Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: Z3100 / Color not right after firmware update  (Read 5464 times)

wsolum

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 58
Z3100 / Color not right after firmware update
« on: November 24, 2008, 06:56:20 pm »

HELP!

I'm having strange problems since I updated my driver and firmware recently.  My driver dialog will not save changes I make in it, such as print quality, color managemen (by application or printer).  I have to go to printers under control panel to set these so they stay.

I also don't get print preview anymore, even though it is checked.

And my prints -- they have strong red casts in the shadows, though I've re-calibrated and reprofiled.  And the colors block up easily.

My greens are lighter and more yellow, my skin tones more red.

I'm printing from Qimage.  I have my color settings correct -- correct profile chosen, driver set to application managed color, etc.

Just ran a test print with Qimage set to "let printer manage color" and turned on color management in driver -- the print is MUCH improved.

Can someone tell me what's going on and how to fix it?  Can the firmware be restored to pre-update??
Logged

karrphoto

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 42
Z3100 / Color not right after firmware update
« Reply #1 on: November 24, 2008, 08:10:22 pm »

Quote from: wsolum
HELP!

I'm having strange problems since I updated my driver and firmware recently.  My driver dialog will not save changes I make in it, such as print quality, color managemen (by application or printer).  I have to go to printers under control panel to set these so they stay.

I also don't get print preview anymore, even though it is checked.

And my prints -- they have strong red casts in the shadows, though I've re-calibrated and reprofiled.  And the colors block up easily.

My greens are lighter and more yellow, my skin tones more red.

I'm printing from Qimage.  I have my color settings correct -- correct profile chosen, driver set to application managed color, etc.

Just ran a test print with Qimage set to "let printer manage color" and turned on color management in driver -- the print is MUCH improved.

Can someone tell me what's going on and how to fix it?  Can the firmware be restored to pre-update??

Can't help you, I upgraded with no problems and I ALWAYS have it set to "let printer manage color"

Printer knows how to convert the image to the paper, so why let $90 software (even though it rocks) outdo a $3000 printer?  Dunno..  my thoughts at least
Logged

rdonson

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3263
Z3100 / Color not right after firmware update
« Reply #2 on: November 24, 2008, 09:24:23 pm »

I think we're going to need more information to help guide you through this.

What version of the machine? base? PS?

What version of the driver and firmware?
What you're describing about the driver dialogue sounds like a bad install of the driver or a Windoze machine that's whack.

Letting the printer manage color is fine if you're looking for drug store prints.  Letting the application manage color gives you control over how the image translates to print and is part of a color managed workflow.

Blocking up of colors starts to sound like an incorrect choice in paper type or double profiling.
Logged
Regards,
Ron

wsolum

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 58
Z3100 / Color not right after firmware update
« Reply #3 on: November 24, 2008, 11:41:02 pm »

Quote from: rdonson
I think we're going to need more information to help guide you through this.

What version of the machine? base? PS?

What version of the driver and firmware?
What you're describing about the driver dialogue sounds like a bad install of the driver or a Windoze machine that's whack.

Letting the printer manage color is fine if you're looking for drug store prints.  Letting the application manage color gives you control over how the image translates to print and is part of a color managed workflow.

Blocking up of colors starts to sound like an incorrect choice in paper type or double profiling.

Base machine (Raster, no advanced color system)
Driver Version (From About tab): is 61.73.361.41, unless I'm supposed to look somewhere else
Firmware: TR12-TR_7.0.0.3

It does sound like a driver install problem.  Do I just install over the existing or is there a way to completely remove it first?

I'm pretty sure I have the right paper and am not double-profiling (but I can't be sure since the settings don't always "stick".  I'm printing on Red River Premium Matte, with Photo Matte paper selection and using a profile created today with the machine (and using the one created before the upgrade produces the same results).  I have NOT tried printing from photoshop, but I have upgraded my Qimage to the most recent version since I noticed the problem.

I couldn't get rid of the Easy Printer Care Utility that was originally installed on my PC.  I think I just deactivated the call to it in msconfig.

About the first responder, when you use "Let Printer Mange Color", does it use the profile I created?
Logged

wsolum

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 58
Z3100 / Color not right after firmware update
« Reply #4 on: November 24, 2008, 11:45:41 pm »

Quote from: karrphoto
Can't help you, I upgraded with no problems and I ALWAYS have it set to "let printer manage color"

Printer knows how to convert the image to the paper, so why let $90 software (even though it rocks) outdo a $3000 printer?  Dunno..  my thoughts at least

I don't know what the machine is doing to the image when I select this option, and if I don't like what comes out, what do I modify??  While it saved my butt this time, I'd rather know the process that's occurring and what's going to come out than to trust a black box.

