Canon PRO-100, Windows 11, and XPS driver

When I try to print from Lightroom Classic using Print Studio Pro and the XPS printer driver, everything seems to work normally except that instead of a photo print, I get nothing but a blank sheet. No error messages, just no print. If I print using Print Studio Pro and the non-XPS driver, the photo is printed, but I prefer to use the XPS driver whenever possible.

If I print using Lightroom Classic's Print tab, I get a print using either the XPS or non-XPS driver, but I strongly prefer to use Print Studio Pro.

The bottom line is that I now get only a blank sheet when I use the combination of Print Studio Pro and the XPS printer driver. A few weeks ago, the combination worked fine, then I didn't try any printing until today. In the meantime, the only relevant thing that has changed is the usual Windows Updates and updates to Creative Cloud apps. Same printer drivers, same version of Print Studio Pro, same printer settings.

In case it makes any difference, my PC is a Dell XPS 8940 tower with 64GB of RAM running Windows 11 Home (Version 22H2 22621.1105). I open Print Studio Pro 2.2.3 from Lightroom Classic 12.1 to print (at least I did when it was working correctly with the XPS driver).

Anyone else seeing this issue?

Larry

What is the purpose or advantage of the XPS driver. Thanks.

I believe the pitch is that those drivers deliver a 16 bit signal to the printer, but one must consider the printer has an ink set with a less than 8 bit gamut and gradients have probably been as smoothed as they can be if raw images were processed in a big color box.

Anyway one can run comparison tests rather than just assume 16 is better than 8. One might also run comparisons of Adobe color managed printing to the Canon version to see if one really has a clear preference. If you do you do.

In my experience there are significant problems with Canon peripheral device drivers and software under Windows 11. That includes drivers for the Pro-100, an older Pro9000II and Canoscan software for its scanners. They were so bad I abandoned Windows 11 and went back to Win 10. I've never used Canon printing software, only Adobe color managed printing so no specific experience.

But I strongly suspect the software is not fully compatible with Win 11, or could have problems in a specific software/hardware environment as Canon has no intention of fully vetting the older software or printer drivers for Win 11.

I had the bright idea, and too much time on my hands, to upgrade a clone of Win 10 to 11. Voila: all Canon software and drivers installed in Win 10 now work like they should in Win 11. I still prefer Win 10 for what might be obvious reasons to anyone who uses both OSes but I could eke by in Win 11.

I believe that Microsoft has become even more Apple-like in arbitrarily changing the driver model from Win 10 to 11, not issuing "certificates" or other such anti-consumer nonsense. Peripheral vendors have no incentive to upgrade all their software and driver packages for Win 11.

Businesses are not going to "upgrade" to Win 11 for its non-existent security advantages if they have to upgrade both computers and peripherals, nor should consumers.

bmoag said:

But I strongly suspect the software is not fully compatible with Win 11, or could have problems in a specific software/hardware environment as Canon has no intention of fully vetting the older software or printer drivers for Win 11.

Click to expand...

When I purchased this PC in October, 2021, Dell offered it only with Windows 11, there were no other options. Contrary to a lot of complaints I've read about Windows 11, this PC, anyway, has given me almost zero problems for well over a year now.

The above statement also applies to using the PRO-100 with Canon software and drivers until yesterday. Before the printing problem with the XPS driver cropped up yesterday, everything worked pretty much perfectly. Sometime in the past three weeks, something changed and I can no longer print using Print Studio Pro and the XPS printer driver. I get blank sheets of photo paper with nothing printed on them.

Rather than argue (again) over the merits of Windows 11, could someone offer some tips for resolving this issue, or at least let me know whether they're experiencing anything similar? I've also posted this question on the Canon printing forum, but haven't received a meaningful response there yet, either.

Larry

I recall seeing someone else having the same problem - here is his post: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/66753335

PaulWhite said:

I recall seeing someone else having the same problem - here is his post: https://www.dpreview.com/forums/post/66753335

Click to expand...

Good to know I'm not alone, anyway.

There are a couple of similar reports on the Canon printers forum, but no resolution yet.

Larry

Larry Cunningham said:

bmoag said:

But I strongly suspect the software is not fully compatible with Win 11, or could have problems in a specific software/hardware environment as Canon has no intention of fully vetting the older software or printer drivers for Win 11.

Click to expand...

When I purchased this PC in October, 2021, Dell offered it only with Windows 11, there were no other options. Contrary to a lot of complaints I've read about Windows 11, this PC, anyway, has given me almost zero problems for well over a year now.

The above statement also applies to using the PRO-100 with Canon software and drivers until yesterday. Before the printing problem with the XPS driver cropped up yesterday, everything worked pretty much perfectly. Sometime in the past three weeks, something changed and I can no longer print using Print Studio Pro and the XPS printer driver. I get blank sheets of photo paper with nothing printed on them.

