Canon ipf8400 test strip printing

[David Eckels]

I have been setting up templates in LR 5.6 that would enable me to print up to three rows by three columns of ~4x6 in proofs in landscape orientation on 13x19 sheets. I assumed that I could print the first set of three images in the first (left hand) column using, for example, the low sharpening setting, which I can do. If I change the setting to standard sharpening, and if I re-feed that printed sheet, I assumed that reprinting the same images now moved to the middle column of the template would result in a print with two columns, one on the left and one in middle of the paper. Instead the printer skips the middle column on the sheet and prints the second set of images in the third column; in other words I end up with two columns, one on the right, one on the left, and a blank in the middle.
If I print the first column with the low sharpening setting, then refeed the same images to be printed at the standard setting, but the cells of the template are filled with the same images as the original (ie, all on the left side), then the printer automatically prints the images in the second column of the paper. I now have two columns of images, each column with different sharpening settings, one on the left of the paper, one in the middle. So far so good.
Now, if I want to print the third (right hand column) with high sharpening settings, you might think refeeding the paper sheet would result in three columns, each with different sharpening settings; WRONG. The printer says "This size paper is unsupported."
I conclude there must be some sensor that determines whether a blank sheet of paper has been inserted and the result is the printer is "looking" for blank areas to print in, regardless of the positioning of images in the template. Is there a way to override this "feature" or some work around to accomplish what I have tried to describe?

[David Eckels]

Bump. No answer from Breathing Color either.

[mstevensphoto]

I don't believe the printer is "looking" for a blank space on the paper as much as it's looking for a white edge and not finding it. the printer measures the width of the paper you've given it. Why not just set your action to print the whole sheet (9 images) at once and choose from it? Alternatively print rows instead of columns. I hate loading sheets so I print my test strips as rows that usually end up being 8x34 or 8x36. then just slice off that bit of the roll and off you go.

[enduser]

Qimage has a fantastic nesting ability, and, for example, if you have six images on a sheet or roll, you can specify separate parameters for each.  We often run a job like this with a different color profile for each image, all on one sheet, and a single printer pass.

[David Eckels]

Qimage has a fantastic nesting ability, and, for example, if you have six images on a sheet or roll, you can specify separate parameters for each.  We often run a job like this with a different color profile for each image, all on one sheet, and a single printer pass.

This what I need.

[Geraldo Garcia]

Count me as another Qimage Ultimate happy user. I had to force myself to learn the (not so intuitive or obvious) ways of the program, but it pays off.

About the IPF8400, it actually "scans" the paper even during printing and stops if it finds dark/printed areas. Last week I was experimenting and loaded an already printed sheet: A3 size, almost entirely blank with just a dark patch of aprox. 3x4" printed in the middle. It loaded perfectly but during the printing, when the carriage reached the printed area the printer stopped and accused "paper misaligned" or something like that. Happened twice with printed sheets and stopped happening when I loaded a blank sheet.