Seen it so many times, still a problem, grays render out pink.

[straightlife]

I'm on a mac running latest version Monterey.

I'm running photoshop 23.2.1

I've got an Epson ET-4550

THESE THINGS DON'T MATTER. EVERY MAC VERSION, EVERY PHOTOSHOP VERSION AND EVERY PRINTER I'VE EVER USED HAS HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS. OVER YEARS AND YEARS.

I've stopped printing as a result because prints come out with grays pink-ish.

Photoshop manages colors

Printer manages colors

Doesn't matter. They are all pink

If I desaturate them, they are desaturated to a point and they are still kinda pink.

I've just printed 20 copies of a simple shot in mostly grays and greens and browns. There is a sidewalk in the shot. It is invariably somewhat pink no matter what settings I use.

I have two screens. A mac screen and a dell screen. They show slightly different colors, but neither one shows an image that has any pink in it. 

If I desaturate only the red and magentas, the sidewalk is still pink when I print it, whether I'm using printer manages colors or photoshop manages colors.

The Epson printer has a limited number of presets. I set it to grayscale, hopefully turning off all color management. Then I choose photoshop manages colors. pink. I've tried colormetric, relative colormetric, etc., all. the settings photoshop allows. blackpoint compensation, no blackpoint compensation. PINK PINK PINK.

I read somehwhere that when the printer dialog shows a preview of the image somehow that screws up the color settings so turn the preview image off. Two things about that. The preview image doesn't have any pink in it. And there is NO setting available to turn that preview off, anyway.

I really would like to print images again. Any advice.

(please don't tell me to check my inks for blockages. My inks are fine.)

THANKS. LOOKING FORWARD TO SOME HELP.  ATTACHING DIGITAL IMAGE, AND A SHOT OF RESULTING PRINTS.

[melissapiccone]

You are blaming it on Photoshop... but have you tried printing an image from a different app? Are your monitors calibrated? Can you read the color numbers in your image where you are seeing the pink - is there any sort of color cast? Printing correct color is an art in itself. 

[straightlife]

Thanks. I do realize that. I've tried every setting, tried printing out of preview. It's a PRINTER problem. I've been reading up. Best thing I've found to do so far is to make a photo filter adjustment layer and run the opposite of the magenta. It helps a lot.

[NB, colourmanagement]

You'll need an accurate monitor/display profile and an accurate printer/ media profile. As you have discovered trying a myriad of random settings is a good way to waste media and ink. 

I hope this helps
neil barstow, colourmanagement net :: adobe forum volunteer:: co-author: 'getting colour right'
google me "neil barstow colourmanagement" for lots of free articles on colour management

[straightlife]

I was wrong to blame photoshop. It's the printer. This was proved when the techs at Epson asked me to use the copier function of the printer to print a grayscale image. It came out magenta. They said get a new printer. BUT I had the same problem with a Canon printer. This is definitely not a photoshop problem.

[straightlife]

I'm attaching a digital image and which I've turned into a black and white image.

And I'm attaching a photo I took of a print I made of said image.

I have tried a LOT of settings both with Photoshop managing color and with the printer managing.

I have tried just printing out from Preview.

I've tried converting to CMYK

I've got an ongoing request in to Epson (they are very nice)

But the problem remains in every print I make and every breath I take

MAGENTA.

THIS IS A TRICK QUESTION, BECAUSE WHAT I REALLY WANT IS FOR THE GRAYS IN MY COLOR IMAGES TO PRINT AS GRAY AND NOT MAGENTA. But by printing a grayscale image, that isolates the problem, right?

PS ALL NOZZLES ARE CLEAN, ALL THE LINES ARE PERFECT.

Any advice oh, please, because I am going MAD.

[Randy Hufford]

Its is a driver settings or profile. Call epson support. Trying printing as a gray scale?

[straightlife]

OMG. Online I found a very very strange fix. Not addressing this problem exactly, but kinda brilliant.

Make an photo filter adjustment layer

Choose the color that's troubling you.

I just choose a generic magenta

Then, reverse the a and b numbers in the color

so 33 becomes -33

-31 becomes +31

The filter is the opposite of your trouble color.

It doesn't fix the problem but in the case of a sidewalk in a color shot that prints out pink, it looks a LOT more gray this way.

[NB, colourmanagement]

Colour management is probably your solution. Two ICC device profiles are needed, to get a print that matches the screen. 

The monitor/display screen should be accurately calibrated and profiled. [with suitable target settings to match an *unequivocal reference print -

[* please check this out: http://www.colourmanagement.net/products/icc-profile-verification-kit ]

You'll also need an accurate printer / media ICC profile. Initial testing with an Epson branded media and using "printer manages color" is a good place to start with a first testprint. [be sure the correct media option chosen in the driver software as this setting calls upon the ICC profile when using"printer manages color"]

Next: try the same image on the same media with "Photoshop Manages Color and both the correct ICC profile selected AND the correct media option chosen in the driver software. 

I hope this helps
neil barstow, colourmanagement net :: adobe forum volunteer:: co-author: 'getting colour right'
google me "neil barstow colourmanagement" for lots of free articles on colour management

[Cristian Brunelli]

hello! it's quite old but man i am having the exact same issue. have you found any solution? outside of changing the printer?, i don't know maybe toner was bad or anything at all, i've been testing, modifying, calibrating, cleaning, whatever possible, and all is now perfect and correct and i still get that same tint, both with personal photos and grayscale tester photos.

[straightlife · Accepted solution]

I got a reallly pricey Epson printer. Solved the problem!

[kellyf48193859]

I got an expensive Epson printer and still greys are printing pink. driving me crazy but at least now I know its not just me. Which printer did you buy? this one is going back!

[straightlife]

Epson SC P-700.  It has ten inks. It does not print pink

[NB, colourmanagement]

Hi that's good to know your issue is solved now. Shame you had to gobtobtyecexiense if a new printer to achieve that. What model is it?

as you've marked your solution as correct others will want to know. 

neil B

[graham_6330]

I had same problem using windows 10,  Photoshop 7 and Epson printer. Opened black and white photo in windows pictures, clicked on printer icon, scrolled to bottom of 'Print' section, clicked on more settings, changed bottom item from colour mode to monochrome. This worked for me no more pink printouts.

[graham_6330]

P.s.

Also under 'Print' I turned to'  off ' let the app change my printer preferences.