prints look like "preserve color numbers" proof setup

[smthopr]

It's been a while since I've printed anything...

and I now have photoshop CC, macbook pro retina, OS 10.9.5, the newest Epson printer driver. (Epson 3800)

And my print (using a standard test image) is coming out too dark.  Like the gamma is off. I went into the Photoshop soft proof, and the print very closely resembles checking "preserve RGB numbers" option.

In photoshop, I've selected "photoshop manages colors", the epson stock paper profile for my printer, relative colormetric intent.  In the Epson software, it says that color management is off.

Any ideas where I've gone wrong?  I've checked that my system is set to the correct display profile and it is.  My display is not too bright either. Not looking for a perfect match here, just the ball park

Has something changed since a few photoshops ago?  Or OS for that matter?

Thanks,
Bruce

[digitaldog]

Print a color reference image first**, does it also look too dark?

** http://www.digitaldog.net/files/2014PrinterTestFileFlat.tif.zip

The hardware, software you list should work fine (did on this end)

[smthopr]

thank you Andrew.  I was using a (not yours) standard printer test image.  I've downloaded yours, but it opens in Adobe Camera RAW and not in photoshop.  Why is that?  It's a .tif image, and not RAW.  There's no way to open it without processing it through Camera Raw?

[digitaldog]

I've downloaded yours, but it opens in Adobe Camera RAW and not in photoshop.  Why is that?  It's a .tif image, and not RAW. 

Could be your settings. Easy to over-ride, just select TIFF (not raw) from the list of formats when opening. That will bypass ACR.

[smthopr]

ok, your test image prints ok Andrew.  Guess I'll never know what was going wrong before...

The other good news, is that I can't see the gaps in the magenta ink that I can't seem to clear.  Which is good because I needed to spend $500 on ink just to see if the printer was still working after sitting idle for a year or two.