Lightroom 2015.6 Prints Dark And Wrong Colours

[DibbyDoo]

Hi i have been using Lightroom 6.5.1 for all my prints and prints fantastic i have the epson ET-2550 printer. i decided to do the update to the latest version 2 days ago to lightroom 2015.6 and now all my prints turn out dark and the wrong colours i tried reseting lightroom and installing and reinstalling everything and it still does the same and when ever i cool back to LR 6.5.1 or 5.7.1 the prints come out fine and looking very good can any one shine a light on what the problem is becsaue i can't afford to keep wasting good paper i will attach a picture of a printed picture of it printing good and the print that looks bad on the same piece of paper thank you so much

[Abambo]

I can confirm this behaviour even on a non photo printer. When I however print to a file and print that file with windows I get what I would call correct colours.

When selecting "Color Management ->sRGB... (check include Display Profiles) & Intend Perceptual" I get the same results as Print to a file.

[Michael Lenticular]

I'm getting something similar on the new Photoshop CC 2015.5 Same file prints differently than when using the previous version. Dark tones are deeper, and colors slightly different. The prints are acceptable, but I still prefer the rendering from the earlier version. I'm on a Mac, printing to an Epson 4900, with a custom profile I built with X-Rite ProfileMaker Pro software.

[MarkDS]

I have conducted rigorous testing of the consistency between printed values and patch reference values with the latest update of Lightroom and I confirm that there are huge disconnects compared with the same tests done several months ago on the previous version of Lightroom. The dE errors are very large. Wherever this problem is, whether Adobe or Apple or both, the two of you need to confer and fix it ASAP.

[Avinash_Ramesh]

We have reported the problem to Apple already.

And are awaiting the response from them.

[MarkDS]

Please do keep us informed about exactly where this problem is lodged and as soon as you know it , what the solution path and timing will be. This bug is having real consequences for me (and undoubtedly many others) in terms of paper, ink and more valuable than both, wasted time.

[simonsaith]

To revert to earlier version of Lr, uninstall, goto Install Photoshop Lightroom,  download and install Lr CC 2015/6.0,  then download and apply the CC 2015.5.1/6.5.1 patch.

[MarkDS]

What "patch" are you talking about? This is unclear. And what does one end-up with: the old printing implementation or the new defective one, or something else altogether?

Also, when reverting to a previous version of LR, will the current catalog in the new version automatically port there? And what happens to edits made to photos with the new Transform tools? Do they simply get lost or does worse happen?

[TheDigitalDog]

The other question for Adobe is this: Can users downgrade a version to print and keep the current version installed for new features? I know I can run LR5 and LR6. Can one run say CC 2015.5 and CC 2015.6 on the same machine (not at the same time of course)?

[carl37]

I installed 2015/6.0, ran the 2015.5.1 patch, and now I'm back to the correct print pipeline.  Works fine.  This deleted 2015.6, but I would prefer correct CM to the other new features in 2015.6.

[MarkDS]

What is the 2015.5.1 patch and where does one find it? Grateful if you could help on this.

[carl37]

You can download the patch here.

All Adobe CC 2015 Updates: The Direct Download Links for Mac OS | ProDesignTools

[MarkDS]

Thanks very much.

If I understand correctly, one is downloading here at the same time both LR 6.5.1. and the patch 2015.5.1. Once installed LR 2015.6 goes away. Then one is back to the status quo ante with LR, printing correctly. Is this correct? Please advise: what does the 2015.5.1. patch do?

[carl37]

I first installed LR 6/CC here:  New Adobe Lightroom 6 (CC) Direct Download Links – Free Trials | ProDesignTools

and then installed the 2015.5.1 patch.

[simonsaith]

There is a new Adobe help doc on this issue https://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/multi/unexpected-colors-when-printing-mac.html

[TheDigitalDog]

simonsaith wrote:

There is a new Adobe help doc on this issue https://helpx.adobe.com/x-productkb/multi/unexpected-colors-when-printing-mac.html

I did exactly what was recommended.

Downloaded the 3880 driver again.

I did an uninstall by removing the printer from Print/Fax. This is what I'd expect 90+% of your customers would do as there is no Epson uninstaller!

Then I reinstalled the driver as you recommend.

I printed my color reference image, on Exhibition Fiber. That paper isn't listed as being an issue from the URL. Doesn't matter however as you tell us that following your suggestions with the latest driver is a fix anyway.

I printed with LRCC and LR 5. THEY DO NOT MATCH! Of course, if what was outlined in that URL above were accurate, they would.

This didn't work! I wonder if anyone inside of Adobe actually tested this. Based on what I've just tested, it apepars no one did.

Further this isn't an Epson 3880 only issue. Why the URL goes out of it's way to suggest it is, is kind of alarming.

I suggest others follow the steps no matter the manufacturer; delete then reinstall the driver. Make a print in CC2015.6 and any older version. You can use this test reference image if you wish: http://www.digitaldog.net/files/2014PrinterTestFileFlat.tif.zip http://www.digitaldog.net/files/Gamut_Test_File_Flat.tif

On my Epson, the blues are the worst offenders and obviously do not match. Examine the Granger Rainbow (the big synthetic just above the gray bar). Anyone seeing the two app's match?

