Mono Printing

[CanonGal]

Is there anyone out there who uses a Canon i9950 for mono printing. It's a great printer but every time I print in mono I seem to get a colour cast - if I don't click grayscale there's a definite sepia/magenta cast, but if I do there's sometimes a blue or greenish cast. I'm printing on Epson glossy photo paper in as high a quality as I can set my printing options.

Thanks....

[Tim]

Hey Canon, I use the same printer and haven't noticed any problems.. Maybe you could send me a shot you're having trouble with and I'll see how it prints on mine..

[lostmysnorkel]

Hi CanonGal,

While I am not familiar wityh your printer, here's a couple of tips that I found helped on my Epson and might work for you:

a) Convert your file to B&W before printing and print as if for colour - you should see much more subtlety in the shades if the printer is 'allowed' to use all the inks.

b) Stemmy can take credit for this one - If printing from Photoshop, go File>Print with Preview and make sure you set 'Let Photoshop Determine Colours' (bottom-left drop-down menu).

Hope it helps.

[tonymidd]

b) Stemmy can take credit for this one - If printing from Photoshop, go File>Print with Preview and make sure you set 'Let Photoshop Determine Colours' (bottom-left drop-down menu).

Hope it helps.

If you do this be sure to select no colour management in the printer driver.

Personally I've given up on inkjet mono printing for neutral greys, even a friends new R2400 shows colour shifts and bronzing, admittedly to a much less degree than prevous printers. So far this year he has spent over £2k in search of neutral grey mid-tones, printer, monitor/printer profiler, special inks and papers, and the prints still show colour shifts in different lighting. I can get a better print in the darkroom at a fraction of that cost.
My i9100 is infuriating, it will produce a reasonable neutral mid tone on one print, do a reprint a day later and it's all over the place, but colour shift is stll a problem. Before anyone asks everything is profiled. It's fine for Duo-tones and other toned prints. I have found that using expensive rag papers such as Enhanced Somerset does improve matters but at £1+ per A4 sheet???? Thats over £1.50 per print when ink etc is taken into consideraton.
Tim which paper/ink combination do you use??

[CanonGal]

Thanks for your replies and helpful comments. Not least it's encouraging to know that other people are having the same problem....I was starting to think it was just me! This is one of the images I've had problems with. It prints with a distinct sepia cast which, in view of the subject, doesn't actually bother me, but I've been criticised for colour casts in my mono images by judges at my local camera club who seem to want to see nothing other than shades of grey.

I'll try the suggestions and let you know how I get on.

[THEWES]

I have just purchased this printer and my mono results are neutral. However a friend with the same kit has the colour cast problem reported, she also uses Epson paper. I use Tetenal and their profile (which still perhaps needs a little tweaking for colour).
HTH

[Fairfield]

I have only just joined the forum because I have exactly the same problem! Am printing Mono (greyscale) images in latest version Photoshop via an Epson 2100 Photo ink jet printer. Have tried all possible print mode/driver settings but still get a green-ish colour cast with Gloss paper or a blue-ish cast when using supersharp Matt paper. I even asked Epson but their adjustments really didn't improve things much.

Any more suggestions welcome!

On balance I think the Matt paper is an improvement if this helps.

Nigel

[Stemmy]

Its an age old problem - If you are mixing colour to get blacks then you will always get cast of some sort.

Best way is to buy another printer for your mono work and but the Lyson continuous ink system. This used about four shades of black - that is it no colour.

[tonymidd]

The epson 2400 nearly solves this problem, at a price! Over £500 to buy paper and inks expensive but it produces the best inkjet mono prints. not perfect but getting very close.