Canon Prograf + ColorMunki Profile + OSX Sierra = inconsistent color results

[cougar_daniels]

Greetings:

I recently purchased a Canon Prograf 2000 printer for my custom printing business. I am currently using an Epson 7880, which I like very much.  For a variety of reasons I'm adding a CanonPrinter into the mix (mainly about easy of using third party inks--but at this point I'm using Canon OEM ink).

I use Epson premium luster roll paper with the 7880. Multiple vendors and online claims  that the Epson premium luster paper will work perfectly well in the Canon printer. Some believe it is the same paper, or produced by the same company. I see little difference in the papers, but since I use custom profiles the small differences should go away.

I print using an excellent program called ImageNest, produced by BlueCubit. I can make print packages with it of any size and variety efficiently layed out on a roll sheet. I cannot highly recommend this product highly enough, as well as the support and integrity of the company. They simply the best.

I have used for several years a custom profile produced with a ColorMunki. I occasionally print from Adobe LightRoom, and use the same profile as I do with ImagNest, and the results are identical. I have a good match between print and screen on my iMac 5K running Sierra and the prints from the 7880 (and this has been true since Yosemite--no color matching problems with ColorSynch or ICC profiles on this system).

I created a profile using the ColorMunki for the Canon Printer. The results, however, are unacceptable: with LightRoom, the images are a bit lighter than I'd like, and don't match the screen. They do not have a strong magenta cast, though, as they do when used with ImageNest.

When I use the same profile in ImageNest, the results are strongly magenta. I noticed that when I alter color settings in the Canon Driver, they have minimal effect in ImageNest, but work as expected in LightRoom. It seems that LR and Imagenest handle the ICC profile differently and it interacts differently with the Canon driver, but also incorrectly.

I have also tried selecting Colorsync in the print driver and selecting the profile from within the driver, rather than from the app. The results are the same.

In whatever computer or app managed color I try, the Color Munki profile for the Canon produces inconsistent and unacceptable results; the results on the same computer with the Epson 7880 are perfect. Nothing else is different except for the printer and the age of the profile.

I have reproduced the same results with two other current Macs, one running Sierra, and the other High Sierra.The results are the same as with my iMac 5K: Epson + Color Munki profile = fine. Canon + profile = too light in LR and strongly magenta in IN.

Has anyone had this experience and solved problem? I'm chasing my tail this point. I have lots of trouble shooting experience with printers, computers, software, But this one is kicking my butt.

Many thanks!

[I.T. Supplies]

Are you saying that the colors from the printer aren't that accurate or darker than expected from the screen and you can't match it properly?  Have you calibrated your monitor aside from making profiles?

When you create a profile, the Canon drivers should give you a more accurate print (as long as the Mac monitor is calibrated properly) and you can choose the proper settings to match what your printing on.  (Rendering Intent) should "Relative Colormetric" for photography and make sure Black Point Compensation is selected (otherwise the Canon plugin/drivers should be already set up directly).

What paper setting are you selecting in the drivers for the paper your printing on?
Most of the photo papers are made between 2 different paper mills and sent to the actual manufacturers to become their version of that paper (Epson, Canon, Hahnemuhle, Canson, Moab, etc) and there are a few coating companies around the world that apply that finish to the paper to complete the process.

Also, have you done any current firmware check or updates on the Canon since you got it?  There could be updates that help improve certain functions and/or features.

[digitaldog]

Strongly magenta indicates perhaps double profiling being applied. I suspect that's an ImageNest or user issue. That the same profile isn't the same in LR indicates this possibility and if you just now have an issue with LR being a bit too light compared to the display, you need to adjust the display calibration:

Why are my prints too dark?
In this 24 minute video, I'll cover:
Are your prints really too dark?
Display calibration and WYSIWYG
Proper print viewing conditions
Trouble shooting to get a match
Avoiding kludges that don't solve the problem

High resolution: http://digitaldog.net/files/Why_are_my_prints_too_dark.mp4
Low resolution: https://youtu.be/iS6sjZmxjY4

[Simon J.A. Simpson]

I have some considerable experience with a ColorMunki and also have a Canon Pro-1 printer so I may be able to help.

I’ve read your post through several times and seems like you’ve got a lot of variables in the mix here.  My suggestion is to try and eliminate some of them and isolate where the problem lies.

It sounds like you are experienced and knowledgeable about colour management issues but may I offer some questions to consider ?

• Were any of the Epson profiles made a while ago, or are some of them very recent ?  If not, have you tried making a profile for the Epson printer ?  Answering this question will eliminate whether the issue is related to the printer or not.
  
