color drift

[Jeff Magidson]

Do any of you notice color shifts during production runs of the same image or when going back and printing the same image you printed a while ago?

I just did a run of (20) 24"x40" prints of the same image that had a fairly neutral background using my Canon IPF8300. I was surprised to see a shift in the neutral areas printing from neutral to slight magenta when comparing the first print to the last one. It's not a disastrous difference but noticeable upon close inspection. I'm getting a perfect nozzle check.

I don't recall ever seeing this kind of inconsistency when using my Epson 3800/3880.

~ Jeff
 

[Geraldo Garcia]

Are you printing the images on the same roll of paper? I have noticed some quite dramatic variations in paper white point from different rolls (same paper).
Are you comparing images just right after the last one was printed? As a recent Canon IPF user I was shocked to realize how much the Lucia inks change as the dry/cure for a few hours.
If the prints were printed with a long time between them (months) may be a good idea to recalibrate the printer and create a new profile (if you are using custom profiles).

Best regards.

[Jeff Magidson]

Are you printing the images on the same roll of paper? I have noticed some quite dramatic variations in paper white point from different rolls (same paper).
Are you comparing images just right after the last one was printed? As a recent Canon IPF user I was shocked to realize how much the Lucia inks change as the dry/cure for a few hours.

Best regards.

The run of prints where all made on the same roll of RC paper. From my experience, RC paper with the 8300 ink set does not need much time to cure and is color stable to the eye pretty quickly. 

[digitaldog]

I've never seen this on my Epson's. I suppose it's possible with the Canon's as it is with other printers. That's why it's useful to print a reference image, even 8x10, date it and pop it into a dark area. Whenever you see what you believe to be some drift, reprint and compare. If you have the tools to build your own profiles, even better is to print a target, measure it then print it again when such an issue arises, then measure and compare. That process can tell you if it's a paper issue or not as the paper is measured.

[Some Guy]

I've seen this before in my printers no matter the brand.  Might be the ink settling out and maybe a thinner color in the lines at times with the dyes in the ink.  Maybe re-mixing with some clump of dye somewhere too.  It's maddening at times, and I usually just re-profile.  I notice it in the shadows as well.

I have had OEM carts where the yellow ink appears as more orange at times than the old yellow tank.  Seems even the OEM have issues mixing the stuff at times.  Probably why I can send a print to different commercial printers and they all look different, and resubmitting on comes back different from the same printer too.

SG

[Farmer]

This is very unusual unless you have a fault with the head or the ink supply.

Take, for example, proofing machines (same printers, different use to photogs).  They produce print after print after print over the course of years that are matched to within small fractions of a delta E variance.  Sure, sometimes they require a relinearisation due to hardware aging or climate variations (some places do this very regularly, most do it a few times a year and rarely makes much difference).

I would be doing whatever the equivelant of a nozzle check is on your Canon and ensuring it's all coming out correctly and looking normal.  You can get dye or pigment settling (more usually separation of particles for pigments), but it's usually very obvious.