ipf8300 can't add custom media types

[mstevensphoto]

I've been off and on the phone with canon for a couple of weeks now and I'm wondering if anyone here has an idea or three. I've downloaded the .am1 files from Moab to add the media types to my 8300. I'm on mac os x.6 and have tried connecting to the printer both via usb and bonjour network. The issue I run into is this, when I open the media configuration tool and tell it I want to import or add a profile it gives me a progress bar and then an error message that says it can't communicate with the printer BUT if I update the canon media types (change a name, whatever) it communicates fine and does what I ask. I've also had no problems sending print jobs. I don't think it's a bad file I've downloaded from moab largely because in the MCT I never even get far enough to select my file before it tells me it can't communicate. Same results on a laptop. Any ideas how to get these things loaded?
many thanks
Mark

[bradleygibson]

Can't say I've had that experience with my 8300, but there is another way--you can create your media profile from scratch.

Using Breathing Color paper, that's how I did my custom media profile, and it will be calibrated to my specific printer.  I followed the instructions in this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eVlYDOTq5o&feature=player_embedded.  It's for Breathing Color paper, but the instructions should translate, or perhaps Moab has step-by-step instructions on how to do this with their media.

Hope that helps,

[mstevensphoto]

Brad,
   that tutorial doesn't work for me. When I click "add custom paper" and then "add" the software wants me to choose a printer, I do that and click next and then get a communication error. I can get no further. I've un-installed and re-installed 8 or 12 times and can't get past that point.

[bill t.]

Still new at this myself.  I wonder if that's a media file from an earlier model.  Sounds like you're getting a one-size-fits-all error message that should be saying "wrong format."

I was able to upload the two third party media files I have tried so far, although the settings in those files were different than the ones the printer itself created via calibration.  Vista64, IPV4 protocol.

I downloaded the MCT from the Canon site, am using that instead of the one on the CD.

Edit, if you want me to try the file on my printer, send me a message.

[mstevensphoto]

Bill, the odd thing is that I don't even get to the point of choosing a file or making one. the MCT can't initiate contact long before any opportunity to locate a file I've downloaded or get to choose the option to make my own.

[bill t.]

So you say the MCT can contact the printer with Canon media files, but can't get contact at all with third party files?  Now that's weird.  If I had say a generic USB network dongle I might give that a tray, maybe there's something with Bonjour.  On Vista64 I couldn't get IPV6 to work at all, but IPV4 just fell into place, could be a router issue.  Hmmm, might look at the router.

Or maybe the file is bogus.  For the two media files and the two profiles I have from manufacturers, I would say those things had been pushed out the door pretty fast and possibly by people as confused as us.

I just let the printer calibrate its own media settings as in the video on the BC site, then ran a Spider Print profile which is not great but better than the canned ones.  The manufacturers' canvas files had the head heights swipingly low, and the ink loads at least a notch too high for their own profiles.  I think that's just another case of manu's putting DMax above all else, but I definitely prefer the lighter ink loads.

[mstevensphoto]

So you say the MCT can contact the printer with Canon media files, but can't get contact at all with third party files?  Now that's weird.  

yes, exactly. my success seems to be directly linked to which button I push from the start. if I click "Add Genuine media" everything works as expected. I've even used this option to rename some of the cad papers as a test. if I click "add custom paper" I get nowhere, not even to the point of pointing on my drive to the .am1 file I downloaded. I've tried via usb and ethernet cable on two computers (both mac, both os 10.6) and had the same thing happen. Have uninstalled and re-installed from both the CD that came with the printer and the disk image I downloaded from canon. Even tried re-installing without uninstalling to overwrite the files. no dice.

[bill t.]

Send me a file URL, I'll see if I can "add" it here.

Networking, meh!

[mstevensphoto]

Bill I think you might be missing my point on where the problem occurs, I hit a communication error before I even have a chance to select a .am1 file to add. So there is no specific media file that is causing the problem. I can not add ANY custom media files because I can't get far enough in the MCT to select one to add.

