I have a problem....

Charzes44

Charzes44

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Location
Cambridgeshire, UK.
Name
Charles
Recently, when I print one of my photos, this for example:
IMG_6060.jpeg
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the print comes out like this (a bit paler actually!):
IMG_6059.jpeg
Join to see EXIF info for this image (if available)


It is the same from my both iPad and iMac. The only thing that has changed, since the prints were okay, is my service provider, from Virgin Media to Sky. My printer is a Canon TS8150, and I am using decent ink and Canon photo paper.
Please, can anyone help me correct this fault?
 
Charzes44 said:
Recently, when I print one of my photos, this for example:
View attachment 488524

the print comes out like this (a bit paler actually!):
View attachment 488525

It is the same from my both iPad and iMac. The only thing that has changed, since the prints were okay, is my service provider, from Virgin Media to Sky. My printer is a Canon TS8150, and I am using decent ink and Canon photo paper.
Please, can anyone help me correct this fault?
Click to expand...
Are you working with calibrated monitors and printers (calibrated to the same standard)? If not, this is to be expected.

Many people created kind of a print profile (colour, sometimes resolution as well) and apply it (only!) before printing. It's a tedious job, but you seem to be pretty aware of the precise issues at hand, so you have at least a starting point.

You can also acquire calibration hardware. I'll not recommend anything in particular because my stuff's old, but I calibrate all my monitors to the same standard and edit print-friendly (which may, at times, result in somewhat warmer tones on screen, but so be it).

M.
 
Charzes44 said:
I hear what you say Matt, but I have never had a calibrated anything. My prints used to be pretty much like what I saw on my iPad, now they are insipid! I want to know why.
Click to expand...
Nothing changed? No new items installed? iPads are said to deliver pretty reliable images, that much I know ... but this sounds as if some colour profile is/was applied.

I'd reset the printer to defaults and go from there, but that's not without its own risks (network access ...), so walk carefully and only do this if you know how to get yourself out of ensuing issues. I'll explicitly state here that this is not a recommendation!

EDIT: Sorry, forgot: I'd check the image editors first, especially if they're the same app - maybe an update changed defaults!

M.
 
If you're getting the same result from 2 different sources, I'd blame the printer. Actually, blaming the printer is a pretty safe bet for all printing problems. All printers suck. They work great until they don't and then you buy a new one.

My last photo printer was a Canon TSxxxx. It might have even been a TS8150, like yours. And thinking back on it, it may have been the same problem as yours. It worked great for a year or so, then I couldn't get any kind of contrast out of it at all unless I cranked it up to ridiculous levels in the processing software. I finally just gave up and quit printing photos entirely. I've considered getting a fancy, expensive photo printer, but that scares the heck out of me. All printers suck.
 
ShipleyNW said:
If you're getting the same result from 2 different sources, I'd blame the printer. Actually, blaming the printer is a pretty safe bet for all printing problems. All printers suck. They work great until they don't and then you buy a new one.

My last photo printer was a Canon TSxxxx. It might have even been a TS8150, like yours. And thinking back on it, it may have been the same problem as yours. It worked great for a year or so, then I couldn't get any kind of contrast out of it at all unless I cranked it up to ridiculous levels in the processing software. I finally just gave up and quit printing photos entirely. I've considered getting a fancy, expensive photo printer, but that scares the heck out of me. All printers suck.
Click to expand...
Hmmm, yes. I suspect the printer too. As you noticed, I tried two different sources, and the result is the same! Perhaps I should go back to Epsom!
More thoughts will be welcome!
 
Here's a thought (considering I'm using my Canon MG7750 rarely and have had troubles of that kind): If you've not printed for a while, the ink might be the problem. There's a cleaning function in the menu IIRC - you'll lose one sheet of photo paper, but it's usually worth it.

I get both sides of the argument here: I'm fascinated by printing my own images at a level of quality I'm satisfied with - but for someone like me who only prints occasionally (if extensively if I print), the whole business appears like a losing game ... So, maybe having a pro/shop do it would solve the problem, but only up to a point: If you've already invested in a printer, you usually don't want to just throw it away ...

M.
 
MoonMind said:
If you've already invested in a printer, you usually don't want to just throw it away ...

