Printing Can be Fun and Easy Article - June 2017

[schertz]

Hi Mark,

Thanks for an interesting article. I played around with Epson Print Layout a while back (v 1.3.0), and while interesting for ABW "soft proofing", I still stick with printing from Lightroom. It just seems to do (almost) everything I need with consistent results.

RE: the “Printer Manages Colour” vs "Photoshop Manages Colour" comparison

Some of the key differences at this small image size:

A) Left has a more neutral grayscale ramp at the bottom
B) Left has better saturation in the green foliage
C) Left Red strawberries look a bit more natural, too red “fake” on the right
D) Left image Purple colour on the bottom-right corner is too blue on the right (obvious compared to actual Atkinson image)
E) Lava a bit too blue in shadow areas on the Right image
F) Oranges more saturated on the Right image

I would guess that the Left is “Photoshop managed colour” with a ICC profile, mostly because it is a better match to the actual Atkinson test image, and a more neutral grayscale ramp.

Overall, I'm actually impressed by the printer managed colour, it's much better than I would have guessed beforehand.

Mike

[Mark D Segal]

Hi Mike,

All correct.

[TommyWeir]

Cheers Mark, I had overlooked this completely. Won't have to launch Capture One every time I want to print now. 

[chrisgibbs]

Hello Mark,

I couldn't print an 8"x10" black & white on my personal 4900 using Epson's own Exhibition Fiber Paper, without seeing 6" of pizza wheel marks, albeit very-very slight marks, frustrating non the less.  Epson tech, after much back and forth, suggested I not use that paper, and this was "simply, due to the design of the transport mechanism."

I wonder what a test of printing black only (a completely black page) would reveal reference the new printers transport mechanism, namely pizza wheel marks?

The other annoyance, living in a low humidity climate, head blockages.  I cycled the printer every two days, outputting the little head check test pattern, all was fine.  But, as someone who only outputted with photo black, this left the matt black ink to fester, so without doing an ink swap, I couldn't perform proper maintenance. When I eventually switched the printer to Matt black, this eventually killed the printer head, blocking it beyond repair.

These are the two reasons keeping me away from this new Epson printer, and looking to Canon's 17" model.  From what I can gather, the Canon runs ALL inks on a maintenance cycle, both blacks. The Canon has a proper vacuum paper advance, with no mechanical "pizza wheel" contact on the prints surface.

Have Epson addressed these two issues with the P5000?   

Cheers,
Chris

[Mark D Segal]

Both the Epson 4900 and 5000 use a vacuum in the paper transport mechanism. Not saying it can't happen, but I never saw anything like pizza wheel marks in the 5 years I owned a 4900, and have not seen any such thing over the two months I've been testing and working with the 5000, and I put many different papers through both. As for nozzle clogs, these machines are production printers. They were built to be used regularly and frequently. If your printing needs are less than that, then either an Epson P800 or a Canon Pro-1000 would make more sense for you. Note, however, both of them are also pigment-ink printers and these printers need to be used, otherwise they will consume varying amounts of ink for maintenance depending on the conditions.

[chrisgibbs]

Thanks for the reply.  Before I purchased the 4900, I asked various dealers about any potential pizza wheel issues, and was told the 4900 was a vacuum feed.  It was not, its a hybrid system.  I went into the purchase knowing of the head-clogging issues, but hadn't considered having to swap inks regularly to do a proper head clean.

Most working photogs I know don't really print that regularly, its looking like the Canon is the only game in town for us.  For the fine-art boys, service bureaus, and professional printers I can see these being non-issues.  Horses for courses!

Chris