Hello!
I'm a long time user of Canon Prograf 2000 printers in my school portrait business. I've been running two for several years, after retiring my Epson 7880s. These are very good printers, and mostly I've been pleased with them.
I want to say up front that I'm running InkOwl pigmented inks, refilling the Canon carts. I suspect that some on the forum will react to my query with an, "Aha! What did you expect?," so I want to get this out of the way. I ran these same inks in the Epson xx80 printers for years with zero issues, excellent print quality, and longevity that (appears to) rival the OEMs (I don't have 100 years to prove this nor did I run the kinds of tests Wilheim runs). Suffice to say, I have many happy clients and prints of my own that look great years later (I have nearly ten years using these inks, four plus with Canon PGF 2000!). Again: completely happy with third party (InkOwl) inks (see recommendation earlier in this forum).
Computer and software: running an older iMac 5K with i7 and 32GB RAM. OS =Big Sur 11.6.7. For years I used ImageNest, but recently switched to the excellent Qimage Q1 for page layout. I run Epson Premium Luster 24x100' rolls. [update: also printing from 2020 MBP 16” running Big Sur]
To the issue: this set up has worked just fine for several years. I've not changed the system, though I may have updated something inadvertently (but not majorly). I know—this is the uncontrolled variable. I have current Canon firmware and drivers.
The issues:
When I layout a print package—e.g., 8 wallets, 3–4x6s, 2–5x7s, 1–8x10, the Q1 clusters image for "best use" of paper. This means that I will have, say, the 8x10 vertically oriented in the top left corner of the page, two 5x7s running along its right edge, and wallets and 4x6s variously arranged next to those and variously on the page.
In the past, I have printed hundreds of prints on 8-10 foot long "spools" then cut them up for packages, with nary a problem.
I print the image file name below each print, in the white space between print images.
I started noticing that where white space aligned next to an adjacent print, there was a faint, but discernible shadow running all across the adjacent image—like a slightly dark band. For instance, in the space between the two 5x7s there was a slightly dark "streak” visible across the image area, exactly following the gap between nested prints.
This would be especially visible where there was part of a face or a dark background. (Printing without file names produces the same effect, as does using Canon's Professional layout app)
I've done my best to capture this in the linked photo. Image Samples in this post
I have contacted the excellent tech support at Qimage (fabulous folks to work with!). They had me "print" to a PDF to determine if their app might be contributing to the issue. It doesn't not: the PDF is completely free of this. If I print the PDF, I have the shadows.
Gathering myself, I called Canon large format tech support. After a 30 minute hold I was transferred to a queue manger, who then "transferred" me to a tech, but along the way, the call was flushed. Of course! I called back, and 44 minutes later was speaking with a LEVEL 1 tech. Ugh.
This person I can only describe as mildly sadistic. After the outrageously, but not atypically long wait and get--rid-of-the-customer-tactic (let's just call it Canon's benign negligence or loyalty elimination program), the tech insisted on walking me through every step of the troubling shooting pathway, explaining several times as we went through areas of the Canon site how to spell Canon ("That's C-A-N-O-N). I’m a patient person, but I could feel the seams straining.
A number of her suggestions were completely valid—such as getting current firmware—and testing with Canon's own Professional layout app (done, and same symptoms).
She admitted to having ":just enough experience" with these printers "to do her job." It was obvious that she preferred the linear troubleshooting tree to feet on the ground. Basically, Canon (or this tech) has zero experience with these symptoms, and even less curiosity about possible causes.
After nearly 1.5 hours on the phone, she saved the best for last, explaining that unless I could provide my printers had print heads within warranty (I have one new print head in one of the prints, but it's more than two years old), I shouldn't expect that too much more would be done. If I replaced the print head ($800) and flushed all of the third party inks, Canon would be very happy to help.
So here I am! Any one have any ideas?
I would be very grateful.
