New Epson P800 user, Old Epson R1900 user

[silsurf]

My R1900 broke down and I inherited an P800 at the same time. It has been awhile since I have had to start over in created, managing color workflow and because of the severe cost of inks on the P800, I am hoping to minimize the heartache.

My first print is wretched, but it looks to me like a color management issue perhaps, or ICC? Would love some feedback before I embark on a print journey. I am using a generic photo glossy paper with no custom ICC. Print heads are clean.

Printing from LR Classic with:

Print Res 240
Sharpening Low
Media Glossy
Managed by Printer

P800 Driver has:

Color Matching Epson Color Control
Media Glossy
Color Mode Epson Standard sRGB
Output Superfine 1440 dpi
High Speed
Finest Detail

This is an enlargement of the source file:



This is a photo of the print job of the same area that is showing severe lack of detail in the shadow areas.



I feel like this is something pretty obvious, please let me know if there is anything else that might help to determine the issue.

Thanks very much

 

[Charles2]

More than a lack of detail, the colors of the inside wood are obviously way off. They could easily come out this bad when you have a generic paper and let the printer manage color.

You have a choice. 1) You can buy a paper for which the manufacturer supplies an ICC profile for the paper and Epson P800. 2) You can buy a custom profile for the paper you use now, for example, from http://profilesbyrick.com .

That band of magenta along the inside wood could indicate that the Cyan or Light Cyan ink is not flowing correctly. However, this is less likely your problem, judging by the rest of the photo. A Nozzle Check will give you an indication.

I would turn off High Speed and Finest Detail. They are not a big issue here, but there is no need for them.

As you refine your color accuracy, you will also need to calibrate your monitor if you do not do that already.

 

[andyc61]

I think currently there are too many variables to know where any issue may lie.

First, run a printer nozzle check a few times to ensure there are no blockages.

Then I’d want to look at your monitor- is it calibrated? If so run the calibration again, if not I doubt you’ll ever get consistent prints without it.

I’d then want to print using a paper with a supplied profile. Using a paper with no supplied profile you’ll be chasing your own tail with no idea how accurate the printer is. My own experience is Epson’s are pretty good, Canson as well, Hahnemuhle’s on the other hand have been poor with my P800. All can be improved with custom profiles but Epson & Canson are not far off.

Hope this helps!

 

[silsurf]

Print head is clean





Another test print using Epson Print Layout and ICC





Even more shadow banding and cast

Then I tried a matte paper with ICC





The worst yet

Monitor calibration is pretty close, here is the same image on the screen.





For troubleshooting purposes is it better to use LR or Epson Layout to print from?

Thanks for any feedback, would love to get something close off this machine.

 

[Gesture]

I would start with a standardized image.

Loading…

www.northlight-images.co.uk

I like the Datacolor one or the Outback one with the Strawberries.

 

[Petruska]

The MK black is missing. You only have 7 colors showing in the nozzle check print, you need 8.

I would say this is why your prints look wrong. Switch to PK black and see if the PK shows up in the nozzle check. You need to fix the missing color...........

Bob P.

 

[silsurf]

Ah, that makes sense. I was under the impression that the nozzle check was subscribing to the MK/PK ink selection and only printing the one selected (which really defeats the purpose of a nozzle check)

It seems there is no way to clean a single color with the P800 as there is with some of the other higher end Epsons?

 

[silsurf]

Any thoughts on why print head would become spotty AFTER cleaning? From the above, all print heads were looking good except the MK which was non-existent. I did two head cleanings and two head checks and now the VM and LLK are spotty? Ink levels are low but not empty?





are low, but not empty?

 

[ColourPhil]

Any thoughts on why print head would become spotty AFTER cleaning? From the above, all print heads were looking good except the MK which was non-existent. I did two head cleanings and two head checks and now the VM and LLK are spotty? Ink levels are low but not empty?

are low, but not empty?