M.
Click to expand...
Absolutely right. And all the unused cartridges too.
I have mostly always used 3rd party inks and never had a problem before now! The before and after prints were both printed using the same inks and paper! I even updated the printer firmware; the results are the same before and after.
 
Charzes44 said:
Absolutely right. And all the unused cartridges too.
I have mostly always used 3rd party inks and never had a problem before now! The before and after prints were both printed using the same inks and paper! I even updated the printer firmware; the results are the same before and after.
Click to expand...
Sorry, Charles, I'm out of ideas ... The "CLA" plan (use internal cleaning and adjustment options) is all that I can come up at this point, but I doubt that's the problem; it's simply too persistent ...

M.
 
Charzes44 said:
Please, can anyone help me correct this fault?
Click to expand...
I may have some input here.

If the printout comes out paler than the second image, these are usually the culprits from low- to high-level impact:
  • The yellow and magenta inks or nozzles are erroneous. If the cartridges are genuine, there may be an error on driver ink management. If you are using AirPrint, not much can be done unless you use the designated Canon printing app.
  • Screen calibration can have some impact here. High-end displays are required to be calibrated to 100% sRGB every 18 months because at that time frame, the changes in the yellow or blue hue are significant. I am talking about BenQ-like screens and what we have on our devices are usually much lower-end. Apple had 100% sRGB displays up to the 1st Gen iPhone SE but that still requires intense calibration after the 36 months. Newer models are calibrated toward cinema colours, so around 96% sRGB or less.
  • There is huge mismatch in the ICC profile. This requires a colour calibrator again. The printer must be using the same ICC profile that the display device uses. Like @MoonMind says, it's a tedious task but well worth it.
If the above ones want to be skipped, you can try using a different printer profile to the type of paper you are using. If you are using Canon Glossy Paper, try using Matte as the profile on the software/iPad and the printer and that may bring out the colours we all want. Cheers.
 
Iron said:
I may have some input here.

If the printout comes out paler than the second image, these are usually the culprits from low- to high-level impact:
  • The yellow and magenta inks or nozzles are erroneous. If the cartridges are genuine, there may be an error on driver ink management. If you are using AirPrint, not much can be done unless you use the designated Canon printing app.
  • Screen calibration can have some impact here. High-end displays are required to be calibrated to 100% sRGB every 18 months because at that time frame, the changes in the yellow or blue hue are significant. I am talking about BenQ-like screens and what we have on our devices are usually much lower-end. Apple had 100% sRGB displays up to the 1st Gen iPhone SE but that still requires intense calibration after the 36 months. Newer models are calibrated toward cinema colours, so around 96% sRGB or less.
  • There is huge mismatch in the ICC profile. This requires a colour calibrator again. The printer must be using the same ICC profile that the display device uses. Like @MoonMind says, it's a tedious task but well worth it.
If the above ones want to be skipped, you can try using a different printer profile to the type of paper you are using. If you are using Canon Glossy Paper, try using Matte as the profile on the software/iPad and the printer and that may bring out the colours we all want. Cheers.
Click to expand...
Timo, thank you for that. But why should I have to do any of that when said printer was printing well previously with the same ink and paper as now? I will see if Canon support can help.
 
Charles, if you haven't used the printer for a while, you might have to do multiple print head deep cleans, and nozzle check prints.

My Epson Stylus Pro R3880 (a pigment ink printer) hadn't been used for 4-5 years or so.

It needed about 4x nozzle cleans, and a power clean to get it functional again.

It will print most of the visible part of a ProPhotoRGB 16 bit colour space. My monitors all display ~100% aRGB colour space.

It's always a good idea to use an .icc colour profile for your paper and printer.
 
Printers will drive you mad. Particularly inkjet printers. There's a chap I follow on social media (historian Guy Walters) who got so angry with his printer, he took it out in a field and blasted it with a shotgun.

I concluded a while ago that it's false economy to print photos at home, particularly if you only do it very occasionally. I eventually gave up with colour inkjet printers and bought myself a colour laser printer instead, which is fine for documents. No problems with that so far (firmly touching wood as I type this). Anything photographic gets taken to the High Street.

