Bulk 6 color ink profiling

[Subarub4]

I picked this ink up to use for testing it's dye based ink, I was going to buy a Epson for a event on Dec 22th but between that and I would need pretty much another set of ink tanks right from the start I put that on hold until after the event..

So My thing here is getting the colors right, I have the ink in a Canon i960 I have two types of paper here, Canon's matte paper and some very old Kodak glossy paper from like 2000.
I wonder what's the easy way to make sure it's profiled right?

 

[jtoolman]

You can't use the same ink on a Canon and then in an Epson. Is this some sort of so called Universal ink???

 

[Subarub4]

yeah it's universal ink

 

[fotofreek]

As I recall, there was a previous thread in which your use of "universal ink" was mentioned. Epson and Canon printheads have a different means of delivering ink. Their respective OEM inks have different chemical and physical characteristics that make then non-interchangeable. While they may appear to work well in both printers there is a risk of damage to a printhead. Best to use inks which are formulated for each brand and model of printer.

Years ago I tried Kodak glossy paper in a Canon printer. That combination didn't work well as the dark areas didn't dry and there was also "bronzing", the appearance of a metalic sheen.

If you have already started using the recently purchased "universal ink" in the Canon i960 and wish to continue, just printing some known photos will give you a clue as to the color response. Profilling involves the specific printer, paper, and ink combination, so you would need two separate profiles. To get an accurate profile you need to contact a company that will do this for you, do some prints of a provided target, send it to the profiling company, and they can then create the desired profile for you. Of course, you then have to know how to use it! The alternative, if you are just using these materials for a short time or for a single project, would be to tweak the color output in the i960 driver software. It won't be accurate for all photos, but it would be better than nothing.

The people who have given you previous advice on this forum really do know their stuff when it comes to inkjet printers. Your results will be more predictable and your printers more long lived if you heed their advice.

 

[Subarub4]

Well I don't plan on using the Canon much longer for photo printing I will be getting the Epson to replace it since it has a few features the i960 lacks, besides it would of been impossible to get the inks from Canada and testing it all ready before I started printing.. In my case it's going to be pretty simple keeping with the same background but different subjects.

Once this is over with I can have my time to get the proper inks.

Also being as this ink is from china I doubt they put much effort into Epson and Canon ink formulation given the box has a stick on label for which printer brand it's for.

And you are right about the Kodak paper which is why I never printed on it, It just happens to be the only glossy paper I have here right now, right now I just did a test on that and the Canon matte and I'm getting muddy looking tones with a slight greenish hue in shadows.

 

[fotofreek]

1) I've used IS ink from both MIS and Precision Colors in my i960 printers. Very close to OEM ink. 2) A phone call to Precision would get you very quick delivery, and if the printhead is healthy you would be able to get very good results with minor tweaking. 3) If you want glossy prints and are either a member of Costco or have a friend who is you can get precut 4x6 or 8.5x11 glossy paper very cheaply. These papers work very well with all my Canon printers and IS ink.

 

[Subarub4]

Can you tell me one thing.. Why does the plain paper setting print with the correct color cast but something like glossy tends to have a slight magenta cast?

 

[fotofreek]

It is possible that the plain paper setting doesn't use the PM and PC inks. I've never looked into this. I did notice, however, that the i960 tended toward warm tones and I had to adjust the magenta down a bit for some skin tones. This was true with both OEM and IS inks. You can experiment in the color adjustment area. Set it to manual instead of automatic. then print the same photo with the "auto", "photo", and the "none" settings to see which one looks best to you.

 

[Subarub4]

That could be it, I will have to try a few more times, I had it set to manual and none with the glossy photo paper settings and I got the color cast.

 

[fotofreek]

The color response also depends on which program you are using to print from. If you are using the Canon Easy print program it takes over the color management and doesn't accept your tweaking with the color sliders in the manual color area. I print from Photoshop Essentials, and that permits me to do the tweaking that I mentioned.

I'm presently using an ip5000 for photo printing, and the Canon color profiles work very well with the IS inks. This is a four dye-based color cart printer with the addition of the bci-3eBk pigment based ink cart. I get a more neutral black in B/W printing with the ip5000 printer (not set to plain paper) than with the i960. The same IS inks are used in both, plus the PM and PC in the i960. I've just set up the Pro9000mkII and I'm interested in seeing how it compares with both of my other printers.