P: Print - Printer options - Colour Matching is not sticky

I traced this on macOS 26.6 with a Canon PRO-1100. Lightroom's spooled output is correct (16-bit, converted to and tagged with the paper profile). macOS's cgpdftoraster converts the tagged image to sRGB before the Canon driver, regardless of the color-matching mode or any driver setting; the driver then prints sRGB values as paper values. Untagged DeviceRGB passes through unchanged. Reported to Apple (FB25195311) and posted with reproduction steps here: https://community.adobe.com/bug-reports-674/print-module-output-is-converted-to-srgb-by-macos-before-the-printer-driver-when-lightroom-manages-color-macos-26-6-canon-pro-1100-1651379 — Canon Professional Print & Layout bypasses the CUPS queue, which is why it prints correctly.

Description of Issue

With Color Management set to a paper profile, prints from the Print module on macOS 26.6 come out with large hue errors (reds toward orange, greens toward cyan/blue, skin toward yellow). Lightroom's own output is correct: the spooled PDF holds a 16-bit image converted to the paper profile and tagged with it, with Relative intent. The macOS renderer (cgpdftoraster) then converts that tagged image to sRGB before the Canon raster driver, and ignores the application-color-matching flag. The driver prints the sRGB values as paper values. I measured this by retrieving the spooled job from CUPS, running cgpdftoraster by hand with the job's own options, and comparing its output to the image inside the PDF: the output matches a ColorSync Luster→sRGB conversion within 2/255. With the same image untagged (DeviceRGB), the renderer passes the pixels through unchanged. Reported to Apple as FB25195311. Possible Lightroom-side fix: when "Managed by Lightroom" is selected, spool the converted image as DeviceRGB rather than ICCBased with the destination profile; the pass-through then works on current macOS. Same symptom as the existing thread "Print - Printer options - Colour Matching is not sticky".

Lightroom Classic Version Number: 15.5.1

OS Version Number: macOS 26.6 (25G72)

Printer: Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-1100, Canon driver 30.10.1.0, network (IPPS)

Paper: Canon Photo Paper Pro Luster LU-101

Step-by-step Reproduction Instructions

1. Print module. Print Job: Print to Printer, 300 ppi, 16 Bit Output on, Color Management Profile = Canon PRO-1100/510 Photo Paper Pro Luster, Intent Relative.

2. Printer… → Quality & Media: Media Type Photo Paper Pro Luster, Paper Source Manual Feed, Print Quality High. Color Matching shows ColorSync (greyed). Print.

3. Print the same image, exported as a 16-bit Adobe RGB TIFF, from Canon Professional Print & Layout 1.6.1 with the same paper and profile.

4. Compare the two prints under 5000K.

5. Optional, no printer needed: retrieve the spooled job (CUPS-Get-Document), run /usr/libexec/cups/filter/cgpdftoraster on it with the job's options, and compare the raster with the embedded image.

The Expected Result

The Lightroom print matches the soft proof and the PPL print.

The Actual Result

The Lightroom print shows the hue errors above; the PPL print is correct. The renderer's raster equals a Luster→sRGB conversion of Lightroom's pixels. Changing Lightroom's color-management mode or any driver setting produces the same print.

I have same issue. 

I'm using an Epson L8180 with Lightroom Classic on macOS, and I'm running into an issue where the print driver settings won't stick. I set the Media Type and Print Quality in the Print Settings dialog and hit Save, but when I go back in, it's reverted to default (Auto Select) instead of keeping what I chose. Happens whether I'm using a saved preset or a Lightroom template. It just randomly resets. I've already lost paper/ink from prints going out with the wrong settings because of this. I've read this is a known macOS printer driver bug affecting Lightroom/Photoshop users in general, but does anyone have a fix or a reliable workaround? I have macos 26.6 and lastest version of lightroom.

