Printing too dark in CS4

Anyone want to bet that CS5 will be even worse?

Make sure that it actually takes the default setting. On some systems setting it from the Printer & Faxes preference pane does not take. Check the CUPS interface http://127.0.0.1:631/printers to see for sure. You can set the default printer from the CUPS interface if you cannot set it from the Printer & Faxes preference pane.

That theory can be easily tested in one of two ways:

either make the printer your default profile (it takes seconds and can be easily reversed); or
Convert your image file to your target profile, then let the Printer Manage Colors.

That should confirm or disprove that theory.

>>>>>>>>>>>

When I get back to the studio, I will do the test.

Thanks.

Dick

>There is a suggestion that a printer NOT selected as the default pinter ignores "Photoshop controls color" - and, therefore, ignores my profiles.
>
>Is that the case here?

That theory can be easily tested in one of two ways:

* either make the printer your default profile (it takes seconds and can be easily reversed); or
* Convert your image file to your target profile, then let the Printer Manage Colors.

That should confirm or disprove that theory.

My problem is having 2 Epson printers. I am on a MacPro - running OS 10.5.6. I use Photoshop CS4 - and I have a new 9900 connected with USB - and a 9800 connected with Firewire.

The 9900 is selected as the default printer under Print and Fax on the MacPro.

I switched the 9800 to MK (I donated my older 9600 to an art department - that was my old MK printer).

Now, the 9900 is near-perfect, but the 9800 prints everything with blocked-up blacks. Any region with black in it is just solid black.

I tried several profiles for the 9800 - including one I made with my X-Rite i1 - mostly with Somerset Velvet for Epson. None of the profiles cured the blocked-up blacks on the 9800.

There is a suggestion that a printer NOT selected as the default pinter ignores "Photoshop controls color" - and, therefore, ignores my profiles.

Is that the case here?

I am in Chicago today - attending an Epson workshop. I'll bring up the issue there.

Dick

[link deleted]

Thanks Sole

I don't know if this is a printer driver issue, considering the exact thing also happens on the systems that have the Epson 2400's.

Dan,
I sympathise with your frustration, it took me 3 days to solve my color issue and I was ranting the whole way through.

I downloaded my driver from the Epson US website. I checked and it is under downloads 3rd one from the top. Here is the link: (3rd one from the top)

http://tinyurl.com/cc24xk

[long URL replaced by host]

Printer Driver - Tiger v3.57, Leopard v6.11
Intel-based Macs with OS X (v10.4.4 - v10.5.x), PowerPC Macs with OS X (v10.3.9 - v10.5.x)
epson12786.dmg - 38.7MB - posted on 09/18/08

The new driver you downloaded seems to be correct. You just have the name of the dmg file before uncompressing it.
I did not do an unistall, I just dragged the old driver to the trash and deleted it. This should not make any difference. All the steps you took seem correct.
You removed the old driver from the trash etc. I'll write again if I can think of anything else...

Regards

Magdalena,

The steps I took on the driver install were this:

Deleted the printer from Print/Fax (PrintCenter) by pressing -
downloaded the driver from Epson.
ran the uninstall option to delete any previous driver.
ran the install option to add the new one.
Added the printer to Print/Fax (PrintCenter) by pressing +

The driver that I'm using is epson12786.dmg I haven't heard of the StylusPro3800-09A6E5 that you're mentioning. is it from another region on Epson's site?

On another note, I ran the same file, but had the printer handle the color, and it came out almost identical to the one I did in CS3. Very frustrating :(

DYP, did you see my latest comments in the CM forum about colorimiter and 10.5.6?

Hi Dan,

This actually has nothing to do with the color profiles and yes, I had this problem with 10.5.6. I had the exact same problem and was able to solve it as follows:

My Original Problem: CS4 prints too dark. When I switch to CS3 without changing any other parameters, all is well, and the prints come out properly.

SOLUTION:
I was lucky to have a laptop with CS4 that printed just fine. I noticed that the Epson printer driver on the MacBook Air was different from the driver on my iMac. The iMac driver had been updated to the latest version while the MacBook had not been updated but rather had a fresh version of the driver installed.

Hoping this was the key i deleted to trash the Epson printer driver on my iMac (StylusPro3800-09A6E5 (IP)).

Next i downloaded the latest printer driver for the Epson 3800 from the Epson website (StylusPro3800-09A6E5) and installed it from scratch on the iMac

I then went to system preferences and opened Print & Fax deleting the Epson 3800 printer (hit the - button). I reinstalled the Epson printer from scratch. Hit the + sign and wait until the printer is found (printer has to be on) . The OSX interface will find the new driver and install the printer with the new driver.

I launched CS4 and the prints no longer looked too dark, but identical to CS3.

I'm not sure, but it sounded like you have not yet installed the new printer driver, and fully deleted the old one. Not an "update", but a full reinstall of the driver is necessary. (Dated 09/18/08 for the MAC)

Hope this helps.

Magdalena