I sometimes get a similar thing on my 3880 after a heavy clean. I believe it's caused by muck getting wiped over the heads during a clean. You probably shouldn't do more than 2 or 3 head cleans in a row, and leave overnight. Will probably fix itself after leaving a while then checking, and if necessary, cleaning again.

You may also want to clean the Capping Station and 'Wiper blade'. Do a search fo videos about it. Jose Rodriguez has some.

Cheers,

Phil

 

[Petruska]

Well at least you now have the 8 required colors showing in the nozzle check. The nozzle check will only print the selected black, not both. Unfortunately you need to run more manual cleaning cycles which wastes all 8 colors ink. This is the part where is gets quite expensive. Your problem could be air in the lines, clogged nozzles, etc. which still need more cleanings to determine the issue..

Bob P.

 

[Gesture]

Good eye.

 

[Petruska]

Good eye.

I have seen a few posts with color issues with a missing color on the nozzle check print that us DPR forum readers missed a few times. So I now look for it.

We need to push the OPs for a nozzle check print photo right at the beginning of any strange print color problems. It can save a lot of time.

Bob P.

 

[silsurf]

I must say that the ease of putting images on the posts here is really beneficial. I have good intel now and feel confident I can figure it all out. Just ordered a full set of inks WOW$$

 

[David Pavlich]

Once you get your nozzles showing no blockage, you can also run a print head alignment check.

As far as printing, I pretty much use Red River paper exclusively. RR's ICC profiles play nicely with my P800. I never let the printer manage the printing. All my printing is done from LR.

David

 

[silsurf]

Thanks. I was able to get to the end game, the last hurdle was really about icc's. I am testing on epson photo glossy paper and one would assume that the icc for that from epson would be best, but in my experience it is not, the luster is much closer to color rendition.

In general I use Red River and Moab, but I just inherited a bunch of papers and trying to get comfortable with different ones.

It has been almost a year since I did any fine printing, but I remember that I had found the luster icc was almost always better than the glossy? I know it is silly to compare from snap, but the difference is in the reds. They go from orange/pink using a glossy icc, (left) to a more respectable red using the luster (right).

 

[Gesture]

As a discriminating printer, why not consider custom profiles.

 

[silsurf]

I would, but I have so many paper odds and ends. I am a professional, but I work in motion picture and my printing is for me and gifts. If I start selling or doing more printing then I would probably wind up having custom icc's made.

 

[Gesture]

Thanks. You gave me a great idea. I never thought of doing that.

 

[ken5678]

I didn't see in this thread whether or not you were soft proofing. if not, this is a very good technique to learn. .... I might be going out on a limb here, but I'm guessing that this might be why some profiles work better than others. ... by soft proofing the photo for each paper type, you see (at least what your software thinks) each paper will look like on the monitor, and can adjust so you get a much closer print.

Thanks. I was able to get to the end game, the last hurdle was really about icc's. I am testing on epson photo glossy paper and one would assume that the icc for that from epson would be best, but in my experience it is not, the luster is much closer to color rendition.

In general I use Red River and Moab, but I just inherited a bunch of papers and trying to get comfortable with different ones.

It has been almost a year since I did any fine printing, but I remember that I had found the luster icc was almost always better than the glossy? I know it is silly to compare from snap, but the difference is in the reds. They go from orange/pink using a glossy icc, (left) to a more respectable red using the luster (right).

 

[Petruska]

Just to clarify where you are in your quest for great prints for all the readers here......

1. Do you now have a perfect nozzle check print? Post photo.

2. Are you printing with LR managing colors, or the printer managing colors?

3. If printing with LR managing colors, I assume that your are using ICC profiles and if so, did you turn off color management in the printer driver when doing so?

You should have near perfect colors when using the Epson Glossy ICC profile on Epson glossy paper. If you don't as you show in your print example then something is not set right in LR or the printer driver.

Print a B&W reference test print . Don't use the printer driver B&W mode, just the normal color mode. Does the print show a color cast?

Bob P.