily choose: borderless printing, 4x6 paper, different paper types, ppi & the rendering intent.

Color Management by Lightroom (turning off Printer Color Management & turning on Lightroom Color Management)

-Open the Print Module
-Select Page Setup in the lower left corner
-The Print Setup dialogue box will open
-Select Pro 9000 II series as the printer
-Select Properties and the Canon Pro9000 series Properties dialogue will open
-Select the Quick Setup tab
-Select Color/Intensity Manual Adjustment (if Manual Color Adjustment dialogue box doesn’t open… uncheck & recheck box)
-Select Matching tab
-Select None under Color Correction (this turns off the Printer Color Management)
-Select OK to close the Manual Color Adjustment dialogue box
-Select OK to close the Canon Pro9000 series Properties dialogue box
-Select OK to close the Print Setup dialogue box
-Expand Print Job menu in the RH Panel
-Expand Color Management sub-menu
-Expand Profile
-Select Other
-Check Canon Pro9000 Mark II <GL><PP> 1 Photo Paper Plus GlossyGold
-Check Canon Pro9000 Mark II <PT> 1 Photo Paper Pro Platinum
-Select OK
-Expand Profile
-Select the proper paper profile (this turns on Lightroom Color Management for that particular paper)
-Expand Rendering Intent
-Select Relative (this setting is controversial… do some test prints & decide which you prefer)
-Lightroom is now configured to manage the printer’s color

Print Setup & Presets

I create Print Presets in the Template Browser which is located in the LH Panel of the Print Module. This turns a normal print job into a one-click setup for the print configuration. For example, I created a Template Preset in a folder called ‘Canon-Borderless’ and a sub-folder named ‘Pro Platinum 4x6-360ppi’. I also create presets for all the other templates, paper types, sizes, & borders that I normally use.

I'll guide you through the process for configuring a Borderless Glossy 4x6-360ppi print using Canon Pro Platinum paper & how to create Presets so you don't have to reconfigure every time you want to change the paper size/type/profile.

-Open the Print Module
-Select Page Setup in the lower left corner
-The Print Setup dialogue box will open
-Select Pro 9000 II series as the printer
-Select 4x6 as the paper size & Rear Tray as the source
-Select Properties and the Canon Pro9000 series Properties dialogue will open
-Select Photo Printing in the Commonly Used Settings box
-Select Borderless Printing
-Select Photo Paper Pro Platinum as the Media Type
-Select 4x6 as the Printer Paper Size
-Select Rear Tray as the Paper Source
-Select OK to close the Canon Pro9000 series Properties dialogue box
-Select OK to close the Print Setup dialogue box
-Go to the RH Panel
-Expand Layout Style menu
-Select Single Image/Contact Sheet
-Collapse Layout Style menu
-Expand Image Settings menu
-Check Zoom to Fill & Rotate to Fit
-Collapse Image Settings menu
-Expand Layout menu
-Select Margins
-Set all margins to 0.00”
-Set Cell Size to maximum (6.00x4.00)
-Collapse Layout menu
-Expand Guides menu
-Check all of the boxes (it makes it easier to visualize)
-Collapse Guides menu
-Expand Page menu
-Choose the options you’d like
-Collapse Page menu
-Expand Print Job menu
-Check Print Resolution
-Set to 360ppi with the 'scrubby slider'
-Check Print Sharpening
-Select High Print Sharpening
-Select Glossy Media Type
-Expand Color Management sub-menu
-Select Canon Pro9000 Mark II <PT> 1 Photo Paper Pro Platinum as the Profile
-Collapse Print Job menu

Now that everything is configured for a Borderless 4x6-360ppi Print, I'll show you how to create a Print Preset in the Template Browser in the LH Panel.

-Expand Template Browser in the left panel
-Right-click on one of the main folders
-Select New Folder
-Type Canon-Borderless in the dialogue box
-Select Create
-Highlight the folder you just created in the Template Browser
-A minus (-) & a plus (+) appear just to the right of Template Browser
-Select the plus symbol (+) and a New Template dialogue box will appear
-Type Pro Platinum 4x6-360ppi as the Template Name
-Select Canon-Borderless Print as the Folder
-Select Create

Repeat the process for all of the paper borders/sizes/profiles that you normally use and... you will have one-click Custom Presets. Anytime you want to permanently change a preset’s settings, make the change, then right-click on it and select Update with Current Settings

Useful Links

Understanding Color Spaces
Installing ICC Profiles
ICC Profiles for Third Party Papers

I print with a Pixma Pro 9000II, and almost only from LR. I think folks will find this useful. I would have liked to see something like this when I started with that printer! However, I'd like to suggest a few changes:

-- Easy-PhotoPrint EX software is not relevant, AKAIK, for printing in LR. It's a plug-in for photoshop, elements, and DPP. It has to be started from within those programs to be active. I don't think it can be used from within LR. I've never started it.

