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Author Topic: R2400 - canvas output unusable  (Read 3737 times)

OldRoy

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R2400 - canvas output unusable
« on: December 07, 2012, 07:35:20 am »

Someone recently made me a gift of a roll of 13" Epson Water Resistant Matte Canvas in exchange for a print. I have never printed on this medium before. Epson's manual for the printer recommends using the "Ultra Premium Photo Paper Luster" paper setting for this stock. I made the mistake of using a full width of this paper at 47cm length for an initial test. The output was bad, to put it mildly. No density of ink, no contrast, no detail, in fact a useless waste of ink and paper. The same landscape image outputs fine on both gloss and semi-gloss paper.

Any suggestions?

Roy

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mstevensphoto

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Re: R2400 - canvas output unusable
« Reply #1 on: December 07, 2012, 09:07:24 am »

you may find that canvas images generally benefit from a little extra sharpening. they will always have less lustre than a glossy print since they're not a glossy surface, coat them and that will help. what print settings are you using? it took me a bit to dial in my settings for canvas, but once properly profiled you should get fairly lovely results.
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OldRoy

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Re: R2400 - canvas output unusable
« Reply #2 on: December 07, 2012, 10:46:32 am »

Well, this is way beyond tweaks. There is almost no contrast and the image is covered in speckles of white emerging from the stock. As for detail, there is almost none. I will actually take a quick snap of the result and put it up to make this a bit clearer but it doesn't even approach usability.
Roy
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mstevensphoto

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Re: R2400 - canvas output unusable
« Reply #3 on: December 07, 2012, 02:02:45 pm »

what print settings did you use? do you have the media thickness adjusted properly? are you facing a media/ink incompatibility?
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bill t.

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Re: R2400 - canvas output unusable
« Reply #4 on: December 07, 2012, 02:41:02 pm »

Are you printing on the correct side?

IIRC, Water Color Radiant White is the usual recommendation for matte canvas on Epsons.

Prints on canvas are never quite as zappy as prints on glossy media.  You have to process the images to take max advantage of mid tones.  Unless you use glossy canvas.
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dgberg

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Re: R2400 - canvas output unusable
« Reply #5 on: December 07, 2012, 02:49:45 pm »

Some kind of mismatch. Premier Art had a water resistant matte and satin. ( I believe both are discontinued)
WCRW for the matte canvas with mk ink and the proper profile.
UPPPL for the satin canvas with pk ink and again the proper profile.

philbaum

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Re: R2400 - canvas output unusable
« Reply #6 on: December 07, 2012, 04:41:03 pm »

I'm just finishing a roll of PremierArt Generation satin canvas and its printing very well.  Looking at the fine print, its "water resistant".  I'm not sure what they mean by that, its 65 percent/35 percent poly/cotton, but in any case, i'm not having any difficulties and like it so well, i've ordered more.

I think you've got a bad batch of canvas - see if you can find out who sold it and call them or Epson. 
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JeffKohn

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Re: R2400 - canvas output unusable
« Reply #7 on: December 07, 2012, 04:50:58 pm »

Someone recently made me a gift of a roll of 13" Epson Water Resistant Matte Canvas in exchange for a print. I have never printed on this medium before. Epson's manual for the printer recommends using the "Ultra Premium Photo Paper Luster" paper setting for this stock. I made the mistake of using a full width of this paper at 47cm length for an initial test. The output was bad, to put it mildly. No density of ink, no contrast, no detail, in fact a useless waste of ink and paper. The same landscape image outputs fine on both gloss and semi-gloss paper.

Any suggestions?
The results you got are exactly what I would expect when using a photo-black media setting to print to a matte surface. I'm surprised the Epson documentation made that recommendation but I'm pretty sure it's wrong. Try watercolor radiant white with matte-black ink loaded, and see if you get better results.
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OldRoy

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Re: R2400 - canvas output unusable
« Reply #8 on: December 08, 2012, 07:56:25 am »

Thanks for the numerous responses although I remain in a bit of a quandry because:

1) I wasn't aware that there was any requirement for resetting the paper thickness value - I didn't see any reference when I consulted the PDF manual for the printer.
2) I'm using the Photo Black cart because... that's what it says in the instructions.
3) The roll of canvas was supplied to the purchaser directly by Epson, so one assumes it's a current example.