Years ago I worked with a guy who reached the same conclusion. All the holiday pictures he spent hours printing at home got stuck together or had stripes across them or colours missing. The usual stuff. Eventually he took his files to the photo shop in town and got them printed there. On collection, he asked the manager if he could check the prints before he took them away. The conversation went like this:

Colleague: Mind if I check these before I pay?
Man in shop: Please do
Colleague: [leafing through the prints] Golly, these are nice! Much better than I can do at home
Man in shop: Good
Colleague: They're so bright and colourful, and so crisp!
Man in shop: Well, what do you use at home?
Colleague: An inkjet printer
Man in shop: And how much did it cost?
Colleague: About £60 I think
Man in shop: [nodding to a big commercial printer at the back of the shop] How much do you think that cost?
Colleague: No idea
Man in shop: About a hundred thousand
Colleague: Ah

I may have remembered the values incorrectly, but it was something like that.

-R
 
Just had an issue with my Epson. Might not have used it for a couple of months, printing was hopeless. After multiple cleans etc. it appeared to have cleaned 5 out of 6 heads, but it had by then emptied the ink in the sixth head, a $41 cartridge had gone from 60% to 0. When I bought it I had the same thoughts as Richard, but went ahead with the purchase. Last time I do that.
 
IanE said:
Just had an issue with my Epson. Might not have used it for a couple of months, printing was hopeless. After multiple cleans etc. it appeared to have cleaned 5 out of 6 heads, but it had by then emptied the ink in the sixth head, a $41 cartridge had gone from 60% to 0. When I bought it I had the same thoughts as Richard, but went ahead with the purchase. Last time I do that.
Click to expand...
I don't usually have any problems.

However, my sister's printer needed a nearly full set of cartridges to get clean. I told her to use it to print receipts, and such like, which will keep the printer functioning properly.

I use Cartridges on Sale.com for my dye based, aftermarket ink cartridges. Never had a problem, but never use cheap photo paper. It's not the ink that causes fading, it's the crappy photo paper! A bit counter intuitive ...

I only use genuine Epson pigment inks in my R3880.
 
Richard said:
Printers will drive you mad. Particularly inkjet printers. There's a chap I follow on social media (historian Guy Walters) who got so angry with his printer, he took it out in a field and blasted it with a shotgun.

I concluded a while ago that it's false economy to print photos at home, particularly if you only do it very occasionally. I eventually gave up with colour inkjet printers and bought myself a colour laser printer instead, which is fine for documents. No problems with that so far (firmly touching wood as I type this). Anything photographic gets taken to the High Street.

Years ago I worked with a guy who reached the same conclusion. All the holiday pictures he spent hours printing at home got stuck together or had stripes across them or colours missing. The usual stuff. Eventually he took his files to the photo shop in town and got them printed there. On collection, he asked the manager if he could check the prints before he took them away. The conversation went like this:

Colleague: Mind if I check these before I pay?
Man in shop: Please do
Colleague: [leafing through the prints] Golly, these are nice! Much better than I can do at home
Man in shop: Good
Colleague: They're so bright and colourful, and so crisp!
Man in shop: Well, what do you use at home?
Colleague: An inkjet printer
Man in shop: And how much did it cost?
Colleague: About £60 I think
Man in shop: [nodding to a big commercial printer at the back of the shop] How much do you think that cost?
Colleague: No idea
Man in shop: About a hundred thousand
Colleague: Ah

I may have remembered the values incorrectly, but it was something like that.

-R
Click to expand...
If you spend too much time on photo forums (like me, although I like to think I'm nowhere near the top of the pile in that regard), one could be forgiven for thinking that it's not just about shooting film - developing, be it in your bathroom or any other spare room in the house, having to turn the place dark for periods of time, is an essential element of the process. Rather than say &^% that, I'll be a bit more polite and say not for me. If you're an amateur, how would you find the time anyway? As for plain printing, well we all know that printers break and you have to buy a new one time after time when they do. For those that do develop or print at home - I take my hat off to you. You are certainly better than me. I do like film, but it's going straight to the professional developer.
 
Last edited:
For the price of one cartridge I can get about fourteen 8 x 10 printed. As I would be surprised if I had printed much more than thirty or so in the time I've had the printer, it doesn't make financial sense.
 

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