[Michael Strong]

I have this exact same problem, please let me know if you find a solution.  In summary:
The canon media configuration tool when used with Mac OS 6 (snow leopard) fails to communicate with the printer.

Sequence to demonstrate bug:
Launch MCTP830.app
press "Add Custom Paper" button
press "Add Button"
Application displays "Warning cannot communicate with the printer. Check the following..."

Workarounds tried:
reinstalling MCTP830.app
changing connection method from ethernet to USB
removing and reinstalling the printer through imageprograf PrinterSetup

Notes:
If the "Add Genuine Paper" button is pressed instead of "Add Custom Paper" the MCT communicates successfully with the printer and allows updates

[mstevensphoto]

Michael and everyone else, after half a day with canon we stumbled upon the secret, get a totally different computer and re-install everything. re configure the printer and it should go. Best guess as to the cause of the problem is that the initial install (on the printer) got corrupted. for whatever reason un and re-installing from the same computer never worked. doing it from another did. just treat the printer like it's your very first set up out of the box from another computer. once that's done un and re-install on your orig computer.
worked for me and no problems since.

[Michael Strong]

So I installed the printer on a windows laptop connected to the network.  It complained about the media file being newer on the printer, nothing I could do about that.  Tried to update from the one downloaded to the Windows machine, didn't work.  Finished the install (2 things failed to install the MCT and something else I don't remember), went to the printer and ran the "clear paper settings" function.  Went back to the mac and low and behold somehow the MCT will let me add custom media types now.  This makes absolutely no logical sense, but it worked!

Big thanks to Mark for coming back and posting that last update!
Michael

[Michael Strong]

Spoke too soon, now get the error "The media information cannot be updated because the printer media information is newer.
Download the latest media information file from the Internet."  Working on a fix...

[mstevensphoto]

try starting from scratch on a computer connected directly to the printer via usb instead of through the network. also, make sure you're truly starting from scratch. I tried four different computers to update the MCT and that never worked. reinstalling everything like the printer just came out of the box was what worked for me.

[Michael Strong]

Ok, Now it is fixed.

Procedure I used to fix the repeated "media information is newer on printer" / can't update custom am1 files / can't install MCT tool problem:


Used Parallels 5.0 with Windows 7
Installed Driver from DVD
MCT tool failed to install completely it says as usual because "media information is newer on printer" error
Finished install
Started MCT tool
I'm not sure where this file came from, but it was on my desktop: iPF8300_base007_US.amf
Selected Add Genuine Paper, and chose this file (I think from the import button)
Note downloading the latest media file from the Canon website does NOT work in place of this file, tried that over and over.
Successfully updated to printer and printer restarted.
Now I've added a number of custom am1 files from BC

(although I don't think it's relevant, before trying all this I also restarted the printer, and from the printer menu functions I both erased the HDD data, and reset the paper settings)

[Michael Strong]

Update: I am actually not able to select the media types using the 16bit plugin on OSX, the printer defaults to the available media types in the driver which do not update. I did not realize those media types in the plugin would override the one set on the printer for the loaded paper.  Canon's engineers have reproduced the problem in-house with loading custom am1 files on 10.6.8, and have escalated the problem to find a fix.  I will post again when I hear back from them.  Maybe since Mark had the same problem, they are starting to get enough reports that it's not just an isolated incident and they will really fix it.

[ronmart]

I haven't had any problems doing it in Windows 7 directly, BUT what did trip me up was that the printer can't be in sleep mode when you do this. Walk over to the printer and push a button to wake it up and then try. It's not mentioned anywhere, but I got frustrated until I figured that one out by luck.

Ron

[Michael Strong]

All my problems are addressed in the new MCT software posted 8/5/11 version 4.13!

[ronmart]

All my problems are addressed in the new MCT software posted 8/5/11 version 4.13!

Very cool - good to know!