Canon Pro-2000, Mac OS, best printer driver for landscape work, etc? PPL Sucks!

[Lust4Life]

After years of bitching at Canon to produce a program that accurately demonstrates what I am sending from computer to printer to print of paper, I'm ready to move on.

Suggestions on other printer drivers for tiff to Pro-2000 that allows my use of my own ICC constructed profiles.

Often printing at 14" h X 24" wide on 24" rolls, left side of image is text, right side is image, all Tiffs.

Hoping to find driver that does not extract thousand from my IRA!  Just a photographer that does landscape images.  No nesting, etc, just one file at a time when needed, which may have 6 weeks or more before needing to print.

Best,
Jack

[Ryan Mack]

I've been happy with ImagePrint Black but it's expensive. You could try a trial of ImagePrint Red which is much cheaper and for Canon with your own ICC profiles should be roughly equivalent. The most popular option around here seems to be Qimage though. Mirage is also cheaper than ImagePrint Black but I don't know much about it. To be clear though, for Canon Pro-2000 *all* of these use the Canon provided software driver which you need to download and install from Canon's web site. These are all just printing apps on top of the Canon driver.

[Lust4Life]

I have been using and disgusted with the Canon driver, Professional Print and Layout, for over a decade.  So poorly developed is my opinion of it.  If back when I developed software on Cray and SGI, and one of my programmers put together PPL, he would  have been fired. 

So PPL is resident on my Mac.  Will look at your suggestions.  Thank you.

I've been happy with ImagePrint Black but it's expensive. You could try a trial of ImagePrint Red which is much cheaper and for Canon with your own ICC profiles should be roughly equivalent. The most popular option around here seems to be Qimage though. Mirage is also a lot cheaper but I don't know much about it. To be clear though, for Canon Pro-2000 *all* of these use the Canon provided software driver which you need to download and install from Canon's web site. These are all just printing apps on top of the Canon driver.

[Ryan Mack]

Honestly pretty much all printing apps feel pretty out of tough with modern design language. If you want to go the free route you could also try Print-Tool which is part of the QuadToneRip package. If you want a modern design then try printing straight out of Lightroom if you use that.

-Ryan (weirdly I also wrote software for SGI 20 years ago)

[Lust4Life]

"-Ryan (weirdly I also wrote software for SGI 20 years ago)"
That is RARE to find another critter that even knows what SGI or Cray were!

I would be interest in learning what you were developing.  Trade stories - if interested you can find me at my books site, just click "Contact" or send me a PM here:  http://www.seekingtobefound.com
Jack

Honestly pretty much all printing apps feel pretty out of tough with modern design language. If you want to go the free route you could also try Print-Tool which is part of the QuadToneRip package. If you want a modern design then try printing straight out of Lightroom if you use that.

-Ryan (weirdly I also wrote software for SGI 20 years ago)

[Ryan Mack]

I was working on stereoscopic viewing of molecules for chemistry software using shuttered glasses at a scientific software company called Accelrys (formerly called Genetics Computer Group).

[sunnyherman]

I agree, there are issues with PP&L. I really like Mirage Print (they are on version 5 now).

You can download a free 14 day trial from -

Mirage 5

It's available in both Mac and PC. FWIW, it also supports the newest Canon x600 series of printers. It's not cheap but it's much less than some of the other options out there - @ $445 - $535. You have the option of a single seat license (use on 1 computer only) or a floating license you can use on a number of computers, but only one at a time. They also have a plug-in for Lightroom that costs extra (the standard version includes plug-ins for Photoshop) and best of all it can run on old versions of Photoshop including CS 5/6 as well as older version of the Mac OS. I bought a Pro 2600 and Canon doesn't make a printer driver for older versions of the Mac OS - must be Catalina or newer.

According to their web site, they work with both Canon and Epson in the development of this software.

[mcbroomf]

I've been using Qimage (on Win) successfully for many years with wide format printers from Epson, HP and Canon.  It's a bit quirky (initially) but not too frustrating and there is a Mac version.  You can download a trial copy as well.

