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Author Topic: IPF5000 Banding Last Inch of Prints from Cassette  (Read 4057 times)

John Hollenberg

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IPF5000 Banding Last Inch of Prints from Cassette
« on: January 25, 2007, 11:44:23 pm »

Two posters to the Canon IPF5000 Wiki have received new Firmware 1.23 from Canon USA.  Apparently, the new firmware will be posted to the Canon USA web site in a week or so.  Unfortunately, the problem with banding in the trailing 1.25 inches of prints made from the Cassette has NOT been fixed.  There is no visible difference from an earlier firmware version.  This makes the Cassette useless for printing letter size prints with narrow margins (e.g., one half inch) for those users who have this problem.  I happen to be one of those users  who has the banding problem, and tested the new Firmware myself with no improvement  

For more information, see the front page of the Canon IPF5000 Wiki:

http://www.canonipf5000.wikispaces.com

--John
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John Hollenberg

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IPF5000 Banding Last Inch of Prints from Cassette
« Reply #1 on: January 26, 2007, 06:58:17 pm »

On a related note, the new version of the plugin (2.03) doesn't fix the issue of prints from the cassette onto 13X19 not being centered correctly--the margins still differ by 1/8 inch.  Pretty disappointing.

--John
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John Hollenberg

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IPF5000 Banding Last Inch of Prints from Cassette
« Reply #2 on: January 26, 2007, 09:12:43 pm »

Here is what has been changed (that I can determine) in the new software/firmware:

1.  It is now possible to print from the tray with expanded borders. Unfortunately, there is subtle banding in the last 1.25 inches as there is with the Cassette.
2. There is a new menu item called Trim Edge Reload, which apparently trims the edge of a roll when paper is reloaded (or perhaps trims off the barcode if it was printed--not sure which)
3. New Media Types are available to better match Canon's line of papers
4. Probably some other fixes, but notably NONE of the Known Bugs listed on the Wiki are fixed

Bugs still present:

1) Plugin does not center correctly on Super B paper fed from Cassette
2) Plugin relative rendering intent does not use Black Point Compensation
3) Subtle banding in the trailing 1.25 inches of papers fed from the Cassette (and now, with the firmware update, papers fed from the top tray)

If these bugs/problems were fixed this printer would be dynamite.  As it is, they cause  image quality problems in certain situations or are a hassle to work around.

--John
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ericaro

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IPF5000 Banding Last Inch of Prints from Cassette
« Reply #3 on: January 27, 2007, 11:39:06 am »

I was not aware that BPC is off when relcol is used with the plugin.Does anyone use relcol+plugin or do you always use perceptual? Does this also mean that we shouldn't softproof with relcol? That is a pain for me because I use relcol 90% of the time. I wonder if Michael and other heavy users could chime in on this. Thanks.
                         Louis Bouillon
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John Hollenberg

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IPF5000 Banding Last Inch of Prints from Cassette
« Reply #4 on: January 27, 2007, 08:45:24 pm »

Quote
I was not aware that BPC is off when relcol is used with the plugin.Does anyone use relcol+plugin or do you always use perceptual? Does this also mean that we shouldn't softproof with relcol? That is a pain for me because I use relcol 90% of the time. I wonder if Michael and other heavy users could chime in on this. Thanks.
                       

Here is the relevant thread on the IPF5000 Wiki:

http://canonipf5000.wikispaces.com/message/view/FAQ/205132

I am pretty sure the bug is still there, because the Canon Tech Support guys didn't know anything about it when I called them a few weeks ago.  The guy I talked to yesterday, Don, was the same one and he said he had personally written this up as a bug and submitted it after our conversation.  I am assuming he checked and confirmed that it was a bug.  

When I complained about the two other bugs/problems not being fixed by the new plugin/firmware that has just been released to individual users by CD, he laughed and said "Check back in 3-6 months.  That's how long it takes for something to get fixed."  Even though they have the CD with new firmware, plugin, etc., and sent it to me next business day (very thoughtful), they have no release notes so they have no idea what Canon Japan just sent them to release.  Makes it pretty hard to tell what the hell is going on.  I asked him how he could support the product he was releasing without some kind of information.  He told me there is nothing he can do.

