Poor out-of-the-box color for Canon iPF8300

[bradleygibson]

I've just had enough time to make a couple of test prints on the sample heavyweight matte coated paper on my new 8300, and I've found that the out-of-the-box color is way off with a green cast.

I've set the printer to 'HW Coated' and tried printing directly from Lightroom and from the Canon Photoshop plug-in, using the Canon iPF8300 Heavyweight Coated Paper (High/Highest) profile and got exactly the same results.

I didn't think I'd need a custom profile for a Canon paper to print reasonably faithfully.  Everything seems fairly straightforward (except for my wayward results).  Before I dig in to see what's going on, I wanted to see if others had a similar experience--any thoughts?

The setup: OS X 10.6.4, 64-bit LR & PS; Display calibrated w/i1 Match & i1;evaluated under full-spectrum daylight balanced lighting and natural daylight; all printer setup/calibration/linearization samples ran, no visible issues (ie. no clogs or missing color channels).

Thx in advance,
Brad

[MHMG]

The HW coated paper supplied with the printer strikes me more as a CAD plotter paper not good for photos, but that said, it's also the paper that Canon supplies to calibrate the printer. Try running the calibration routine. That may clear the problem. When running right, this printer is capable of awesome color output and definitely well balanced.

[bradleygibson]

As I mentioned above, I've already run the calibration routine. 

I agree with you on the paper--it's not my favorite, but I was surprised at the color.  It almost looks like I've selected the wrong profile, but I don't see anything else that would apply.

[neile]

Have you tried on different, better, paper yet?

Neil

[abiggs]

I wouldn't touch the paper that Canon ships with the printer, primarily because I prefer to calibrate with a paper I always keep around the studio. Indent want to have to find that paper they provide, as Canon papers aren't as easy as others to locate. 

I would re-calibrate with another paper, and use something else for critical color work. Oh, and use an elvaliation image to print other than your own. Use something with good reference info in it, like a step wedge.

[MHMG]

As I mentioned above, I've already run the calibration routine. 

Sorry, I misread. The calibration routine prints individual color channels. Did the photogray channel look neutral or was it greenish? I had a bad head on my iPF8100 that caused my orange ink channel to look very dirty and dull to to some cross-firing gray nozzles. Canon sent me a replacement head under warranty...problem was solved. It's probably a long shot but worth examining your printed calibration target for neutrality. If that's OK, then you are probably experiencing a poor profile or some other media setting problem that's causing the colorcast. As other's have noted, it would be good to do your actual print quality tests on a paper more suitable for photographic images.

[bradleygibson]

Neil,  Other than the sample roll, all my current media is Epson, from my last printer.  I was hoping not to compound my variables by using non-Canon media, at least until I can get this stuff working properly.

Andy, believe me, I'm with you.  Just wanting to find out if others have had similar experiences, before I spend the time to investigate.  If the profile for this paper is known to be bad, for example, I would just move on.  And thanks, good thoughts on using a reference image, rather than my own work--I'll do that.

Mark, no worries.  The photogray channel looks very close to neutral.  I would say it has the slightest of yellow casts, but that could be the whitepoint of this not-so-nice paper playing tricks with my eyes.  Regardless, it's very, very subtle, I'd consider it neutral.

I think I'll take your advice and move on to some real photographic media and work on the problem there, if it persists, rather than try to solve the problem for a paper I'd never want to use.

Thanks, guys,

[tim wolcott]

Are you running it thru the File to Export menu.  If not you will get garbage.  If you need to chat 9095841720 I'll be here for Sunday.  Tim

[JeffKohn]

I wouldn't touch the paper that Canon ships with the printer, primarily because I prefer to calibrate with a paper I always keep around the studio. Indent want to have to find that paper they provide, as Canon papers aren't as easy as others to locate. 

I think it's worth pointing out that you shouldn't run the hardware calibration with just any paper of your choosing, at least not to get the printer back to factory calibration. The calibration routine is supposed to be run with one of the Canon-specified papers. If you want to use some other paper you can do so, but you won't get reliable results if using profiles profiles that were created by Canon or other third-parties, since they won't be likely to have calibrated to the same paper as you.

[neile]

I think it's worth pointing out that you shouldn't run the hardware calibration with just any paper of your choosing, at least not to get the printer back to factory calibration.

This goes against what has come up in the wiki, and what Andy told me about as well. See Scott Martin's specific comments on this at http://canonipf.wikispaces.com/message/view/FAQ/13702433. If he says any paper works, I go with what he says

Neil

[abiggs]

*of course* Canon wants you to use one of their papers to do the calibration, as they want you to use their paper. From a scientific point of view it doesn't matter, though.

Skip the Canon paper and just use what you normally use for your calibrations. It doesn't take up a ton of paper, but I do use an everyday matte paper for my calibrations (Moab Lasal Photo Matte, an alpha-cellulose paper).

[MHMG]

*of course* Canon wants you to use one of their papers to do the calibration, as they want you to use their paper. From a scientific point of view it doesn't matter, though.

It does matter if  you want to use generic profiles made by various paper manufacturers with optimal results for your Canon printer because in all likelihood, the vendor supplying the generic profile will have calibrated the printer to a Canon paper, and Canon has developed the internal calibration set points based on these canon papers' ink receptor behavior.  However, if you build your own custom profiles, then yes, you can choose a different paper, select the closest media setting that is calibration compatible, and you will indeed be able to routinely return your printer to a specific and repeatable device state in your print studio. This device state will give you good internal consistency within your print studio but not always be as close to the general "Canon device state" as one will get if staying with the papers chosen by Canon for this calibration exercise.

In other words, use your own chosen paper to conveniently obtain optimal results for custom profiles built within your closed loop environment (i.e., your own print studio), but stick with the Canon papers for calibration if you are planning to use generic profiles built on other Canon printers.

[BillZ]

Brad,

 My 6100 had the same initial green cast. After calling the Canon tech support they informed me that it may have been one of the color channels that had not properly purged during the setup routine. First he had me update the firmware to rule out any corrupted code. He then had me run a nozzle check and it showed that the yellow channel was not producing a pure yellow, but rather a slight green yellow. He then had me run a couple cleaning cycles and then re-do the nozzle check to look for a cleaner yellow. After the channel was cleared he also instructed me to go back and do a new calibration. The problem was fixed and it's been printing great ever since.
 Apparently Canon ships the printer with some form of fluid in the system that is purged during the set-up routine. In some cases not all channels are cleared on the first go around of the purge.

Bill