ipf8300 being delivered on Monday - any caveats?

[Scott Shelerud]

Anxiously awaiting the delivery of my Canon ipf8300 in 72 hours

I am finally making the jump to large format printing.  I have been working with my ipf5100 for the last year and a half and decided to make the commitment.  ITsupplies, the $1000 canon rebate, and some unexpected overtime at my "real job" made the financial end a reality.  I already have a couple of jobs lined up now that my prior customers know I will soon be able to print larger than 17" wide.

Other than bragging about the new arrival (LOL) I do have a general question - for those of you who are familiar with this printer, are there any things I need to watch for as I set it up?  I am running CS5 on a dual quad-core Mac Pro.  12GB of RAM, and gigabyte home networking.  I have been running the apple cinema display calibrated via spyder 3 for the images with an older NEC 20" monitor to handle the menus and tool boxes, etc.

I plan on keeping the 5100.  Thus far, I have NOT installed the 5100 drivers onto CS5 - I still have CS3 installed and print from there via the plug-in.  I am waiting until Canon releases the 64bit plug-in to de-activate CS3.  Should I install the 8300 plug-in onto CS3 as well, or should I install it onto CS5?  

I have just enough knowledge to be dangerous and am looking to sip from the well of collective wisdom.

Thanks in advance

Scott Shelerud
Knife Island Images

[JeffKohn]

The plugin probably won't detect CS5 unless there's been a recent update since I downloaded. Let it install into CS3, then you can manually copy it over if you want to run it from within CS5 (32-bit only, of course). I've been using the Canon plug-in from within CS5 for my 6300 and it works just fine.

[Kevin Gallagher]

Hi guys, my recent experience using the 6300 is the same as Jeff's, I got the workaround from Canon support who have been very responsive and helpful so far. As a recent convert to MAC and an even more recent convert to Canon I've needed a bit of "handholding"  

Here's part of Canon's reply to me, there is also a workaround posted on the Canon Wiki.

    "Currently we have
a plugin that is compatible with CS4 and below. It is possible to work
around the issue by attempting to install the CS4 plugin into CS5. When
running the installer, you can tell it to install into the import/export
folder within the plugins folder, inside the photoshop folder. Since the
plugin isn't made for CS5, we can not guarantee it will be bug free. We
apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you."

Kevin in CT

[peninsula]

Hi guys, my recent experience using the 6300 is the same as Jeff's, I got the workaround from Canon support who have been very responsive and helpful so far. As a recent convert to MAC and an even more recent convert to Canon I've needed a bit of "handholding"  

Here's part of Canon's reply to me, there is also a workaround posted on the Canon Wiki.

    "Currently we have
a plugin that is compatible with CS4 and below. It is possible to work
around the issue by attempting to install the CS4 plugin into CS5. When
running the installer, you can tell it to install into the import/export
folder within the plugins folder, inside the photoshop folder. Since the
plugin isn't made for CS5, we can not guarantee it will be bug free. We
apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you."

Kevin in CT

My understanding is if you use the plugin in CS5, and running in 64-bit mode, the plugin will not work. You have to run CS5 in 32-bit mode. I find it easier to do all editing in CS5, then take the file into CS4 for Sharpening (Photokit Sharpening Plugin is still 32-bit) and printing from Canon's print plugin. Canon (and Photokit Sharpener) will eventually come out with a 64-bit plugin.

[shewhorn]

You will want SIX (yes 6) people to move this thing or four HUGE guys who live in a gym. It's heavy and awkward to move, especially if you need to go up a flight of stairs.

Cheers, Joe

[Scott Martin]

My understanding is if you use the plugin in CS5, and running in 64-bit mode, the plugin will not work. You have to run CS5 in 32-bit mode. I find it easier to do all editing in CS5, then take the file into CS4 for Sharpening (Photokit Sharpening Plugin is still 32-bit) and printing from Canon's print plugin. Canon (and Photokit Sharpener) will eventually come out with a 64-bit plugin.

Right. Internally Canon has determined that the CS4 plug-in does indeed work just fine with CS5 in 32bit mode. When PSCS5 is in 64 bit mode the printing plug-ins don't show up at all. A new version with 64 bit support is due out soon (within the next 3 months).

[keith_cooper]

I've been using the plugin with 32bit CS5 (osx 10.6) works fine - but just isn't seen in 64bit

[peninsula]

You will want SIX (yes 6) people to move this thing or four HUGE guys who live in a gym. It's heavy and awkward to move, especially if you need to go up a flight of stairs.

Cheers, Joe

Yep, took six guys to move my printer. We ended up coming through a large bedroom window! We were afraid to tip it up on its edge in the hallway to get it through the bedroom door, but I was to read later that the printer can be tipped on edge. Be sure to read the details on how to tip it before doing so or the casing could break under the tremendous weight. It is a beast, the 8300.

[Scott Shelerud]

Thanks for the advice.  Looks like I will have to stand it on end in order to get it into the office.  Can it rest safely on the side housing?  Is one side preferable to the other?

I will be talking to the canon techs before I move it regardless.  Just looking for lessons learned from experience.

[peninsula]

Thanks for the advice.  Looks like I will have to stand it on end in order to get it into the office.  Can it rest safely on the side housing?  Is one side preferable to the other?

I will be talking to the canon techs before I move it regardless.  Just looking for lessons learned from experience.

With your package of brochures will be a separate page on moving the printer. I'm out of town, so I don't have access to make for a more clear description, but this page has an illustration depicting exactly how to tip the printer onto its end in a fashion that the housing will not be damaged. Be sure to locate this page and you will be in good shape.

One other critical step after getting the printer up and running is to run a calibration (a very simple step and critically important). Canon tech support told me it was automatic, and it is NOT automatic. The printer will initialize automatically and can be mistaken for a calibration, but this is not a calibration. Use the enclosed sample paper (36 inch roll) to run the calibration after initialization is complete and then save the remainder of this roll for any future calibration needs. Only certain papers can be used to run a printer calibration and the sample paper is all you need in that event. Calibration is normally a one-time deal, with the exception of a printhead replacement, and is also recommended whenever the printer is moved offsite to a new location. Apparently, colors can drift over time, and recalibration could be the solution, but my understanding is this development is very rare (ColorHQ tells me they have never sold a unit where this was an issue). Bottom line, calibrate and save the sample paper for potential future needs.

[Scott Shelerud]

IT IS HERE!

Spent about 4 hours unpacking, setting up the stand, reading everything, removing doors, measuring everything multiple times, talking to Canon tech support, worrying, etc.

Invited 3 very good friends over - onto an appliance dolly, out of the garage, through the front door, up the stairs with a turn-around landing, down the hall, then the printer was stood on end onto a thick piece of cardboard and slid through a 27" door opening into my office where it was finally set upon the waiting stand. 15 minutes from first grunt until the last.  Not enough o's in smoooooth.

Another 4 hours to complete the set-up, install software, download and update the latest firmware, calibrate, etc.  

Just completed the first print....nice!

Thanks for all of the advice - now I've got to get this sucker to pay for itself!

[peninsula]

Congrats! Scott

You're going to love the 8300, Epson is no longer looking over their shoulder, Canon is right there alongside at the very least.