[Lust4Life]

Downloaded Mirage last weekend - just  now trying to install.
My Mac Studio Ultra works wireless on PPL and Q1  fine.
Do find some of the GUI for Q1 a bit lame so wanted to try Mirage BUT seems no Wireless connection with Mac and Canon available with Mirage?

Please advise if that is correct. If so, useless to me and will uninstall.

Thanks,
Jack

I agree, there are issues with PP&L. I really like Mirage Print (they are on version 5 now).

You can download a free 14 day trial from -

Mirage 5

It's available in both Mac and PC. FWIW, it also supports the newest Canon x600 series of printers. It's not cheap but it's much less than some of the other options out there - @ $445 - $535. You have the option of a single seat license (use on 1 computer only) or a floating license you can use on a number of computers, but only one at a time. They also have a plug-in for Lightroom that costs extra (the standard version includes plug-ins for Photoshop) and best of all it can run on old versions of Photoshop including CS 5/6 as well as older version of the Mac OS. I bought a Pro 2600 and Canon doesn't make a printer driver for older versions of the Mac OS - must be Catalina or newer.

According to their web site, they work with both Canon and Epson in the development of this software.

[digitaldog]

How about Lightroom Classic? The print module does all the heavy lifting once you setup the print temples.

[sunnyherman]

Contact Mirage support, they are helpful and typically respond within a short time.

          [email protected]

[dgberg]

We do 75% of our printing through Lightroom and at $9.95 for both Photoshop and Lightroom there is no better deal around.
Qimage One also does a great job.

[Lust4Life]

Tomorrow is the last demo day, not convinced and have sent  twice the following questions plus one more:
1.  Left side of app - howto remove an image from it??? 
Like so much of this app that I mentioned in my message to them, should be simple but it isn't.

What I have asked:
I have a little time today to try to work with your program, Qimage One.
To review:
Mac Studio Ultra, OS 15.0.1
1TB internal Drive
Canon Pro-2000 printer, up to date.
   WiFi - no way I can reasonable run ethernet.

Given:
I had a company and we developed on the Cray/SGI Super Computers for 12 years.
   Machine Language Control over SCSI; VR/AR; Computer Graphics & 3D animation, etc.

Retired early.  Designed and built high performance for USA government.
Find the PPL from Canon to be DOA in user interface.
   Seeking one app to shot just one image at a time of landscapes of my images.
      Surprised how rare such a simple tool is.

First impressions of Q1; so so.

1.  Did follow instructions on reinstalling the Canon wifi driver, not the Apple.
   Still Q1 can not access media.  This should not be a problem.
      Solution?

2.  Media Type:  DOA, I use Inkpress Glossy Metallic paper (Canon Glossy HG255) and built my own ICC profiles.
   Can access - “auto” is all there is and that will not do it for me.

3.  Privacy issue: 
   You do not need access to every thing.  I just want to drag ONE Tiff file to Q1 and she
   auto loads it.  That simple.  (I developed for FBI, CIA, and others. Best friend is deep in NSA.
   Thus, I am very sensitive to what an app has access to that it does not need.  I have one folder that all work done
   in it is Captuer One, another just made for Q1.  That is all you need relative to how I work.)

4.  Want user defined:  Center, Center Vertical, Center Horizontal.

5.  I have a Capture One landscape image, saved as landscape BUT  Q1 thinks it is portrait.
      Under “Custom”, is first field width and second height?

6.  Monitor is calibrated (X-Rite top (i1Profiler)
   Ideally have within Q1:  Brightness/Contrast adjustments in app. 

I will take the next 45” and just experiment on my own, may solve but point is much of the above should not have to
bother you with.

