Canon Pro 1000 chroma optimizer excessive usage

[sakharov.alexander]

I've paid attention to one strange thing with my Pro 1000 - extremely high CO "ink" usage.
Normal ink used 60-80ml per color, CO - 217ml.
It is especially strange for the paper used for prints - matt paper.
Hahnemuhle Torchon and Photo Rag.
Paper type in driver - Extra Heavy Weight Fine Art, as Hahnemuhle recommend for their profiles. For this type of paper only one option of CO control (Clear Coating Aria) available at driver - Auto.
All prints was made from Lightroom and InDesign, from Mac and Windows.
Anybody met with something similar?

[Mark D Segal]

This is strange, insofar as CO should not be applied to matte papers. I shall make an inquiry about it and revert here if I find out anything useful.

[Panagiotis]

Mine too likes very much to drink CO  . I print almost exclusively matt paper with the Highest Density Fine Art Paper setting and CO was the first to reach the ! warning. It consumes a stable 0.059 ml on  every A2 matt paper print but sometimes is unpredictable like in an instance of two successive A4 matt prints when it drunk a big nice 1ml (almost) gulp of CO on each one  .

[Mark D Segal]

There is still something wrong with this narrative. Here is the word on CO usage directly from Canon technical materials:

CO is used
　- Only for 12 color series (PRO-1000/2000/4000)*1
　- Only when printing on glossy and semi-glossy types of paper.
　- Only when selecting “High” or “Highest” quality in the printer driver and 
    Print Studio Pro.*2
  *1:Amount of CO ink used depends on paper type, image and print setting.
  *2:A slight amount of CO ink is used for maintenance purpose even if you select settings that do not use CO ink
 
■CO is not used
　- For 8 color series (Pro-4000S/6000S).
　- When printing on plain paper, matte coated paper or fine art paper.
　- When selecting “Standard” quality in the printer driver and 
    Print Studio Pro.

[Geraldo Garcia]

(...)but sometimes is unpredictable like in an instance of two successive A4 matt prints when it drunk a big nice 1ml (almost) gulp of CO on each one  .

That is almost an understatement! Have a look on the attached images and pay attention to the C.O.
It happens with all different matte paper settings, sometimes a matte paper A4 print uses 3 times more C.O. than an A3plus print on a semi-gloss paper.

[Mark D Segal]

Geraldo,

There is a major incoherence here between what you show and what Canon says. So we need to resolve it. I notice that all of your examples are for 3rd party media. To use these papers you need to specify a Media Type. What Media Types are you using these papers? Does semi-glossy enter the picture somehow?

[Geraldo Garcia]

Here is the media settings for Hahnemühle PhotoRag:

The funny thing is that the Bamboo paper is also based on the same settings and uses minimal C.O. (possibly just for maintenance as stated).

[Mark D Segal]

Thanks Geraldo. I'm sending those settings off for review. I'll revert if I get useful feedback.

[1erCru]

Recently filled up my chroma and proceeded to print a number of 9x12 on 11x14 paper. I was shocked at how quickly the chroma disappeared. A number of inks were listed as low and the chroma ran out way before. At that rate I estimated I would have gone through 8-10 chroma per tank if I chose full coverage on a every print.

[Mark D Segal]

Yes, with full coverage the CO runs out well before the other inks. I noticed that as well. Best to use Auto.

[Geraldo Garcia]

Thanks Geraldo. I'm sending those settings off for review. I'll revert if I get useful feedback.

Thanks Mark,

When I told hat to a Canon engineer he firs said I was wrong. After I proved him I was right and also that it happens with all printers (not a malfunction) he came with the excuse that it is "chroma optimizer" and not "gloss optimizer", so it may also be used on matte papers to enhance colors when the printer think is best. Nonsense, if you ask me.

Lets see what they tell you.

[Mark D Segal]

Based on the information I presently have it looks nonsensical to me too. Let's see what I learn further.

[Panagiotis]

The two A4 matte prints I mentioned earlier, where almost a 1ml of CO used on each, were reprints I made earlier with exactly the same settings except the paper profile. In the first set of prints there was a usual consumption of CO. I don't believe that the profile made the difference. Also 1ml of CO, or any color, I think is a huge amount of ink for a A4 print. The two set of prints look very similar. I mean I cannot see the 1ml of CO on the print. Maybe after all the accounting manager software calculates also ink going to the maintenance tank or is buggy .

[Czornyj]

It happens in some PRO-1000's
1) Stop printing
2) Wait for the incoming FW upgrade

[Geraldo Garcia]

It happens in some PRO-1000's
1) Stop printing
2) Wait for the incoming FW upgrade

Hello Marcin,

Thanks for the info, but please give us a bit more: Is it official? I mean, does Canon acknowledge this issue? Are they working on a firmware to correct this issue? Any guesstimate about the release date?

Thanks again.

[Mark D Segal]

I've put in an inquiry on this side of the pond. I'll advise if I receive useful info.

[Czornyj]

Hello Marcin,

Thanks for the info, but please give us a bit more: Is it official? I mean, does Canon acknowledge this issue? Are they working on a firmware to correct this issue? Any guesstimate about the release date?

Thanks again.

Not official, and please excuse me Geraldo, but no more comments

[Geraldo Garcia]

Ah! Of course!

Thanks.

[maximilian59]

I've paid attention to one strange thing with my Pro 1000 - extremely high CO "ink" usage.
Normal ink used 60-80ml per color, CO - 217ml.
It is especially strange for the paper used for prints - matt paper.
Hahnemuhle Torchon and Photo Rag.
Paper type in driver - Extra Heavy Weight Fine Art, as Hahnemuhle recommend for their profiles. For this type of paper only one option of CO control (Clear Coating Aria) available at driver - Auto.
All prints was made from Lightroom and InDesign, from Mac and Windows.
Anybody met with something similar?

Hello,
does this mean you are already using the fourth cardrige for CO and for all others the second one? How often had you to exchange the maintenance cardridge?

[sakharov.alexander]

Third CO and first or second (at the begining).
Today Canon support write me the next firmware update for Pro 1000 will be available from 14th of February.
It should help. They hope.