Epson Printer P900 ICC Profiles Disappear after macOS updates

[Jackve6a]

This has gone on for many years now, first with my Epson 3880 and now with my Epson P900.

Everytime there is a macOS update or revision, I lose all the Epson ICC profiles when I go to print.  All the other profiles I use (ie. Moab, Ilford, Hahnemühle) remain, but the Epson paper profiles are gone.  They are still somewhere in the operating files, but the access has been lost.

My recovery is the same as it has been for the past years.  I follow the Epson Guide for removing the Epson printers from my computer, then reinstalling the P900 drivers from scratch.  This is not a little task as I lose ALL the Epson printer drivers and have to reinstall them.  I have 2 Epson printers.

I keep hoping one of these updates, either from Adobe or from Apple will fix this problem.  Three years ago I spent over a month's duration working with Apple to try and discover the problem.  Apple concluded it was not an Apple problem, but I was never convinced.

I have attached a screen shot of what the ICC profile selection page looks like when printing from Photoshop.  There should be a whole list of the Epson Papers above the line, but there not shown.

I am so disappointed that I have to continue to use my brute force approach to fixing this problem every time I do an update.  However, it seems to be less time that it takes to go around in circles with Apple or Adobe only to get no solution.

If I ever get a complete solution, I'll post it here.

By the way, the Epson P900 printer is terrific.  I've added the roll printer attachment and that works well.

[jane-e]

This has gone on for many years now, first with my Epson 3880 and now with my Epson P900. Everytime there is a macOS update or revision, I lose all the Epson ICC profiles when I go to print.  

By @Jackve6a

To confirm: you are saying this is happening with updates to macOS and not with updates to Photoshop. Is that correct? You might ask on the Apple forums or call Apple if you have AppleCare.

Jane

[Jackve6a]

Thanks for the thought, but I’ve tried this and never got a resolution. There’s never a first line person who understands what is going on and the senior advisors I’ve worked with finally get to a point where they conclude that it is not an Apple problem. This has happened twice over the past few years. Prior to the versions of macOS Big Sur 11 that came out just after Monterey was released in October 2021, this was never a problem. When if first showed up I was using a late 2015 iMac and an Epson 3880 printer, the combination that I had for 4 years prior. In 2022 I bought the new Mac Studio then a new Epson P900—the problem remained.

I will have another try at getting Apple to help.

Jack

[stephene54706093]

Hi Jacky!

dealing wi same issue (ARRRGHHHH). Did Apple shed any light?

[stephene54706093]

ah, now I see: no joy from apple.

Any resolution to the original issue? I'm still in the thick of it....

S

[Jackve6a]

Hi Stephene,

It continues.  Every time there is an Apple Update, all my Epson ICC profile access with Photoshop disappear.  Adobe updates don’t affect it and neither to Epson updates.  I’m pretty sure it’s an macOS problem.  The new macOS security quick updates don’t seem to effect it either, which makes sense to me.

As you know if you’ve read the whole story I’ve posted, I spent a significant effort working with Apple Engineering on this and they offered no solution.  They kept telling me I needed to approach the other vendors.  I had a couple of sessions with the Epson people and they were helpful.  As for Adobe, the problem there is the communication with the support people.  Either the language differences get in the way or they don’t have a clue how to fix it.  I could not get bumped up high enough in their technical group.

As it stands, I plan to have another go at them all, but I don’t want to take the time to do that at this point.  I will, once I can give it the time needed.  What I do is, after every update, I follow Epson’s guide.  This requires me to delete the Epson folder where all their info is held, the reload the drivers etc from the Epson site with care that I get the current operating system corrected properly.  That fixes it every time and I have the process down to about 5 minutes now.  Still, what a ridiculous situation!

Cheers,

Jacky

[TheDigitalDog]

Just reinstall the driver by Epson (NEVER) Apple, which will reinstall the Epson profiles. 

[Jackve6a]

Yes, I think I mentioned that this is what I do every time Apple releases a new macOS update. I just don’t think I should have to do this if there was proper coordination between Apple, Adobe, and Epson.

Jack

[TheDigitalDog]

Yes, I think I mentioned that this is what I do every time Apple releases a new macOS update. I just don’t think I should have to do this if there was proper coordination between Apple, Adobe, and Epson.Jack
By @Jackve6a

I've NEVER had the profiles disappear on me from a multitude of Epson printers (and Mac OSs, versions of Photoshop etc). 

You can also thank Epson for storing the profiles in a really odd location (deep inside a package). 

[defaultnftzfqn4xf65]

1. There is a fix for this...have seen it with Canon printers too. 
   
   For whatever reason Canon and Epson (and who knows who else)  do not install ICC profiles as one might expect, in several locations in the OS.  Instead, they leave them buried deep in their software install, with some sort of link to allow them to be seen/used by applications printing...like Photoshop, LightRoom Classic, etc.
   
   Remedy:  Find the actual ICC profiles, and make copies of them, and put those copies where the software can use them.  That way the link (or whatever the heck it is) won't break with a random OS update.
   
   Where does the Epson driver installer put the actual ICC profiles for the Epson P900?
   
   1. Navigate here:  Macintosh HD/Library/Printers/EPSON/InkjetPrinter2/ICCProfiles/EP2010HK2.profiles
   2. When you get to this item, you have to right-click on it and select Show Package Contents
   3. Keep going! /Contents/Resources/
   

Ta-da!  Look... actual ICC profiles!!

Now select all and copy them.  You could move them...but copying seems safer as the originals stay where Epson put them.

Next, navigate to where you would like to add the ICC profiles.  The safe spot would be:  /Library/ColorSync/Profiles/

Bonus Points:

Rather than scrolling through all the cruft you don't want in the application color profile menu, you can drop them in:  /Library/ColorSync/Profiles/Recommended/

Doing this puts the ICC profiles at the top of the list.  Drop them into a folder to keep them neat and organized.

[defaultnftzfqn4xf65]

Forgot to add...here is what I see after dropping the copies of ICC profiles into the Recommended folder (see attached).

I also forgot to add:

After moving the profiles, one may have to update their permissions via the Get Info box to be sure all users can use them.   This might be part of why Epson and Canon don't put profiles where they belong.  Who knows?