Help with canon pro10s

stumac

stumac

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stuart
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Hope someone can help. I have a canon pro10s printer that hasn't been used in over 18 months (approx) so I ordered as set of inks for it , I went with cheap inks at £60 a set as I wasn't sure if the printer would even work and when I do test prints of portraits they are printing like the people in the images are cartoon characters or as if they have been posterized in photoshop. that's the only way I can explain it. but I have downloaded a load of printer test sheets online with all different colours and shapes etc and they are printing perfect. anyone know what's going on ?
 
One question that comes to mind is not specifically about this printer.

Did or do those same portrait files print aok on another printer i.e is the problem the image file preparation or the printer???
 
Box Brownie said:
One question that comes to mind is not specifically about this printer.

Did or do those same portrait files print aok on another printer i.e is the problem the image file preparation or the printer???
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I thought that so I tried another image with the same result , I also tried the printer on my laptop instead of the Mac and same problem again
 
Have you tried printing it out from a different printer?
I think that was what Box Brownie was suggesting.
 
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tijuana taxi said:
Have you tried printing it out from a different printer?
I think that was what Box Brownie was suggesting.
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No I only have one printer but I've tried different images on different computers with the same printer and still getting the same problem regardless of what image I choose
 
A little confused...

You print your images, they look bad. All of your samples look bad whether you print from laptop or desktop.
You print "printer test sheets" and they look fine.
Is that right?

If you're getting good prints, it's not likely to be the printer, more likely to be the method.

- Are the "printer test sheets", colours and shapes, or are they test sheets with actual pictures in them like this (https://www.marrutt.com/inkjet-inks/calibration-image)
- Are you using the same method to make the print (i.e. both test sheets and bad images are being printed from photoshop with the same settings)
- Are your images acceptable quality and not somehow resized tiny?

As suggested above, a print from another printer will also help narrow it down.
 
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stumac said:
No I only have one printer but I've tried different images on different computers with the same printer and still getting the same problem regardless of what image I choose
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Does the nozzle check print look ok?
 
Harlequin565 said:
A little confused...

You print your images, they look bad. All of your samples look bad whether you print from laptop or desktop.
You print "printer test sheets" and they look fine.
Is that right?

If you're getting good prints, it's not likely to be the printer, more likely to be the method.

- Are the "printer test sheets", colours and shapes, or are they test sheets with actual pictures in them like this (https://www.marrutt.com/inkjet-inks/calibration-image)
- Are you using the same method to make the print (i.e. both test sheets and bad images are being printed from photoshop with the same settings)
- Are your images acceptable quality and not somehow resized tiny?

As suggested above, a print from another printer will also help narrow it down.
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All of what you said is correct . The test sheets I'm using are colours and shapes so not actual photos . I've tried about 10 totally different images now printing through photoshop and also directly off apple viewer with the same results . I'm now getting a low ink warning and I only got the ink this morning lol
 
tijuana taxi said:
Does the nozzle check print look ok?
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Not 100% . A few very very fine lines . I've done a deep clean aload of times . Another reason why I'm confused is the test sheets I'm printing off have patterns just like a nozzle check sheet but they print perfect
 
stumac said:
All of what you said is correct . The test sheets I'm using are colours and shapes so not actual photos . I've tried about 10 totally different images now printing through photoshop and also directly off apple viewer with the same results . I'm now getting a low ink warning and I only got the ink this morning lol
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Can you download a random jpeg off the internet and print that? suggest this: http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/file-download-page-photography/ scroll down to "datacolour test image"
If that looks bad, I'd suggest nozzle check next.
Also, are print drivers up to date?
 
Crumbs.......?

Though I do note that the file on the NL page is described a AdobeRGB 1998 a little further down the page is an sRGB (Fuji) test print that may be more applicable? NB is it not the case that inkjets mostly are configured to use sRGB not AdobeRGB ???

PS the above image file that you used is 2400 x 1632px so at 300ppi that would print at 8" x 5.44" ~ should be relevant in your testing process?
 
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Box Brownie said:
Crumbs.......?

