Canon IP4500 prints dark grey instead of black on normal paper

[Nienke]

Dear all,

This is my first time on the forum, so thanks in advance for all the help.
I recently bought a Canon IP4500 so I could finally make proper prints at home.
I am often printing pages which combine text and images on recycled paper.
I choose the normal paper print setting. The printed blacks are very muted in this case, dark grey actually.
When I choose the photopaper setting and use the black dye, the ink is better in black but it's running on the recycled paper.
I also have an old HP 3320 which does print true black on recycled paper without problems, but this printer is no good when it comes to images.
I thought if I invest in this printer, my printing life would be easier, but now I'm only frustrated as printed text actually looks much better on the old printer but images don't and they are together in my documents.

Is there a way to get the pigment black to print true black instead of dark grey? Or to print the black dye onto normal, recycled, paper, without running? Or, to put it in other words, is there a way to get my canon ip4500 to print black text as well as my old hp3320?

Once again, thanks in advance!

Kind regards,
Nienke

 

[ghwellsjr]

Since you are in to using recycled paper, you're probably also saving paper by printing in duplex mode. This will print lighter in order to prevent show-through, which is when you can see the black on the other side of the paper from showing through on the side that you are looking at. See this post.

Just in case this is not the explanation, you need to provide more information on how exactly you are printing: what settings are you using, etc. And it would be good to do a nozzle check and make sure all the grid lines are present for the pigment black.

 

[Nienke]

Thanks ghwellsjr, for your quick reply.

I have read all of the previous posts you referred to, played with the settings (it didnt seem to be on duplex mode) put everything back to default status (which I thought it was already in) and did a few more testprints. Now all of a sudden, each print comes out in true black when I select normal paper, both through indesign and photoshop. It is still the case that when the text becomes too small, the lines are running somewhat, it looks less neat than the prints from the HP3320 still, but in larger size it does look good.

I haven't figured out yet what a nozzle check is, but I will look that up in previous posts and do it.

Could there be any other reason why the lines are less neat on the same paper if I compare the IP4500 to the HP3320? (I can't check the settings of this last printer as the drivers where too old to be compatible with my vista and a friend installed fake drivers for me but now the old printer doesn't communicate with me anymore. I do believe they are all in default mode as I am not such a hero with figuring out unfamiliar buttons)

Thanks for all the help!

 

[marybandito]

Hey... had exactly the same problem... i finally found that you need to set the printer to colorsyn under the color matching option... then the miracle of black happens!