Logged

Thomas Krüger

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 447
    • http://thomaskrueger.eu
Z3100 / Color not right after firmware update
« Reply #5 on: November 25, 2008, 01:13:02 am »

Did you have a look at the examples 20 to 23 at http://www.ddisoftware.com/qimage/qimagehlp/lbe.htm#20 to avoid double profiling? Just an idea.

Logged

Ernst Dinkla

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4005
Z3100 / Color not right after firmware update
« Reply #6 on: November 25, 2008, 03:39:53 am »

Quote from: wsolum
HELP!

I'm having strange problems since I updated my driver and firmware recently.  My driver dialog will not save changes I make in it, such as print quality, color managemen (by application or printer).  I have to go to printers under control panel to set these so they stay.

I also don't get print preview anymore, even though it is checked.

And my prints -- they have strong red casts in the shadows, though I've re-calibrated and reprofiled.  And the colors block up easily.

My greens are lighter and more yellow, my skin tones more red.

I'm printing from Qimage.  I have my color settings correct -- correct profile chosen, driver set to application managed color, etc.

Just ran a test print with Qimage set to "let printer manage color" and turned on color management in driver -- the print is MUCH improved.

Can someone tell me what's going on and how to fix it?  Can the firmware be restored to pre-update??


Could you change one step in the process and print from Photoshop instead of Qimage ?

There have been other reports here of odd colour behaviour between Qimage and the Z3100 driver.



Ernst Dinkla

Try: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/
Logged

mcbroomf

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1534
    • Mike Broomfield
Z3100 / Color not right after firmware update
« Reply #7 on: November 25, 2008, 12:34:13 pm »

As far as having settings stick with the Z3100.  I had trouble with this until I went into the Printer Properties through the Control Panel.  Made all of the changes I wanted and clicked Apply or OK.  After that Qimage stayed put.
Logged

wsolum

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 58
Z3100 / Color not right after firmware update
« Reply #8 on: November 25, 2008, 12:51:45 pm »

Quote from: Ernst Dinkla
Could you change one step in the process and print from Photoshop instead of Qimage ?

There have been other reports here of odd colour behaviour between Qimage and the Z3100 driver.



Ernst Dinkla

Try: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Wide_Inkjet_Printers/


Yes, it works fine from Photoshop.  The only thing that changed in Qimage besides the print driver was a recent monitor calibration to D50.
Logged

wsolum

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 58
Z3100 / Color not right after firmware update
« Reply #9 on: November 25, 2008, 01:22:11 pm »

Quote from: ThomasK
Did you have a look at the examples 20 to 23 at http://www.ddisoftware.com/qimage/qimagehlp/lbe.htm#20 to avoid double profiling? Just an idea.

These settings have worked in the past and I had not changed any.  I double-checked though, and they are set properly.
Logged

ibarron

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 9
Z3100 / Color not right after firmware update
« Reply #10 on: November 25, 2008, 02:59:22 pm »

Quote from: wsolum
HELP!

I'm having strange problems since I updated my driver and firmware recently.  My driver dialog will not save changes I make in it, such as print quality, color managemen (by application or printer).  I have to go to printers under control panel to set these so they stay.

I also don't get print preview anymore, even though it is checked.

And my prints -- they have strong red casts in the shadows, though I've re-calibrated and reprofiled.  And the colors block up easily.

My greens are lighter and more yellow, my skin tones more red.

I'm printing from Qimage.  I have my color settings correct -- correct profile chosen, driver set to application managed color, etc.

Just ran a test print with Qimage set to "let printer manage color" and turned on color management in driver -- the print is MUCH improved.

Can someone tell me what's going on and how to fix it?  Can the firmware be restored to pre-update??



Ha! I might actually be able to help someone! (and get a payback for some of the agrevation finding the solution ;-))

I had exactly the problem you describe and couldn't get Lightroom print properties to remember anything after updating my Z3100 printer driver. (updating the firmware had no effect on the problem).

The solution turned out to be to set the Print Properties in Printers & Faxes (Z3100) ... note setting the Printing Preferences in Printers & Faxes had absolutely NO effect. Why Lightroom should listen to the print properties rather than the print preferences I have no idea ;-(

I don't know if it is relevant in all setups but I set the print properties BEFORE starting Lightroom.