Though I do note that the file on the NL page is described a AdobeRGB 1998 a little further down the page is an sRGB (Fuji) test print that may be more applicable? NB is it not the case that inkjets mostly are configured to use sRGB not AdobeRGB ???
Click to expand...
Im honestly not sure . im now out of ink that only arrived today lol so testing is going to have to wait. not sure if its worth spending more money on it . It hasn't printed in so long Im assuming the print head in knackered
 
stumac said:
Im honestly not sure . im now out of ink that only arrived today lol so testing is going to have to wait. not sure if its worth spending more money on it . It hasn't printed in so long Im assuming the print head in knackered
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Ah! well best of luck with whatever you decide to do :)
 
I wonder if there is a colour that's completely blocked and not printing on the nozzle check at all (so you don't know it's not there). Can you find a sample nozzle check photo on the internet and compare it to yours?

RGB or not, you only look like you've got 2 tones of grey in the B&W panels and very little red at all in the image. Conversely, blues look fine. One of the downsides of cheap inks is that they can block up easily.

What colours does the printer have? If I had to guess, I'd say dark grey and red are borked. Magenta looks ok though as well as blue & yellow (and thus green)

You could try de-clogging the head with some Magic Bullet (or other homeopathic internet remedies). Worked well for me and might be a last resort before giving up. Also, try a head clean run although it might use a lot of ink to clear the blockage.
 
Looks like you have a missing colour or two. (I would guess red or one of the magentas?)

Have you got the printer to output its test sheets?

Your colourchecker looks wrong,
 
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Harlequin565 said:
I wonder if there is a colour that's completely blocked and not printing on the nozzle check at all (so you don't know it's not there). Can you find a sample nozzle check photo on the internet and compare it to yours?

RGB or not, you only look like you've got 2 tones of grey in the B&W panels and very little red at all in the image. Conversely, blues look fine. One of the downsides of cheap inks is that they can block up easily.

What colours does the printer have? If I had to guess, I'd say dark grey and red are borked. Magenta looks ok though as well as blue & yellow (and thus green)

You could try de-clogging the head with some Magic Bullet (or other homeopathic internet remedies). Worked well for me and might be a last resort before giving up. Also, try a head clean run although it might use a lot of ink to clear the blockage.
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The print out after a nozzle check is showing all 10 colours are printing although the grey and red had a few faint lines in it . I've done about 5 deep cleans and now Ive ran out of ink 6 hours after getting it lol
 
Dryce said:
Looks like you have a missing colour or two. (I would guess red or one of the magentas?)

Have you got the printer to output its test sheets?

Your colourchecker looks wrong,
Click to expand...
The test sheet is showing all 10 colours strangly . I've no idea what's going on and now that I've ran out of ink I'm thinking it would be cheaper to buy a good a4 printer than to buy more ink when maybe the head is done since it hasn't been used in so long
 
I have the Pro100s and the print head is manually installed by the user at setup. If your Pro 10s does likewise you ought to be able to pop the print head out and steep it in something to unclog it rather than just tossing the printer.
 
stumac said:
The test sheet is showing all 10 colours strangly . I've no idea what's going on and now that I've ran out of ink I'm thinking it would be cheaper to buy a good a4 printer than to buy more ink when maybe the head is done since it hasn't been used in so long
Click to expand...

Well best of luck with whatever you decide.
 
shoshone said:
I have the Pro100s and the print head is manually installed by the user at setup. If your Pro 10s does likewise you ought to be able to pop the print head out and steep it in something to unclog it rather than just tossing the printer.
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Yeah it's worth a go . I'll do a bit of you tubing here :)
 
A forum search should throw up a few more suggestions, including the name of a fluid that people have used to great effect in the past (but whose name escapes me completely, I'm afraid!)

While it's true that cheap inks can cause blockages more easily than genuine ones, it usually takes longer than a couple of hours for them to start blocking.
 
you have a blocked head. It wil not print correctly until unblocked / cleaned. Looks like one maybe 2 colours.
 
I have heard Windolene can be good for print heads, but haven't tried it myself - I used Ouzo (on the print head, not me)
 
Nod said:
A forum search should throw up a few more suggestions, including the name of a fluid that people have used to great effect in the past (but whose name escapes me completely, I'm afraid!)

