Canon i9900 printing speed

[Grandad35]

Using the "Photo Paper Pro" paper setting, my Canon i9900 prints a bordered 4x6 in 22 seconds (actual printing time - not including data transfer and paper feeding times). Using either the "Photo Paper Plus Glossy" or "Glossy Photo Paper" settings, the same print takes 37 seconds (Canon claims "about 38 seconds"). This speed difference is present using either Canon's "Easy PhotoPrint" of Windows' Photo Printing Wizard". A borderless 8.5x11 print takes 80 and 160 seconds for the two types of paper (Canon claims "about 50 seconds").

In their literature, Canon states: "Photo print speed based on default printer driver mode using Canon Photo Paper Pro. Print speeds will vary depending on system configuration, software, document complexity, print mode and page coverage.", so they are aware of the speed difference.

It is obvious that the paper advances about twice as far for each printhead pass for the PPP as for the other two paper settings. I assume that the loss of speed with other papers has something to do with the ink drying time and is not otherwise adjustable. The point here is that if you are going to create a custom ICC profile for this printer, you might want to first test if your ink/paper will dry sufficiently with the "Photo Paper Pro" settings to prevent scratching by the next print. If the result is acceptable, using the "Photo Paper Pro" paper setting will greatly speed up your printing.

 

[Nifty]

From what I understand the printer goes from bi-directional printing to mono-directional printing when using glossy paper. This means that the printhead only prints while going one way and isn't actually dropping ink on its return as it usually would in other paper settings.

From what I was told, this allows the ink time to dry between passes and reduces splotchyness on glossy paper.
See more info here: http://www.nifty-stuff.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=24 )

 

[Grandad35]

I can't tell if the i9900 is printing in both directions or not, but the paper is advancing after each traverse for both paper settings. As I said above, the advance for Photo Paper Pro is larger than for the Glossy paper (about twice as far). The head traverse speed appears to be about the same, so Glossy paper takes about twice as many head passes to print the same image. It could also be laying down 1/2 of the ink on each pass to give a longer drying time.

Printing on a 4x6 piece of Costco Glossy paper with the Photo Paper Pro setting (22 second print time) resulted in only a very lightly tacky surface that would probably be acceptable if the colors were correct.

I did a few additional tests. In areas of heavy ink laydown (e.g. solid color bands) with PPPro the printer still prints in both directions, but the paper advance drops to the same slow advance as it uses as the default with Glossy PP. With Glossy PP, it appears to be dropping to uni-directional printing in the heavy laydown areas, advancing the paper by the same (small) increment as before, but only after two passes of the printhead.

 

[fotofreek]

I have an i960 and have excellent results with Kirkland glossy photo paper on the Glossy photo paper setting, Manual, and -4 to -6 intensity. When set on Photo Paper Pro the flesh tones were exaggerated. Automatic setting was the same. This was true with OEM and with MIS inks. I never use the automatic setting as I want to contol all color and intensity with photoshop.