Hope this fixes your problem - it would be good to know that more people get a benefit out of all the hours (and paper!) I spent on this.

- Ian
Logged

wsolum

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 58
Z3100 / Color not right after firmware update
« Reply #11 on: November 25, 2008, 04:46:20 pm »

Quote from: wsolum
These settings have worked in the past and I had not changed any.  I double-checked though, and they are set properly.

Okay, I seem to have fixed it.  Here's what I did:

In QImage select the Help menu and select Reset Printer Settings (closes app, you'll have to restart), Reset Color Management Settings (closes app, restart again), and Reset All Program Settings (exits app again).

Don't know if number 3 would do everything included in 1 and 2 but that's the order I did it.  Now my driver saves my preferences and my print closely matches my monitor and allows me to specify printer profiles and rendering intents.

Wayne
Logged

walter.sk

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1433
Z3100 / Color not right after firmware update
« Reply #12 on: November 25, 2008, 07:14:42 pm »

Quote from: wsolum
Okay, I seem to have fixed it.  Here's what I did:

In QImage select the Help menu and select Reset Printer Settings (closes app, you'll have to restart), Reset Color Management Settings (closes app, restart again), and Reset All Program Settings (exits app again).

Don't know if number 3 would do everything included in 1 and 2 but that's the order I did it.  Now my driver saves my preferences and my print closely matches my monitor and allows me to specify printer profiles and rendering intents.

Wayne

I've been using Qimage for years, and now with my Z3100.  Every time I upgrade, be it Qimage or the printer drivers/firmware, I have to have Qimage reset my printer settings.  After that, no problems.  By the way, soft proofing in Qimage is more accurate than softproofing in Photoshop with the gamut warning turned on.  Qimage is much more conservative in showing the out of gamut areas, and actually shows the colors they will print.  I then go back to Photoshop and correct those areas in the softproof.  Were I to use the Gamut warning, even in CS4, I would end up "correcting" much more of the photograph than would be needed.
Logged

namartinnz

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 220
Z3100 / Color not right after firmware update
« Reply #13 on: November 27, 2008, 03:00:09 pm »

I had a similar problem - for some reason all my saved print settings for my Z3100 wouldn't reload when I selected them. After doing a reset in Qimage I had to delete the saved settings and redo them. Only happened the once - and I don't know what caused it. Otherwise the Z and Qimage work brilliantly together.

wsolum

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 58
Z3100 / Color not right after firmware update
« Reply #14 on: December 01, 2008, 04:06:28 pm »

Quote from: walter.sk
I've been using Qimage for years, and now with my Z3100.  Every time I upgrade, be it Qimage or the printer drivers/firmware, I have to have Qimage reset my printer settings.  After that, no problems.  By the way, soft proofing in Qimage is more accurate than softproofing in Photoshop with the gamut warning turned on.  Qimage is much more conservative in showing the out of gamut areas, and actually shows the colors they will print.  I then go back to Photoshop and correct those areas in the softproof.  Were I to use the Gamut warning, even in CS4, I would end up "correcting" much more of the photograph than would be needed.

I was just looking at that feature based on your comments above.  Is there any indicator in QImage such as the PS gamut warning to tell you what's out of gamut, or are you just looking for areas that lose detail in the soft proof?
Logged

walter.sk

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1433
Z3100 / Color not right after firmware update
« Reply #15 on: December 01, 2008, 05:02:26 pm »

Quote from: wsolum
I was just looking at that feature based on your comments above.  Is there any indicator in QImage such as the PS gamut warning to tell you what's out of gamut, or are you just looking for areas that lose detail in the soft proof?

I look closely at the full-screen softproof for any actual color changes.  I can then go back to Photoshop (you can set Photoshop as your editor in Qimage) and isolate those areas to desaturate, lighten, darken, or whatever it takes, and then refresh the view in Qimage.  But today I got another surprise:  Neither the gamut warning in CS4 while softproofing, nor the softproof in Qimage showed a color change, but when my HP Z3100 print preview came up on screen there was still a color change.  I printed it to see what would happen, and the color change was in the print!  So now, I'll softproof in Qimage, CS4 and use the printer's preview as a final check.

The problem with this image is that I had picked color fills in geometric areas that were highly saturated.  They worked well when projected, but not when converted for printing.
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up