Canon Printer Settings in Photoshop

Hello folks,

Just bought a Canon printer switching from Epson for a number of reasons. I bought Canon paper as well. I decided to learn how to make the best possible prints I can at home having also bought my first DSLR.

I have read threads on other forums on this problem and still can not get as good a result from PS as I did with my Epson. I have burned through about 50 8x11's trying to solve this.

EZPhotoPrint has the best printed image I have seen yet. Much better than Photoshop. There is no magenta in things like drop shadows, for example on print borders, which I find to be an excellent test for the magenta problem.
I get much better results from PS if I use Printer Color Management.
Now, a few basic questions if I may.

Should one convert an image in PS to CYMK before printing? I get better results doing this. And viewing in PS with the CYMK working proof setup seems best to me on my monitor and most like what I wish to see printed.

I see no difference converting the image from native 72 DPI to 300 DPI. Agree this is not necessary to change?

I have ALWAYS had black point compensation on. Should that be disabled? Would it help with the magenta in grays?

And I have always used Perceptual. Is Relative Colormetric preferred? Why if so?

Now, it seems that the Canon Image Preview can change dramatically based on settings, though sometimes it is very close to what is printed and sometimes not.

My best printing results are from EZPhotoPrint.

Second best are converting to CYMK and Printer Color Management, but grays have magenta fringe.

RGB with same settings as CYMK has the whole image more magenta.
Using profiles for print and proof in PS are always not as good as printer color management.

So, trying some suggestions from above I find:

Using PRO for paper settings even though I print to PLUS - no good. Still magenta.

No preview - Believe it or not, this helps the magenta problem a bit. Not as good as EZPhotoPrint.

Absolute Colormetric as opposed to Perceptual - Horrible.

CYMK as opposed to RGB - better in grays, but image still a touch magenta.
So best results so far are EZPrint, then CYMK, Printer Management, Auto, High, and Photo Optimizer Pro effect checked! This reduces magenta a bit and is closer to EZPrint. And last, works better with Black Point Compensation off. I can live with this, but wish it matched EZPrint. I almost need driver settings for not only each media, but each possible program I print from. Life is too short :^)

UPDATE:
Just tried my favorite settings after closing PS and tring again and the results are different that the first print with identical settings. Shifted a little magenta again. So even trying to match a previous setting's result is dicey.

AND, I much prefer the results on Canon Photo Glossy Plus rather than PRO. The pro is not as white and shifts a bit yellow. Plus is cleaner looking, but not as heavy-weight.

Will try a few more things today, but this is frustrating. SO MANY interactive choices in PS and Canon driver. Any suggestions appreciated.

This is how I set it up but I must admit that I am still not perfectly happy with the results.
Luckily, I print mostly 4x6 for friends and family.

http://www.steves-digicams.com/techcorne​r/June_2005.html

Thanks.

I tried those settings and not as good as Printer Color Management. More magenta.

Just tried Epson paper to see how that affected things and the Canon paper is better. But once again, I get better results on the same image from EZPhotoPrint than I do from PS. I would not expect that. And I would expect with all the experimenting I have done to find a PS setting that is very close to EZPP.

I'll look forward to more suggestions.

~Bob

I was researching this a couple of days ago, and one poster said that he got the best results using Kodak paper with his Canon 9900(?). I'd provide a URL, but have no idea where I read it.

I find EZPP best too. (Canon paper, iP8500)
I always save from RAW processor to 100% JPEG and print using EZPP. Nothing else I've tried comes close.
FWIW I think the challenge in PS is being sure you're doing the processing only once - not getting the s/w to pre-do what the printer driver is going to do.
If you are using PS then from what I've read Perceptual and BP compensation on, is the right way to go.

Thanks.

I have read all the threads on double processing as well and have been very careful not to. Most advice also says to use RGB, then the ICC profiles in PS rather than Printer Color Management. But my experience is different. And nothing matches EZPP.

Good to know someone else has the same result, though there must be a better way to manage PS and Canon.

I have the same magenta problem with my canon. I read a older thread a week ago where in the printer setting he moved the magenta down to -12. I tried this and really seems to help with skin tones which is where I was noticing it most.

Hope you can come up with something as I love my Canon printer but am just missing printing out what I see on calibrated monitor.

Greg

Greg,

Is your problem only in Photoshop or all programs you print from? Have you tried EZPhotoPrint?

I'm curious to know as my problem is either only in PS or just worse in PS. Since I know others have the problem, isolating where it crops up can be helpful.

~Bob

I noticed that if you set PS to manage color but still use the Canon print preview then the color comes out horrible - very red. I think this applies two print profiles. Use the print preview is PS and not the one (checkbox) in the Canon driver.

Still though I've found that with the i9900 and the Pro paper it's best to let the printer manage color. I've considered ordering custom print profiles based on printed targets.

Of course you have to have a calibrated monitor to start with.

There are several problems with your process...

Never use "perceptual". Relative colorimetric maps the white point to the final medium. It bases your color from the corrected medium white point. It's best for inkjet printing. Always leave your black point locked. It insures that your shadows will remain accurate in color and not muddy up.

Also, you are not offset printing, so converting to CMYK is useless. You may be getting lucky with a closer result, but you are adjusting, not achieving it in the correct way.

Lastly, you are not proofing the image correctly which is the main problem... It all boils down to setting everything up correctly. Here are the general rules of getting WYSIWYG...