I must say that ploughing through ink in order to test all possible options is a big deterrent. Also, assuming I were to cut down some stock for testing purposes - say 6x4 - is it going to reliably pass through the paper path? I ask because the large sheet which I fed through initially (cut down because I have never used roll-fed paper even when printing landscape panos) almost jammed up before emerging due to upward curl - I just caught it in time. I should point out that I fed the canvas sheet via the top sheet feeder. My immediate inclination is to forget about printing on canvas completely, I'm not entirely convinced about it for photographic reproduction, although I'd like to see what my own material looks like first.

Roy
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dgberg

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Re: R2400 - canvas output unusable
« Reply #9 on: December 08, 2012, 08:17:13 am »

Thanks for the numerous responses although I remain in a bit of a quandry because:

1) I wasn't aware that there was any requirement for resetting the paper thickness value - I didn't see any reference when I consulted the PDF manual for the printer.
2) I'm using the Photo Black cart because... that's what it says in the instructions.
3) The roll of canvas was supplied to the purchaser directly by Epson, so one assumes it's a current example.

I must say that ploughing through ink in order to test all possible options is a big deterrent. Also, assuming I were to cut down some stock for testing purposes - say 6x4 - is it going to reliably pass through the paper path? I ask because the large sheet which I fed through initially (cut down because I have never used roll-fed paper even when printing landscape panos) almost jammed up before emerging due to upward curl - I just caught it in time. I should point out that I fed the canvas sheet via the top sheet feeder. My immediate inclination is to forget about printing on canvas completely, I'm not entirely convinced about it for photographic reproduction, although I'd like to see what my own material looks like first.

Roy


1. 2400 was not designed for canvas although it should work quite well which is also why you do not see anything mentioned about canvas in the pdf. Its alot thicker so check your settings especially the platen.
2. It says PK ink for the Matte canvas? I would double check that one.
3. To the best of my knowledge it is discontinued which makes it not very current. (Although it should still work.)

Tape a leader to the front edge if it is hard to feed,that should fix that problem.
To address your present problem pop in that mk cart,change your profile and see how that goes. Still think you have a ink and also a profile mismatch.

Canvas for photographic reproduction is about as good as it gets. My entire business model is setup around canvas.
Buy some samples of the current canvas offerings,download the profiles and print away.
If you like the canvas printed output you have only just begun.
Next is varnishing,spray or roll and then mounting. More work then paper prints but so worth the effort.
« Last Edit: December 08, 2012, 08:20:10 am by Dan Berg »
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OldRoy

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Re: R2400 - canvas output unusable
« Reply #10 on: December 08, 2012, 08:58:17 am »

Thanks Dan
Assuming one attaches a leader to the canvas, how do you set the correct paper size? do you have to figure out an offset margin?
I'm attaching crops from the manual PDF.
« Last Edit: December 08, 2012, 09:01:34 am by OldRoy »
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dgberg

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Re: R2400 - canvas output unusable
« Reply #11 on: December 08, 2012, 09:12:21 am »

Your PDF looks good.
The only other thing to check is if the canvas is the water resistant matte or satin.
Your PDF does not tell us which one.
I am almost certain that they offered both. Does it say one or the other on the canvas box?
All your info looks correct for a satin canvas with Pk ink.
Sorry to triple check all this stuff but it has to all match.
Just add an inch to your custom page size and you should be good.

OldRoy

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Re: R2400 - canvas output unusable
« Reply #12 on: December 08, 2012, 09:23:01 am »

The canvas is the matte version.
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JeffKohn

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Re: R2400 - canvas output unusable
« Reply #13 on: December 08, 2012, 10:09:56 am »

The canvas is the matte version.

Then you want to use matte-black ink.

The PDF you posted a picture of doesn't have "matte" in the canvas name. Epson's instructions can be confusing because they have so many similarly named products (and often change the name on products over time).

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Randy Carone

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Re: R2400 - canvas output unusable
« Reply #14 on: December 08, 2012, 10:18:17 am »

When you choose Watercolor Paper - Radiant White (the correct setting for the canvas you are using) you will be able to use Matte Black, which is definitely the correct ink for this canvas. BTW, if you give up after one or two prints on a particular media, you'll never get where you need to be. Experiment. This forum is a great resource for info and since you posted for advice I find it odd that you are resistant to the advice.
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Randy Carone
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