Some of us on the Wiki are thinking of writing a formal letter to the head of Canon USA and having one of our members try to meet with him or her briefly in person in New York to underscore how important it is to both them (they are trying to break into Epson's market) and us that these few problems be corrected quickly.

--John
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thompsonkirk

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IPF5000 Banding Last Inch of Prints from Cassette
« Reply #5 on: January 28, 2007, 01:31:02 pm »

Re: contact with Canon, IMO that's a very good idea.  There should be a "Chuck Westfall" for printers, a person who reads the Internet & keeps sales/marketing & customer service/tech support in some reasonable degree of contact with one another.

I'm pleased with my 5000 prints, but in teaching workshops & in general conversation, I advise everyone who's likely to get frustrated by poorly-updated software & out-of-touch tech support to try a different printer:  HP for pro, Epson 3800 for advanced amateur.  The problem isn't the printer; it's the communications area where Canon is shooting themselves in the foot.
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John Hollenberg

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IPF5000 Banding Last Inch of Prints from Cassette
« Reply #6 on: January 28, 2007, 01:47:10 pm »

Quote
I'm pleased with my 5000 prints, but in teaching workshops & in general conversation, I advise everyone who's likely to get frustrated by poorly-updated software & out-of-touch tech support to try a different printer:  HP for pro, Epson 3800 for advanced amateur.  The problem isn't the printer; it's the communications area where Canon is shooting themselves in the foot.

Agree 100%.

Just discovered another change in the new release of the photoshop plugin (version 2.03):

With plugin version 2.03 you can't set the Vacuum Strength from the "Set" button under Media Type. Both Vacuum Strength and Head Height must now be set from printer LCD menu. This change was probably made due to confusion over which setting took precedence (printer LCD or Plugin) when the two were in conflict, and resulting user problems where they thought a certain setting was in effect, but it wasn't.

Wiki has been updated to reflect this change.

--John
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Bill J

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IPF5000 Banding Last Inch of Prints from Cassette
« Reply #7 on: January 29, 2007, 03:36:09 pm »

Quote
Bugs still present:

1) Plugin does not center correctly on Super B paper fed from Cassette
2) Plugin relative rendering intent does not use Black Point Compensation
3) Subtle banding in the trailing 1.25 inches of papers fed from the Cassette (and now, with the firmware update, papers fed from the top tray)

[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=97715\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

John, in printing your banding test photo, I noticed that when the print gets about an inch or so from the trailing edge of the paper, the printer makes kind of a clunk sound, and the paper progress past the heads slows down to about half the previous speed. You can shine a light through the window and see what's going on. I'm thinking that clunk is the sound of the stepping motor changing gears, and perhaps the fault is in the stepping motor - after it has shifted into it's print finalizing sequence.

Bill
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John Hollenberg

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IPF5000 Banding Last Inch of Prints from Cassette
« Reply #8 on: January 29, 2007, 04:59:27 pm »

Bill,

One of the posters to the Wiki says he has solved his bad banding problem by using "Far End Manual Band Adjustment" from the printer LCD menu.  I tried this method and had no benefit, but later realized I had done the adjustment on Epson Premium Glossy and printed the test on Epson Premium Luster.  Apparently, the adjustment is very sensitive to the exact paper (and perhaps even the paper size).  So, while annoying to implement, we may have a solution.  Check the Wiki for more info over the next few days.

--John
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Bill J

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IPF5000 Banding Last Inch of Prints from Cassette
« Reply #9 on: January 29, 2007, 06:08:14 pm »

Quote
So, while annoying to implement, we may have a solution.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=98173\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
I sure hope so. I haven't had the problem, but I surely sympathize with those that do. After all, all you want is to make quality prints - that's what you paid your ~1800 bucks for. I would be thinking "Why me?"

Now if we can just get that Black Point Compensation into the Plug-In, stop that goofy .9-inch border from tray-fed paper, and get some explanation and consistency about the media types..., etc.

Bill
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