Rather than argue (again) over the merits of Windows 11, could someone offer some tips for resolving this issue, or at least let me know whether they're experiencing anything similar? I've also posted this question on the Canon printing forum, but haven't received a meaningful response there yet, either.

Larry

Click to expand...

I that situation I would uninstall the Canon drivers and then reinstall the software. Are you printing via USB or WiFi? Other solutions are to run sfc /scannow from an admin command prompt or recover from a backup when the driver was last working correctly.

I would use Option 1 or 2 here to ensure the driver package is removed https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/101274-uninstall-printer-driver-windows-10-a.html

Driver Store Explorer (RAPR) can also be used with care https://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/driverstoreexplorer.html

I have the same issue using windows 10 when printing form Lightroom and Print Studio Pro. It started mid December 2022 after a Windows upgrade. If I add a page header or footer in black, that prints, but the image does not. Image is showing in PSP and changes with any colour edits I make in PSP. XPS driver works fine with Lightroom print module or OM Workspace print module.

When I first purchased my Pro-100, I was running Windows 8.1. The printer worked just fine.

When I upgraded Windows from 8.1 to version 10, the Canon Pro-100 continued to work fine.

I'm now running Windows 11 on the same PC, with the same Pro-100 printer, and all continues to work just fine!

But I am printing directly from Lightroom, while the OP is instead printing from Print Studio Pro.

OK - why does it work from Lightroom, but not Print Studio Pro?

A quick note: I cannot get my trusty Canon Pro-100 to work with Windows 11 when printing from Photoshop CS3.

Print preview doesn't work, and the image that prints is cut off and just not right.

Very strange.

I will report back.

picktherighttoolforthejob said:

A quick note: I cannot get my trusty Canon Pro-100 to work with Windows 11 when printing from Photoshop CS3.

Print preview doesn't work, and the image that prints is cut off and just not right.

Very strange.

I will report back.

Click to expand...

PS CS3? From 2007?

BobKnDP said:

picktherighttoolforthejob said:

A quick note: I cannot get my trusty Canon Pro-100 to work with Windows 11 when printing from Photoshop CS3.

Print preview doesn't work, and the image that prints is cut off and just not right.

Very strange.

I will report back.

Click to expand...

PS CS3? From 2007?

Click to expand...

Yes!

JerseySailor said:

When I first purchased my Pro-100, I was running Windows 8.1. The printer worked just fine.

When I upgraded Windows from 8.1 to version 10, the Canon Pro-100 continued to work fine.

I'm now running Windows 11 on the same PC, with the same Pro-100 printer, and all continues to work just fine!

But I am printing directly from Lightroom, while the OP is instead printing from Print Studio Pro.

OK - why does it work from Lightroom, but not Print Studio Pro?

Click to expand...

Similar history. Vista to W10. Same problem. There are also issues with PSP on macs with recent (macOS 13) update.

Perhaps PSP was using some "unofficial" OS features that have changed in recent updates? Note the PSP in macOS doesn't use the XPS driver (which is Windows only) but the problems with PSP still exist.

Larry, I have the same issue with Lightroom and Windows 10. Problem started mid December 2022. I have given up on Print Studio Pro for this reason and print directly from Lightroom. However I preferred PSP because i could modify the printer settings in PSP without changing the picture as displayed. It also has more flexibility in labelling the pictures. Canon seems uninterested in the problem from what I have understood from others.

PeterWMC said:

Larry, I have the same issue with Lightroom and Windows 10. Problem started mid December 2022. I have given up on Print Studio Pro for this reason and print directly from Lightroom. However I preferred PSP because i could modify the printer settings in PSP without changing the picture as displayed. It also has more flexibility in labelling the pictures. Canon seems uninterested in the problem from what I have understood from others.

Click to expand...

I eventually bit the bullet and purchased Qimage Ultimate for my printing. It became obvious that Canon hasn't placed any priority on fixing the Windows 11/PSP/XPS driver conflict.

Larry

Larry Cunningham said:

PeterWMC said:

Larry, I have the same issue with Lightroom and Windows 10. Problem started mid December 2022. I have given up on Print Studio Pro for this reason and print directly from Lightroom. However I preferred PSP because i could modify the printer settings in PSP without changing the picture as displayed. It also has more flexibility in labelling the pictures. Canon seems uninterested in the problem from what I have understood from others.

Click to expand...

I eventually bit the bullet and purchased Qimage Ultimate for my printing. It became obvious that Canon hasn't placed any priority on fixing the Windows 11/PSP/XPS driver conflict.

Larry

Click to expand...

There is also a "hack" for QiU that will override the imposed 30mm margin for fine art papers on the Pro-100.

Canon Pro 10 30mm forced border work-around with fine art papers (ddisoftware.com)