• Have you the latest ColorMunki software ?  There have been some issues with older versions of the software.  I’m using the ColorMunki Photo 1.2.4 software.
• Picking up on Andrew Rodney’s point on possible double profiling being applied you need to ensure that the Canon driver really is turning-off colour management.  With my printer and on El Capitan this happens automatically but it would be worth checking that the driver (in the print dialogue) really is doing this; and, of course, that the paper type is being consistently selected between the ColorMunki target printing and when printing using the profile you have created (but I’m sure you do this already !).  Mark Segal may be able to offer some advice about the driver for the ProGraf 2000

I hope this may help ?

[dehnhaide]

Hi there,

Have you managed to get any further in solving this issue?!
I own the same printer and I am experiencing the same magenta cast when using customer paper profiles (with Colormunki) but to me it happens in Lightroom.
I am also scratching my head endlessly what might I have done wrong. I am well aware of the workflows and the double profiling pitfalls but still can't seem to find out why.
Any help would be appreciated.

Greetings:

I recently purchased a Canon Prograf 2000 printer for my custom printing business. I am currently using an Epson 7880, which I like very much.  For a variety of reasons I'm adding a CanonPrinter into the mix (mainly about easy of using third party inks--but at this point I'm using Canon OEM ink).

I use Epson premium luster roll paper with the 7880. Multiple vendors and online claims  that the Epson premium luster paper will work perfectly well in the Canon printer. Some believe it is the same paper, or produced by the same company. I see little difference in the papers, but since I use custom profiles the small differences should go away.

I print using an excellent program called ImageNest, produced by BlueCubit. I can make print packages with it of any size and variety efficiently layed out on a roll sheet. I cannot highly recommend this product highly enough, as well as the support and integrity of the company. They simply the best.

I have used for several years a custom profile produced with a ColorMunki. I occasionally print from Adobe LightRoom, and use the same profile as I do with ImagNest, and the results are identical. I have a good match between print and screen on my iMac 5K running Sierra and the prints from the 7880 (and this has been true since Yosemite--no color matching problems with ColorSynch or ICC profiles on this system).

I created a profile using the ColorMunki for the Canon Printer. The results, however, are unacceptable: with LightRoom, the images are a bit lighter than I'd like, and don't match the screen. They do not have a strong magenta cast, though, as they do when used with ImageNest.

When I use the same profile in ImageNest, the results are strongly magenta. I noticed that when I alter color settings in the Canon Driver, they have minimal effect in ImageNest, but work as expected in LightRoom. It seems that LR and Imagenest handle the ICC profile differently and it interacts differently with the Canon driver, but also incorrectly.

I have also tried selecting Colorsync in the print driver and selecting the profile from within the driver, rather than from the app. The results are the same.

In whatever computer or app managed color I try, the Color Munki profile for the Canon produces inconsistent and unacceptable results; the results on the same computer with the Epson 7880 are perfect. Nothing else is different except for the printer and the age of the profile.

I have reproduced the same results with two other current Macs, one running Sierra, and the other High Sierra.The results are the same as with my iMac 5K: Epson + Color Munki profile = fine. Canon + profile = too light in LR and strongly magenta in IN.

Has anyone had this experience and solved problem? I'm chasing my tail this point. I have lots of trouble shooting experience with printers, computers, software, But this one is kicking my butt.

Many thanks!

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[William Walker]

I am on Mac and I have a Canon IPf8400.

This is the only way I have made successful profiles with the Colomunki!

https://www.breathingcolor.com/blog/how-to-profile-a-canon-ipf63008300-using-the-print-plug-in-and-the-colormunki/

I do not print out of Lightroom, I create a JPEG file from Lightroom using the correct profile and paper settings. I then print out of Photoshop using the Canon iPF8400 Print Plugin if I am printing more than one image at a time - otherwise I send the image directly to PS and export to the Print Tool.

I hope that helps.

[dehnhaide]

I have eventually managed to get the profiles right. Looks like the root cause might be the printing of targets using the Adobe tool instead of Canon's PSP. Thanks for the tip @Panagiotis.

On top I have changed some flags in Argyll based on some discovered facts on Argyll forums and now basically the new profile produces absolutely fine output in both Relative Colorimetric and Perceptual rendering intents.

Also the gamut of my profiles is now much more closer to the one in default Pro Luster profile submitted by Canon. Not to say about the outstanding quality of gradients I'm getting!

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk