ICC Profile Computer Transfer is printing Desaturated

[ddccad]

Should the same ICC Profile print the same on all macOS versions?

I transferred my paper ICC Profile from my MacBook Pro (10.10.3) to two different computers: my iMac (10.14.6) and new MacBook Pro (12.3) both printing desaturated. I have downloaded the latest firmware and print drivers from the Canon printer website. I am printing from the same printer, using the same paper, and using all the same paper settings, media type, color management settings, and printing in the same color space in Photoshop.

Any ideas why it would be printing differently?

[TheDigitalDog]

The short answer is yes. So it's not the profile. 

You should always test output using good color reference images designed for that task. The color reference images RGB values are such that they are set for output and are editing and display agnostic. Test the output this way and examine for the same color issues so we know it's not your image-specific issues causing the problems:
http://www.digitaldog.net/files/2014PrinterTestFileFlat.tif.zip

[ddccad]

I was using a test image similar to yours I found online. I just printed yours and your shows the flaws even more so. The color gradient is very messy (see attached).  The colors look the same as my test prints, but now I'm much more aware that it's not only desaturated, the colors are off. 

[TheDigitalDog]

Seeing a photo of the print isn't necessary for me. 

This is probably some driver setting so we need to drill down and look them all over, and of course what you've set in Photoshop. 

You could try this:

On your Mac, choose Apple menu System Preferences, then click Printers & Scanners
Press and hold the Control key as you click in the list at the left, then choose “Reset printing system” from the menu that appears.
After you reset the printing system, the list of printers in Printers & Scanners preferences is empty.
Reinstall the print driver, only from the manufacturer, not Apple.

The other thing would be trying to print from another application, maybe Preview (you have to set it to use the profile etc). Better yet, Lightroom if you have that. Need to know if this is a specific application issue or not. 

[ddccad]

I reinstalled the print driver directly from Canon and used their Utility PrinterSetup. I printed out of Lightroom Classic and have the exact same results. 

[TheDigitalDog]

This is why we need to see all driver and software settings and need to know that all inks are firing cleanly.