Printing 101

[robdickinson]

OK done a couple of prints at the weekend.

Both A4, one on ilford smooth pearl with canons pro 1 ilford profile, and one on gold textured cotton

The smooth pearl came out nice, a little darker and more contrasty than on screen but I kind of expected this, still heaps of detail in the shadows, in good light it looks right.

The cotton was less contrasty and not as saturated (compared to seeing this image on canson photo rag reviously). Its an OK print but not a wow print which I know the image can be.

overall not a bad start - not tweaked anything yet.

Colours seemed to match the monitor which is good ( not been calibrated for a bit, job for the next couple of weeks).

[robdickinson]

You know, looking at it on the wall at work and it looks ok ..

[Sbarroso]

Hi Rob,

I startet to print with the Pixma Pro 1 teo months ago. I can give you some tips
* Use the XPS driver version, it allows to use 16 bits printing
* Up to know lightroom/photoshop in windows cannot use the 16 bits directly, but if you use the plugin Canon Print Studio Pro from LR or PS, then it works. For most of the pictures there is no need and LR Print tab it's the most convinien to use. But if you have a smoth and fine gradation in BW (e.g. skies) then you wiill have a subtle but visible banding using LR without the plug in.
* For BW printig remember to set up the BW option in the driver, do not just sent a BW picture.  For that option there is no need for manufcturers icc profile (they are for color printing). in LR/PS select "printer manages colors" in that case, unless you have specific icc profile for BW (does anyone have?)
* To use the icc profiles (I use the ones provided by the manufacturers) remember to set up the manual correction/adjustment in the driver, the in the adjustments tab (the second), in color adjustment choose none. Then select the profile of your paper in LR/PS.
* For BW printing here you can adjust the tone (warm, cool...). Usually I stick to the default neutral tone, but not always. With the plugin from canon that tool is right there in the menu once you choose bw printing.
* If I select in the driver the preview option (I alwas do it), then the preview looks awful... in my case that's a good sign, I go on and the get a nice print.
* I do prefer NOT to apply chroma optimizer to the whole picture, but the automatic option. You will save some of this liquid. Some gloss diferentiall will be visible in the brightest areas, but only at angles you don't want to see your pictures unless you specifically look for this differential. And I do not like the chroma optimizer beyond the margins.
* Do not use the auto power save option. Keep your printer always on, unles you are not going to use it for a long time. If you switch on the printer everyday it will suck the inks (= your money).
*Change ink cartridges only when they are completely empty. You can still print a lot with "low level" warning.

* Paper is your choice. Depending on the picture, mood and purpose I do work now mostly with Hahnemühle Photo Rag, Rag Bayta and (especially) Silk Baryta ( aka Ilford Gold Prestige Silk, Canson Baryta Photographic, and others). For some color pitures where I want an extra pop up effect I use Canon Platinum Pro, but I probably change to Harman Gloss baryta for this case, since it's inexpensive, have a better feeling in hands, and the base's white it's not so so cool. I do recomend to get test packes, e.g. from Canson, Hahnemühle and Harman, so you can check other papers and have some (very little) stock of them for very specific occasions.

Enjoy!
Santiago

[robdickinson]

* Use the XPS driver version, it allows to use 16 bits printing
How do I do this? I have a pro v1-1 series printer and a pro v1-1 series WS

* Up to know lightroom/photoshop in windows cannot use the 16 bits directly, but if you use the plugin Canon Print Studio Pro from LR or PS, then it works. For most of the pictures there is no need and LR Print tab it's the most convinien to use. But if you have a smoth and fine gradation in BW (e.g. skies) then you wiill have a subtle but visible banding using LR without the plug in.

How do I use Canon print studio pro from Photoshop? I cant see it on a menu anywhere? I dont really do much B&W printing/shooting

* To use the icc profiles (I use the ones provided by the manufacturers) remember to set up the manual correction/adjustment in the driver, the in the adjustments tab (the second), in color adjustment choose none. Then select the profile of your paper in LR/PS.

When I choose photoshop manages colours it tells me to switch off the printer colour management, is this how? ( Canon WS properties, Main tab, colour/intensity to manual?)

* I do prefer NOT to apply chroma optimizer to the whole picture, but the automatic option. You will save some of this liquid. Some gloss diferentiall will be visible in the brightest areas, but only at angles you don't want to see your pictures unless you specifically look for this differential. And I do not like the chroma optimizer beyond the margins.

Thanks

* Do not use the auto power save option. Keep your printer always on, unles you are not going to use it for a long time. If you switch on the printer everyday it will suck the inks (= your money).

OK how do I set this?

*Change ink cartridges only when they are completely empty. You can still print a lot with "low level" warning.

Thanks!

I might be picking your brain for a bit..

[robdickinson]

OK found the auto power off setting

[Sbarroso]

* Use the XPS driver version, it allows to use 16 bits printing
How do I do this? I have a pro v1-1 series printer and a pro v1-1 series WS

I've never heard about this WS.... actually I see now a WS driver (+ normal, + XPS) for my MG6250, but not for the Pixma Pro. Selecting the driver is just like selecting a printer. You should have "two" Pixma pro Printers options. May be you need to go back to the installation CD and look for the XPS driver. In any event, as I said, this driver is only useful to avoid banding with smooth transitions, most of your prints won't benefit of it.

How do I use Canon print studio pro from Photoshop? I cant see it on a menu anywhere? I dont really do much B&W printing/shooting

Menu "File" -> "automate" -> "Canon Print Studio Pro"
Make sure you have the latest version of this plug in, otherwise it won't work with the latest versions of PS CC.

In Lightroom you will find it in :
Menu "File"-> "Plug-in extras" -> "Canon Print Studio Pro"
But if you don't have a big area with smooth gradations, it's better to go to LR Print section.  For PS, however, I find the plug in better, because I can set the borders better. PS, contrary to LR and the plug-in, sets the borders starting from the minimum margin of the paper set by the printer, instead of from the actual edge of the paper, therefore accurate centering is sometimes difficult. (not all the sides of the paper have the same minimum margin).

* To use the icc profiles (I use the ones provided by the manufacturers) remember to set up the manual correction/adjustment in the driver, the in the adjustments tab (the second), in color adjustment choose none. Then select the profile of your paper in LR/PS.

When I choose photoshop manages colours it tells me to switch off the printer colour management, is this how? ( Canon WS properties, Main tab, colour/intensity to manual?)

You are right, photoshop should manage colors if you work with icc profiles.
As you said, go to -> Main tab -> Color/Intensity ->select "Manual", but also go then to "set..." (next to "manual") --> "matching" tab -> "None"
If you print in BW, instead of the option "None" (and others), you will find the BW Tone utility.

Cheers,
Santiago

[robdickinson]

Thanks Santiago much apreciated!

I found the print studio installer and it installed a lightroom one, will download the latest to get it into PS CS14
also have a hunt around for the XPS driver, looks like an old format..