Jack

PS:  Did find this interesting:


Jack Brady
Chapel Hill, NC
Photography web site: https://shadowsdancing.com

Poetry & Photography Book web site:  https://seekingtobefound.com

[Ryan Mack]

When you say that Q1 cannot access the media do you mean it can’t access any media types or custom media types? If you mean custom media types then you need to go into the Cannon Driver and there’s a button in there to have it pull the media types back from the printer into the Driver. This whole round-trip from the media tool to the printer and back to the Driver is stupid, but that’s how it works

[Lust4Life]

When you say that Q1 cannot access the media do you mean it can’t access any media types or custom media types? If you mean custom media types then you need to go into the Cannon Driver and there’s a button in there to have it pull the media types back from the printer into the Driver. This whole round-trip from the media tool to the printer and back to the Driver is stupid, but that’s how it works

Will give it a try - thank you.
Heck, I can't even just drag and drop a single image into the Q1image window to load one.

Parts of it I like BUT seem like a program designed by programmers that are not photographers with printers.


Just checked the price for Mirage!!   $1,137.77 USA $.

JUST UNINSTALLED THE  DEMO, AND THEY DIDN'T EVEN ANSWER MY QUESTIONS.



Still waiting for answers from the message I sent to Q1.

[Lessbones]

how did you get those numbers?  Are you looking at the package that allows you to use all Canon + Epson printers simultaneously?  The version of Mirage for the Pro-2000 is 399-479 Euros depending on whether or not you want the lightroom plugin.

What were the questions you had that they didn't answer?

[Lust4Life]

how did you get those numbers?  Are you looking at the package that allows you to use all Canon + Epson printers simultaneously?  The version of Mirage for the Pro-2000 is 399-479 Euros depending on whether or not you want the lightroom plugin.

What were the questions you had that they didn't answer?

Quite simple:  Mirage popped up a link for "Discount" for purchase before Trial expires.  Followed it, selected the one year for single user (2 machines apparently) with renewal option in 1 year. 
Up popped screen asking CC #, etc and amount of 1,039 EUR.

That's what I got, and said NO WAY.

Still no reply to the questions listed above that I sent them as of 4:47 PM, 10-9-2024.

Thus I have no interest.

But also finding  no reply to my questions I sent to Q1, and I enclosed screen shots to support my questions.
Example:  Q1 shows image in their "box" in landscape BUT the adjoining tab is set to Portrait. 
BUT if I loaded the paper into Pro-2000 in landscape posture, printed fine. 
If I set Q1 dialog box to Landscape, then the image in their box is in portrait.  Loaded the image in Portrait position, as I do with the PPL, and it printed across the narrow width of the paper cutting off the image.

Go figure that one out please?

[BobShaw]

Downloaded Mirage last weekend - just  now trying to install.
My Mac Studio Ultra works wireless on PPL and Q1  fine.
Do find some of the GUI for Q1 a bit lame so wanted to try Mirage BUT seems no Wireless connection with Mac and Canon available with Mirage?

Please advise if that is correct. If so, useless to me and will uninstall.

Thanks,
Jack

I would not recommend doing wireless to a printer. USB ideally then Ethernet.
I used Mirage for years and it was excellent with Epson at least. Always got what it showed

[Lessbones]

Why not just use something simple like QTR-Print Tool?  It's very bare bones, but if you don't mind dragging things around to do your own layouts, it's quite nice.  If it had an "auto arrangement" feature, and the ability to skip the input of exact paper sizes (aka just use however much paper length wise that is required for the given job like all rips have) this would be a perfect RIP replacement.  Also in this case you are just using the Canon print driver and not their entire layout program in your case.

https://www.quadtonerip.com/html/QTRprinttool.html

[jeyell]

I echo the statement to avoid WiFi for printing. Doing so on macs often pulls apple’s AirPrint drivers in to allow granny to sent her Candy Crush screenshots to a printer. You do not want that, you want to use Canon’s supplied drivers only and it’s easy to miss them during printer WiFi setup. Avoid all that kerfuffle and go Ethernet which is bulletproof and secure - unlike WiFi or USB.