J'utilise lightroom pour imprimer mes photos avec imprimante prograf pro-300. Mes photos sont rougeâtre. Je sais que c'est un problème de double traitement couleur. J'ai mis mon profil canon dans Color management dans l’onglet impression. Cependant je j'arrive pas à désactiver le Color management dans le Print Setting. je n'ai pas accès à Color matching et je ne peut activer le black point compensation. il n’apparait pas dans le dialogue. J’ai vérifié mon imprimante, mes buses ne sont pas bouchées et les têtes sont alignés. je soupçonne un conflit depuis la mise à jour de mon système (macOS Tahoe 26,1). 

@DanielBoston yeah that’s a possible bug I've seen too, I suspect that is an Apple bug on certain macOS versions, its not happening on macOS Ventura here

I hope this helps

neil barstow colourmanagement - adobe forum volunteer,

colourmanagement consultant & co-author of 'getting colour right'

See my free articles on colourmanagement online

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@ABlong "I am sure the problem isApple's color sync utility not adobe.  I spent hourss on the phone with an Apple agent who could not find a way I could print from PS w/o colorsync taking over and giving me muddy pictures unless I chose PS Manages Colors and then it brought up an Aces CG Linear profile as the printer profile"

It seems like the Apple guy had little knowledge of Photoshop's printing options.

When using Printer Manages Color, the user is offered the choice between Colorsync and Printer color management in Print Settings > Color Options (which is accessed from Photoshop's print dialog.) see below

Colorsync doesn’t get involved unless you select it here, if you do, then you get to choose a printer profile. Generally I don't recommend that. 

Overall, I prefer to recommend Photoshop Manages Color

When Photoshop Manages Color is selected (see below) colorsync/ [printer] color controls options are generally greyed out in print settings. I believe this is achieved by an instruction sent to the manufacturer's printer software from Photoshop, in an attempt to avoid user confusion.

Of course, if using Photoshop Manages Color, the user needs to select a Printer Profile from the dropdown list (in the dialog just below Photoshop Manages Color) - you may have seen ACES  at the top of that list of profile options, as you mentioned ACES is not a printer profile. Its not a default, its just top of a largely alphabetical list.

(below I selectedPhotoshop Manages Color and an Epson 4900 profile for my connected printer) 

I hope this helps clear things up 

Colorsync has been on Macs since 1993 - it can help in printing if we ask it to. Generally we don't unless the software we are printing from has no colormanagement options .

neil barstow colourmanagement - adobe forum volunteer,

colourmanagement consultant & co-author of 'getting colour right'

See my free articles on colourmanagement online

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This is a Mac problem stemming from its color synce utility.  apple needs to correct it 

I have been making beautiful prints -- from Qimage One. I was having horrible color problems printing from Lightroom to Epson. I tried many things, so I'm not sure what solved the problem, but it might have been running Epson's uninstaller -- removing everything, and starting from scratch. So at some point I got good color again. Cleaning up my studio I just ran into and tossed some of the horrible prints I wasted media on last fall.

I switched from Lightroom to Qimage about a month ago not because of color, but layout/margin issues with my Epson 5750. Some layouts Lightroom just refused to let me make, while others would come out of the printer different from the setup, like a landscape orientation when it was set up as a portrait, cutting off the image. I was wasting paper and ink. 

Qimage is ugly and takes some time to learn, but it is rock solid if you set everything up correctly. I've been getting beautiful prints and not wasting media.

I am sure the problem isApple's color sync utility not adobe.  I spent hourss on the phone with an Apple agent who could not find a way I could print from PS w/o colorsync taking over and giving me muddy pictures unless I chose PS Manages Colors and then it brought up an Aces CG Linear profile as the printer profile although that profile is for image editing not printing. I never had these problems before the color sync utility. The tech could not help me to open colorsync and told me I could not take it off.  I feel like suing for breach of warranty.  In the meantime, I have to find out which one of three Epson printe profiles is the correct profile for my printer.  Apple, what have you done!

The problem seems to be long-standing.  It doesn't seem to affect everyone, but it does affect more than 0 people, me included.  It's a pity that no one from Adobe has gripped the issue and tracked down the cause (whether it is and Adobe issue, an Apple one, or a printer driver bug).  The fact is that it affects Lightroom Classic users.  Workarounds, such as exporting a JPEG/TIFF and printing with the manufacturer's software remove one further USP from Lightroom, at least for me.