--360 ppi is pretty high. I usually print at 300, but when I forget and leave it at the default 240, I often don't see that much difference.

--The media and profiles can be set for any paper. You should only use the listed settings for the specific papers that call for them. Many paper manufacturers provide profiles for this printer, and they usually have instructions for the correct medium on line. The critical thing is to have the right profile and medium for your particular paper. To clarify what this does: the combination of setting color matching to "none" in the printer dialog and specifying the profile in the color management panel in LR is to hand control of color management to the software and take it away from the printer's firmware. When people say "let the software manage colors," these are the two relevant steps for this combination of printer and software.

--re print sharpening: I recommend that people try the three settings. High is not always best. LR 4 has added two additional output adjustments, for brightness and contrast. Like print sharpening, these don't show up on the monitor, even with soft proofing turned on. You have to figure out settings by trial and error. I use higher settings for matte than luster, but it is all taste.

The Easy-PhotoPrint Pro Ver. 2.7.2 plug-in works in Lightroom. 'Lightroom' is a member of the Adobe Photoshop family... as are Elements & Creative Suite. As I already said, the plug-in is a stripped down version of the original software that was shipped with the the printer. Here's a quote directly from the Canon site: "This file is a plug-in for Adobe Photoshop and Digital Photo Professional"

I don't think so. They mention Photoshop but not lightroom, and they instruct you to open the plug-in from within the application:

In the 'online manual' for the printer, they give a lot more detail than this, and again Lightroom is not mentioned. I have never used Easy-Print, but from the description in the manual, it appears to be a utility that allows you to print in various ways while bypassing the controls in PS that you otherwise would need to print in a given manner.

I am not trying to pick a fight, but I think this is not relevant to printing in Lightroom. I just checked, and my copy of Lightroom does not show this software in any menu that I could find, and it is not installed as a plug-in, yet I print from LR to that printer all the time.

Easy-PhotoPrint Pro Ver. 2.7.2 update history is listed on this Canon Website. In the System Requirements for the latest version, it lists all of the currently supported applications. As of 12-Oct-2012, Lightroom v2.7-v4.0 is supported.

ScatterCrSport wrote in post #15218969
-Check Canon Pro9000 Mark II <GL><PP> 1 Photo Paper Plus GlossyGold
-Check Canon Pro9000 Mark II <PT> 1 Photo Paper Pro Platinum

As I looked at this dialog box for the Pro9000 Mark II, I see that most of the "Photo Paper...." profiles are preceeded by a 1, 2, or 3. Pro Platinum, for instance, has a 1 or 2--all else is the same. Semi-gloss has a 1 or 3. Do you know what the difference between these numbers is?

It's a "Quality setting".
https://photography-on-the.net …ng+new+for+cano​n+printers
http://www.steves-digicams.com …-with-canon-printers.html

René Damkot wrote in post #15225477
It's a "Quality setting".
https://photography-on-the.net …ng+new+for+cano​n+printers
http://www.steves-digicams.com …-with-canon-printers.html

The links you provided, while somewhat dated, are relevant and clarified a few things for me. The information in my OP was mined from publications by Scott Kelby, Stephan Laskevitch, following the links in your signature, as well as my own research.

In the OP, the Color Management was setup through the Quick Setup tab instead of the Main tab (as illustrated in the steves-digicams link). I took a slightly different route, but accomplished what needed to be done.

Thank you for the detailed information! You inspired me to Get Colormanaged.

April wrote in post #15224836
As I looked at this dialog box for the Pro9000 Mark II, I see that most of the "Photo Paper...." profiles are preceeded by a 1, 2, or 3. Pro Platinum, for instance, has a 1 or 2--all else is the same. Semi-gloss has a 1 or 3. Do you know what the difference between these numbers is?

From what I understand, a lower numerical value indicates higher quality printing.

^^ Thanks!