[Conrad C]

thedigitaldog wrote:

I did an uninstall by removing the printer from Print/Fax. This is what I'd expect 90+% of your customers would do as there is no Epson uninstaller!...Further this isn't an Epson 3880 only issue. Why the URL goes out of it's way to suggest it is, is kind of alarming.

I'm trying to find time to do a good test, but in the meantime I have some suggestions that might help those who do.

• I wonder if removing just that one printer is enough. Some printer problems require going beyond simply deleting the printer, and doing a full reset of the Mac printing system (scroll down to the heading "If your Mac has some other issue with your printer or scanner." I don't know if that will be needed to "clear out cached information" as the tech doc says, but it's something to try.
• While the tech doc has a section with info about the Epson driver, that section does say "Model Specific Information." The rest of the tech doc, including the title and the URL, is not Epson-specific.

[TheDigitalDog]

Conrad C wrote:

• I wonder if removing just that one printer is enough. Some printer problems require going beyond simply deleting the printer, and doing a full reset of the Mac printing system (scroll down to the heading "If your Mac has some other issue with your printer or scanner." I don't know if that will be needed to "clear out cached information" as the tech doc says, but it's something to try.
• The tech doc implies Epson because it has that section with info about the Epson driver, but that section does say "Model Specific Information." The rest of the tech doc, including the title and the URL, is not Epson-specific.

Here are the steps to do the full Epson 'enema" and yes, I did suggest to Adobe they place this into the doc just mentioned (I saw it a few hours ago, made some comments which were totally ignored):

- Delete all instances of Epson printers from System Preferences>Print & Fax.

- Then go to /Library/Printers and toss the whole Epson folder.

- Toss LFP Remote Panel (IF you are using this utility for your printer).

- Then reinstall drivers from Epson and never Apple.

When you go back to Print & Fax to add the printer, on 10.X I had to wait almost a minute before the IP version of the printer showed up, whereas the Bonjour one shows up right away. Then add the IP instance of the printer. This is for printers on a network.

Then re-install LFP Remote Panel if you use it with this printer.

So not only didn't this doc address how to fully delete (uninstall) the driver, let alone any way to uninstall a print driver, I don't think anyone there tested it. And yes, I asked.

Again, I think we need to hear from anyone who's seen this issue outside the Epson 3880 (the doc seems to target that printer specifically) and anyone who's found the above doc DID fix their issue. That means printing with the latest version and any earlier version. The two should match visually EXACTLY.

[carl37]

I don't know how to state this more clearly than has already been reported by others, but here goes. This is not a printer brand (Epson, Canon, etc.) driver issue and this is not a Mac OS issue.  The problem started with the Adobe CC/6 2015.6 update and it affects all of my Epson and Canon printers that I use  to print with from LR 2015.6.  It is clearly an Adobe CM issue related to the application (or lack thereof) of specified custom or OEM icc printing profiles to the image file before sending the data to the printer driver.  Telling people to re-install printer drivers or use printer CM makes no sense to me at all and it won't solve this problem.  The only real solution right now is to go back to LR 2015.5.1 or use a different app for printing if you want reliable color management.  Both of these remedies worked for me.

[MarkDS]

This is a pervasive issue of wrecked colour management that has nothing to do with printer drivers. For the past while I have been intensely researching the question of accuracy of colour rendition between file reference values and printed outcomes from several Epson and Canon printers, using rigorous methodology. I have the very latest drivers on both my Epson P800 and my Epson 4900 and I can confirm that the colour rendering from the new version of LR is whacked. I have dE measured outcomes of standard GMCC patches done with my i1Pro2 spectrophotometer and i1Profiler from known reliable LAB reference values for these patches and the dE outcomes are totally and thoroughly unacceptable. To print the patches that I I measured I use custom profiles made from 1600 patch targets for wide gamut inkjet paper (Ilford Gold Fibre Silk) using the same spectrophotometer and profiling application, with the "M" condition set correctly for this paper; hence the profiles are of a very high standard and the same device and software are used for both profile creation and results measurement resulting in the highest possible consistency. Please acknowledge where the problem is and get the colour management of the print module back to proper functioning in the new versions of LR and PS at your earliest possible convenience.

[Rikk Flohr: Photography]

Here is an updated Knowledge Base document on printing from the Mac environment using Lightroom 6.6/CC2015.6.

Unexpected color results printing to inkjet printer using paper profiles from Photoshop and Lightroo...

[TheDigitalDog]

Rikk Flohr - CM wrote:

Here is an updated Knowledge Base document on printing from the Mac environment using Lightroom 6.6/CC2015.6.

Unexpected color results printing to inkjet printer using paper profiles from Photoshop and Lightroo...

It (the suggested fix) didn't work for me! Anyone else (did it work for you Rikk?).