1. Use a good monitor.
   
2. Use a good monitor calibration system.
   
3. Shoot in sRGB.
   
4. Edit in sRGB.
   
5. Soft proof with the correct printer profile.
   
6. Choose the correct medium soft proofing.
   
7. Turn off printer color profiling.
   
8. Let PS manage color.
   

Thanks for the thoughtful reply. You said so much, I ned to comment on a few "quotes".

"There are several problems with your process...

Never use "perceptual". Relative colorimetric maps the white point to the final medium. It bases your color from the corrected medium white point. It's best for inkjet printing. Always leave your black point locked. It insures that your shadows will remain accurate in color and not muddy up."

Ok, I changed to Relative Colormetric. I am not sure it improved.

"Also, you are not offset printing, so converting to CMYK is useless. You may be getting lucky with a closer result, but you are adjusting, not achieving it in the correct way."

Agreed. It is odd it gets a better result, but not right, I agree. There was a moment I thought my printer had CYMK cartriges, so maybe that was what was wrong, but that idea is gone.

"Lastly, you are not proofing the image correctly which is the main problem... It all boils down to setting everything up correctly. Here are the general rules of getting WYSIWYG..."

"Use a good monitor."
I have a good monitor.

"Use a good monitor calibration system."
I have not yet done this, but more on this below.

"Shoot in sRGB.
Edit in sRGB."
Everything I have read says no, use Adobe RGB. Why do you recommend differently??

"Soft proof with the correct printer profile.
Choose the correct medium soft proofing.
Turn off printer color profiling.
Let PS manage color."
All done.

Results, not great. Muddy shadows, oversaturated, too magenta. Not horrible , mind you, but not the best print I can make, if I break the rules.

Now, please read carefully. In my first post I had a lot of things I had tried or was trying. These are not how I do things at this moment. But following the best advice on PS with color spaces, soft proofing, and PS color management - I see an acceptable image on screen. The Canon Printer preview looks both different and better. The print does not equal either.

BUT, and a big but...when I print from Canon EasyPhotoPrint, I print exactly as I see it on screen and MUCH better than any settings in PS.

How can this be?

This is extremley frustrating. If I could print from Ps as I do from EZPP, I would be ecstatic. I know my system can produce a print I find appealing. But not with PS. There must be something I have not yet tried, but I have no idea what it might be.

~Bob

At this time, I would contribute most of the problem with PS printing to not having a calibrated monitor profile to work from. I think you are getting lucky in EZPP at the moment, but remember that EZPP printing with Canon software and it's conversion is going to work much better - just like printing from DPP with Epson software and it's conversion. The issue for you is Photoshop color managing. It is very picky when it comes to calibration. You will not get accurate proofing until you have a calibrated system.

While you do have CMYK ink cartridges in your printer, they do not lay ink exactly like an offset printer does. Injet printers (all brands) work better in sRGB with correct softproofing and color management by the printer in all apps except PS, better to use printer color managing in these programs. (why you're getting better results from the EZPP)

I should have been more clear on the sRGB stuff. You should work in sRGB if you are using a third party printer for client online proofing and ordering. However, you are right about using AdobeRGB in PS for accuracy, but I think you are probably going about it slightly off. Try this...

Reset your monitor to defaults before working on a subject image. Make sure your soft proofing in PS is setup correctly. When you are ready to print, choose "Print w/ Preview". In the drop down menu, choose "Color Management". Choose "AdobeRGB" and "Let PS Determine Colors". Select the correct printer profile and render intent. Then in your printer's settings choose the correct paper and quality. Most importantly, turn OFF the color management!

This is the exact workflow I use for fine art reproduction and it is 100% accurate to my calibrated screen. I think this will yield better results for you as well... but remember, it will still not be exact until you get that system calibrated.

Ever get so frustrated your eyes start to glaze? That's where I am at. I appreciate the advice. Truly, but I think the problem lies elsewhere.

I decided to go a different route for a change instead of printing the same picture over and over on photo paper. So I took my logo - a simple graphic with a drop shadow I printed on my old Epson thousands of times on plain, inkjet, Epson Phot Quality Inkjet, Avery Inkjet Cards, etc, etc. I can not get a gray drop shadow. Always has purple in it. And I can not get the colors of the logo right. For example, printed Avery Cards and compared with the Avery Cards from the Epson and no match. I have to turn up intensity about 20, black about 20 and magenta down 15 juts to get close. And it is not close.

I have tried ICC, Auto, None. Notmuch difference. So it is not just Photoshop, but something else. Monitor calibration would not help in comparing the same file printed to the same card stock on two different printers and getting purple drop shadows.

I'm fried. Got to stop for tonight. Maybe tomorrow night will have a lightbulb go off and figure out why this is happening.

BTW, I have an older Photoshop, so I can not find a "Let Photoshop Determine the Colors" anywhere. And my Print with Preview is Print Options. So if there is another "preview" in PS other than the onscreen soft proof, I can not find that either.

Time to sleep. Maybe take back this printer for another.

About Canon printers: read this. Might be of some help.

I get great results from CS2 and the i9900. I calibrate my monitor regularly and have a ColorVision profile for my printer. I have to head to work, but will post all my settings this evening. PM me and maybe I can send you the custom i 9900 profile.(don't know if it will vary too much from mine to yours)
PS- I only use Abobe RGB.