Canon Pixma Color Mismatch

[reet]

Why do colors on photo-prints differ from on-screen image when printing with Canon-Pixma Ip2770? With HP what colors you see on screen is what you get on the photo. I get around the problem by calibrating the print program for each individual photo, but doesn't always work and takes masses of time, ink and test prints. This happens with original color cartridge and refills, so not an ink problem.
Any ideas please?
P.s. despite this problem I will avoid going back to HP at all costs, the continual print-driver errors and being held to ransom by their ink-cartridge policy infuriates me.

 

[Grandad35]

This can be a difficult problem to analyze, as you are getting into the subject of color management. Read at least the first five sections on color management.

When you go into a store with numerous TV displays mounted on the wall, do they all display the same image or do they vary in intensity and color? The problem is that TVs aren't calibrated - if they were, all of the sets would be very similar. The same thing applies to uncalibrated computer monitors - they have to be calibrated to display colors that correspond to the same color standard that the printer expects.

This also depends on the OS that you are running - Vista is notorious for overwriting the calibration data so that the display loses its calibration.

The next problem is in making sure that the printer is also calibrated, but if you are using Canon inks and the printer is operating properly, this isn't normally an issue - as long as your printing software knows how to handle the colors. This is also true for HP printers.

What OS are you running? What printer software are you using?

 

[reet]

Hi Grandad35, thank you for responding to my question.
My OS is XP.
Not sure what you mean by 'printer software? If you you mean which software I use to create the project, it is 'Corel Printhouse6', but I have tried other print software and get the same result. As I mentioned, I never had this problem with HP printers while using the Corel program.
I have looked at the color management link you suggested, but sorry to admit its way over my head!
Reet

 

[Grandad35]

I re-read your original post, and see that you might be using refilled carts, but that the OEM carts also exhibit the problem. When you change carts back to OEM, have you allowed it to print long enough to make sure that the OEM ink is fully purged through the print head? Have you done a nozzle check on your printer to make sure that all of the inks are printing properly?

If you use non-OEM ink, you can have trouble getting decent colors without a lot of effort. If the colors of the refilled inks aren't close to the OEM colors, it can be almost impossible without generating custom printer profiles.

If you are doing this "for pay" and the colors of your output are critical, you really need to calibrate your monitor as a first step.

Keep in mind that your monitor can display some colors that your printer can't print, and that your printer can print some colors that your monitor can't display. This can be a big problem if you are printing artwork with blocks of colors that must be printed with an exact color. Photos normally use a "perceptual" rendering intent that allows the colors to be shifted to keep them within the printer's capabilities while maintaining . For artwork, you normally want to use the "Relative Colorimetric" or "Absolute Colorimetric" rendering intent to prevent the colors from changing.

 

[reet]

Thanks for your comments, I understand about different inks not helping, but finances dictate there. However the problem occurred from the very beginning when using original cartridges...so how does one explain that? Also using different inks in HP didn't affect print-out colors in any noticeable way...so why the different results? Thanks Reet.

 

[The Hat]

reet
Not sure what you mean by 'printer software? If you you mean which software I use to create the project, it is 'Corel Printhouse6',

You could try using Canon Easy PhotoPrint but dont change any of the settings except paper type and see if it gets better,
also Grandad35 requested a nozzle check as it would tell us a lot more about your colour output.

My OS is XP.
but finances dictate there. However the problem occurred from the very beginning when using original cartridges...so how does one explain that?

You mentioned that your operating system is XP did you load it yourself from a CD or is it a back-up or just copied..

 

[reet]

Hello The Hat,
Did a nozzle check and everything is as it should be. The operating system was installed, at my request, by the retailer of my laptop [Lenovo]. But I have had this problem with Canon colours in the past with other laptops where xp was the original OS, therefore I always reverted to HP printers, where colour was always true. However problems with refilling HP cartridges, and inability to handle 230g card, which I use a lot of, made me look at Canon again...hoping that by now the colour problem had been sorted. Love the ease of Canon operation, but still frustrated by the colours, which are muddy. even when using original catridges. Don't see any change when using Canon Easy PhotoPrint.

 

[The Hat]

Hello The Hat,
Did a nozzle check and everything is as it should be. The operating system was installed, at my request, by the retailer of my laptop [Lenovo]. But I have had this problem with Canon colours in the past with other laptops where xp was the original OS, therefore I always reverted to HP printers, where colour was always true. However problems with refilling HP cartridges, and inability to handle 230g card, which I use a lot of, made me look at Canon again...hoping that by now the colour problem had been sorted. Love the ease of Canon operation, but still frustrated by the colours, which are muddy. even when using original catridges. Don't see any change when using Canon Easy PhotoPrint.

Well XP is not to blame for the poor colours that your printer is outputting that for sure.
Have you got the current correct signed drivers for your iP2770 installed for 32 / 64 bit operation?

I dont know which profile your using if any but would suggest that you set the printer to default for everything
and just have it printing standard and on plain paper and dont allow your photo software to manage your colour output
at all as I suspect one or both are causing the trouble. (Maybe double Profiling)

Then try printing a photo with the above settings and paper and compare it with an earlier one.
Yes the two pictures with look different in that they are on different surfaces but the colour should also be more natural.

Another thing to remember is that youre using a Canon printer and it doesnt do or respond anything like an HP printer
so nothing should be left to chance with it, and you still havent posted a nozzle check so we can look at it as this is very important..

 

[reet]

Hi Grandad35, Sorry, been off line for a while so unable to respond to your last post. I think you hit the nail on the head when you said Canon printers don't do or respond as well as HP. I have always thought this but could never get confirmation. I have just installed a new original canon cartridge, updated the driver...but everything the same, even when I did as you suggested; printed on plain paper using default settings. This is a setting I use often anyway...to print copies of water-colour paintings. The thing is I am comparing to samples printed on an HP which are crisp and colours are spot on with those seen on screen. I guess I just have to accept that the positives of using canon come at a price! You ask for a nozzle check...how do I post that? [or is it now irrelevant due to the new cartridge?]

 

[reet]

Sorry, getting Grandads & Hats mixed up!