[Bob Somrak]

Rikk Flohr - CM wrote:

Here is an updated Knowledge Base document on printing from the Mac environment using Lightroom 6.6/CC2015.6.

Unexpected color results printing to inkjet printer using paper profiles from Photoshop and Lightroo...

All the replies here from STAFF seem to be like a bunch of politicians talking around the problem.  As an APPLE user I know they have messed up a bunch of stuff in the last couple of years and unfortunately Adobes track record with Lightroom 6 is abysmal at best.  As Andrew Rodney tests show, it doesn't seem to be solved by the document Adobe has put out.  The problem seems to be an Adobe/Apple pointing match and the users are the losers.  You would think that when Adobes flagship program (Photoshop) has the problem they would spend a little more time trying to address the problem.

[MarkDS]

Yes Bob, you are correct, except for one point: Adobe is responsible for its own product, so whatever Apple did, Adobe has the primary responsibility to ensure that its application is working correctly before unleashing it on the customers, and until they have tested core functionality completely it should not be released regardless of how nifty the new features are - and they are - I really like them, but not at the expense of the print pipeline.

There is absolutely no question in my mind, based on rigorous scientific testing procedure of output from the new version versus the previous version of PS, that this issue has everything to do with defective code in the new Photoshop/LR versions and the sooner Adobe Staff come out of denial and start dealing with the real problem, the better it will be for everyone including themselves. Apple is supposed to notify developers of OS changes many months before they are implemented to give other developers a chance to bring their applications into properly functioning compliance. Whether or not Apple did so this time is immaterial - the responsibility rests with Adobe to ensure its own products function correctly, and whatever collaboration with Apple they need to undertake, and however long it takes, this should be done before releasing the version change.

[Bob Somrak]

As Adobe has recompiled their code with Apples Xcode 7 using Apples API's the problem MAY lie with bugs/changes in Apples software causing the problem.  As an Apple user I know for SURE that Apple QC has been extremely poor for the last couple years and is still going downhill and they have BROKE many things for no reason at all.  No matter where the problem is, it should be Adobes responsibility to investigate the problem and fix it if it is their problem or work with Apple to correct the the problem.  Everyone shouldn't have to buy new printers, debug this on their own, reedit all their photos or run older software (what happens when the old software quits working on a new OS)   The prints should come out the SAME.  I can't imagine how this is affecting Pros trying to keep their prints the same.  

[TheDigitalDog]

MarkDS wrote: I have the very latest drivers on both my Epson P800 and my Epson 4900 and I can confirm that the colour rendering from the new version of LR is whacked.

Did you try the so called 'fix' (uninstall, reinstall) the driver? I'd love to find one person who found that fix worked. Didn't for me.

I think so critical thinking albeit maybe not with all the engineering facts and bkgnd is in order:

1. Adobe tells us this is a driver bug. But the driver works with previous versions of CC app's and for that matter, other non Adobe app's. How does this bug manifest itself simply from a new build of LR/PS? Doesn't make sense.
2. Adobe tells us to uninstall the print driver, doesn't tell us how to do this. Doing so by deleting the driver in Print/Fax didn't make a difference for me. There is the very old Epson 'enema' to do this (see below, try it if you wish)** I suggested Adobe add this to the URL FWIW.
3. Adobe tells us there was a bug in the Epson 3880 printer with specific papers. Yes, there was and I know the details. But the last driver uploaded in April was supposed to fix that. And again, in the last version of CC app's I print from, it did work just fine. Using a paper not on the Adobe list still produces difference in the current and older build (so the bug).
4. The URL seems to suggest this is a unique Epson 3880 issue but others here have reported it with other printers even from other manufacturers.
5. Adobe recommends you contact the print vendor, but it's Adobe who will get far more traction in this respect.

We need someone, somewhere to tell us they were able to get this fix to work, on a 3880 or any other printer.

You are absolutely right Mark, Adobe is responsible for its own product. Clearly they got caught with their pants down with this issue. They rushed this URL out today because it's a Friday before a big holiday. IF they knew this was an issue (and clearly they didn't), we've have been provided this fact when the product was released in the release notes.

The facts can be substantiated if we get a few people with the time and knowledge to attempt the 'fix' the Adobe URL suggests and we hear yes or no, this 'fix' works. It didn't for me. I tried two approaches and the bottom line is, the last release of both Photoshop and LR don't match CS6/LR5 and probably the last release (or we'd have been over this already). IF the fix works, I'm off base and I did something wrong following the 'instructions'. IF the fix doesn't work, Adobe needs to be responsible and own it.

**- Delete all instances of Epson printers from System Preferences>Print & Fax.

- Then go to /Library/Printers and toss the whole Epson folder.

- Toss LFP Remote Panel (IF you are using this utility for your printer).

- Then reinstall drivers from Epson and never Apple.

When you go back to Print & Fax to add the printer, on 10.X I had to wait almost a minute before the IP version of the printer showed up, whereas the Bonjour one shows up right away. Then add the IP instance of the printer. This is for printers on a network.

Then re-install LFP Remote Panel if you use it with this printer.