Printing too dark in CS4

[_doug_plummer_]

I have CS4 on Tiger 10.4.11 on a completely color managed system, Epson 4800 printer. Printing seems to be broken in the new version. Prints are very dark. I know to select "Photoshop Manages Color" in Color Handling, and "No Color Management" in the printer color management dropdown. The procedure works fine in CS3.

That something is up is suggested by this wrinkle. In this case I am printing using advanced b/w. If under color handling I choose "Printer Manages Color" and go into the b/w advanced setup, it's still too dark. If instead I choose "No color management", then make my choices in advanced b/w, it works fine.

One would first think that it's a double color management problem, but I'm turning it off anywhere I can see it in CS4, and still having problems. Is there a new secret handshake I haven't puzzled out yet?

[_Dan_E_Boy_]

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.

[DickSj]

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]

[Ramón_G_Castañeda]

>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.

[DickSj]

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

[Was DYP]

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.

[Lundberg02]

Anyone want to bet that CS5 will be even worse?

[Was DYP]

What makes you think that there really is something wrong with printing in CS4?

Could it be that drivers are not updated correctly for Leopard?

Or, that drivers are not installing correctly?

Or the OS is overwriting a file the non correct driver needs? Reinstall the driver?

Not all of us are having these problems!

[Ann_Shelbourne1]

I get perfect prints, first time and every time, from CS4: what am I doing wrong?

[_g_ballard_]

>> what am I doing

aren't you running a Power PC G5 and 10.4 -- maybe that's the difference

[Ann_Shelbourne1]

Of course!

:)

[grayscapes]

This issue has been driving me crazy. Thanks to all that posted. I am using the following:

Mac OS 10.5.6
MacPro
Spyder color calibrated cinema monitor
Epson Stylus Pro 3800
Epson Enhanced Matte paper (for B&W)

I also have LR 2 and PS CS4 installed.

For the life of me I could not get my B&W prints to come out right in CS 4 or LR 2. After reading here, I selected "Edit in Photoshop CS3" from Lightroom's library. I printed as usual from CS3 (PS manages colors, using SPro 38 EMP profile). Perfect results.

Too bad I burned so much paper & ink, not to mention hair (!) trying to get to this point. I hope someone releases an update to fix this issue with CS4 soon.

cheers,

aviduser

[_Ray1292_]

This whole process is logical nonsense to me, sorry. On a color printing head in the darkroom you had three color corrections, plus you had a timer for exposure time, and an f/stop on the lens.

There is such an endless clutter of obstructions in digital printing. Sure, if you find the right combination great. But look at the misery that smart engineering could eliminate. So where is the smart engineering?

[DickSj]

My problem was that the 9800 was not designated as the DEFAULT printer (the 9900 is).

When the 9800 is not the Default printer - it ignores the profile - and make huge blocked-up black areas.

When I made the 9800 the DEFAULT printer - it made a perfect print.

See my new post here:

Default Printer Problem - Epson 9800 and 9900

http://www.adobeforums.com/webx/.59b837a5

[Guest]

This is interesting. I'll test this tomorrow when I get to the studio. I'll print out a profile target from CS3, which works fine in Leopard with the 9900 as the default printer, measure that the compare it to a CS4 version of the same target printed with the 9800 as the default printer.

I'm thinking that this can't be enough to "fix" this problem, but measuring two targets and comparing them in ProfileMaker's Measure Tool will tell just how different the two options really are, within the tolerance of the Spectrolino.

If, in fact they produce statistically similar results, that will be more information for my contacts at Epson, who are already aware that there is a problem of sorts.

[grayscapes]

One update: The prints from CS3 were not as sharp as the earlier prints. Don't know why. My ink cartridges (SP3800) are getting low, but that should not be the problem. I applied the sharpen filter then printed at 2880/best quality in ABW.

I hope we get this fixed. BTW, I can't get good prints out of LR 2 either--same exact issue as with PSCS4. Too bad too, because the sharpening is awesome.

Oddly, I managed to get some recently taken and edited photos printed straight from LR2, (I had to lighten them in ABW) but not the older photos--those had to be printed from CS3.

Very frustrating.

aviduser

[_Henrik_Mjöberg_]

Hi, I just wanted to say thanks to all contributors of this extensive an great discussion.. great know-how in any case!

[grayscapes]

So where are we with this one? Is Adobe working on this?

Perhaps someone could let us all know. I assume it is an Adobe update that needs to happen . . .

aviduser

[DickSj]

For my studio - it looks more like and Epson and Apple issue.

Dick

http://www.wilderness-studio.com

[MadManChan2000]

aviduser, it is an issue we (Adobe) are currently pursuing with the print vendors. The hope is that they will release updated printer drivers that resolve the issue (however, as the ball is in their court it is not something we can ultimately control). Nearly all of the current printer models already have updated drivers; generally it's the older models whose drivers need a refresh.

[grayscapes]

MadMan:

Please see my posts from today.  I spoke with Epson today and their TS guy claims that they are done releasing a driver for the Stylus Pro 3800 to address the OS 10.5 changes.

Can you call their engineers and speak with them directly?

Thanks,

grayscapes (fka aviduser)

[Lundberg02]

this is a test post

[P_Shock]

Peter, p_d_f, pfigen, (or whoever the forums have forced you into these days ...)

Did you ever perform the Delta-E comparison between printer default/non-default you mentioned a few weeks ago?

If so, I'm very interested in the results - I have an exhibition coming up in a couple of months and I'm about to take delivery of a new Epson 3800. I'd like to come up to speed as painlessly as possible - many prints need to be cranked out.

Thanks for any insight ...

-phil

[grayscapes]

Eric:

Thanks for your response. I hope that someone gets on this fast. It is frustrating to say the least. I wasted a ton of paper & ink the other day messing with it. Wound up having to print in CS3.

I assume that a new driver will address the issue for both CS4 and LR2?

Thanks,

aviduser

[Chris Cox]

If the new driver follows the guidelines provided by Apple, then yes.

[Was DYP]

aviduser

You can always use the ColorSync Utility workaround discussed here and in the Lightroom forums. Good luck with getting older printers drivers updated.