While it's true that cheap inks can cause blockages more easily than genuine ones, it usually takes longer than a couple of hours for them to start blocking.
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because it hadn't been used for so long, the ink has solidified. leave it on all night every hr or so print another page. Cheap inks on a quality printer don't help.
 
these printers need to be used once a month to keep pristine... I'm just as guilty & have the same printer, also an ex printer engineer...
 
Diving Pete said:
because it hadn't been used for so long, the ink has solidified. leave it on all night every hr or so print another page. Cheap inks on a quality printer don't help.
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Its its been a while since last used . I only went with the cheap inks as I never even knew if the printer would work at all , just to confirm do you suggest I don't someway do a manual clean but print every hour or so? If you do you suggest I do a manual clean how would you go about it?
 
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I mentioned it earlier but Magic Bullet is a horrible stinky liquid that you pour onto a cloth and leave under the print head overnight to let the vapours do the work. You'll probably have to find out how to extract the print head, or at least move it out to where you can get a cloth under it. @Boots mentioned Windolene and there are other sources of homemade remedies on the internet if you don't want to try Magic Bullet.
 
Lets put it this way. At the moment you have a broken printer.
It will not fix itself.

If you do nothing, it will still be broken.
The cleaning process on the canon is actually quite good but what you want to narrow down is which colour is having the problem..
Print on crappy paper to find out - yes you may use a set of inks, but switching back to the Canon inks will not do you any harm.
 
it doesn't need to be photo quality paper to test on - whilst you are trying to work out which colour.
 
LongLensPhotography said:
Something doesn't add up here.

Can you cleanly reinstall the driver, post nozzle check printout and explain the printing routine down to the last detail (with screenshots)?
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No because I've ran out of ink . What doesn't add up ?
 
stumac said:
No because I've ran out of ink .
Click to expand...

wow

stumac said:
What doesn't add up ?
Click to expand...

everything in the printout... The individual colors as far as a I can see are coming out. But they play awfully together. Of course I could have missed something so the first thing is always the nozzle check and you either change the printhead, clear air bubble in the tubes or look for problems elsewhere. I suspect your driver or settings are messed up and if it is a mac that has been updated a few time that is very likely. Mine even requires manual purging of entire /Library/Printers/Canon after each update. If it is M1 that is probably even problematic at this point. That's why we need to start clean and go step by step. If you prefer you can call Canon and be told the same thing.

edit: could be PGY or GY but the scan is not great so can't really tell. Again we need to see good scan of nozzle check.
 
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LongLensPhotography said:
wow



everything in the printout... The individual colors as far as a I can see are coming out. But they play awfully together. Of course I could have missed something so the first thing is always the nozzle check and you either change the printhead, clear air bubble in the tubes or look for problems elsewhere. I suspect your driver or settings are messed up and if it is a mac that has been updated a few time that is very likely. Mine even requires manual purging of entire /Library/Printers/Canon after each update. If it is M1 that is probably even problematic at this point. That's why we need to start clean and go step by step. If you prefer you can call Canon and be told the same thing.

edit: could be PGY or GY but the scan is not great so can't really tell. Again we need to see good scan of nozzle check.
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yeah im confused because the sheet attached prints perfect
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/53761789285868276/
View: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/53761789285868276/



Ill maybe start from scratch with actual canon inks. Im just scared of spending £130 and having the same problem due to maybe the head needing replaced. If I have to buy a new head and with the price of all the inks I could have nearly replaced the printer.
 
stumac said:
yeah im confused because the sheet attached prints perfect
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/53761789285868276/
View: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/53761789285868276/



Ill maybe start from scratch with actual canon inks. Im just scared of spending £130 and having the same problem due to maybe the head needing replaced. If I have to buy a new head and with the price of all the inks I could have nearly replaced the printer.
Click to expand...

No, you need to print specifically Nozzle check from driver control panel.

If this is perfect the the head is too and the rest is down to driver and settings
 
LongLensPhotography said:
No, you need to print specifically Nozzle check from driver control panel.

If this is perfect the the head is too and the rest is down to driver and settings
Click to expand...
Ok just done another check and its much worse than my tests yesterday . The grey ink is very low so I don't know if this test shows it as totally blocked or just not enough ink. I wish I kept my test prints from yesterday as they were 90% better than this

PXL_20210204_121937214 by stuart macrory, on Flickr
 
And now a further test and the red is back but the co and mbk have lines through them
 
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