Canon PIXMA G7000 series (G7020, G7070, etc) color balance and pale issue

[xpcoolz]

Hi, i just bought a canon pixma g7000 series, and i found out that the print result although it's quite detail (based on plain paper printing), it lacks the color balance and kinda pale compared to that i got from my previous canon pixma printer (PIXMA MG8100 series) that print on the same plain paper.

i also notice that i don't have the manual color balance settings on my mac (even the canon manual for mac doesn't show this settings) https://ij.manual.canon/ij/webmanual/PrinterDriver/W/G7000 series/1.0/EN/PPG/dg-c_color_balance.html

i tried to use colorsync utility on my mac, but the result is not much different either, anything that i can do to fix this?

here are the sample image, the image was printed using photo settings (basically the highest settings that i could find). I don't calibrate my color lcd / printer using dedicated hardware, but my previous printer can print it just fine.

https://ibb.co/album/whx4rG



thanks

 

[PeterBJ]

I don't quite understand your question. According to the linked manual the image settings can be changed in the same way as with a Windows driver. See this, Adjust intensity.

Is the problem that the function is not available even if it is in the manual? If I had that problem with a Windows computer I would suspect that the driver wasn't properly installed, and delete and re-install it.

 

[xpcoolz]

I don't quite understand your question. According to the linked manual the image settings can be changes in the same way as with a Windows driver. See this, Adjust intensity.

Is the problem that the function is not available even if it is in the manual? If I had that problem with a Windows computer I would suspect that the driver wasn't properly installed, and delete and re-install it.

i'm using macos big sur and there's no this functionality on a mac. this is the only color settings found on a mac. i'm using the latest printer driver from canon. in the canon manual "for mac", that functionality is not given. the one that i showed you is for windows.

 

[stratman]

Hi, i just bought a canon pixma g7000 series, and i found out that the print result although it's quite detail (based on plain paper printing), it lacks the color balance and kinda pale compared to that i got from my previous canon pixma printer (PIXMA MG8100 series) that print on the same plain paper.

You may be comparing apples to oranges.

The G7000 uses Pigment Black for text and Dye-based inks for the other colors. It probably is different ink than that used than your previous MG8100. Different inks can look different and these differences in color balance can be made even more apparent depending on the paper used.

It could be that the G7000 may look comparable to your old MG8100 with a different paper. Try a different paper. You may need to try more than one to find the best for your printer. There is no guarantee.

It could be the G7000 may not look as good as the MG8100 as the money may be spent on the tank system and less on image fidelity.

A custom ICC Printer Profile may help but this adds a layer of cost that is not justified if using only Plain Paper. It's up to you.

 

[xpcoolz]

You may be comparing apples to oranges.

The G7000 uses Pigment Black for text and Dye-based inks for the other colors. It probably is different ink than that used than your previous MG8100. Different inks can look different and these differences in color balance can be made even more apparent depending on the paper used.

It could be that the G7000 may look comparable to your old MG8100 with a different paper. Try a different paper. You may need to try more than one to find the best for your printer. There is no guarantee.

It could be the G7000 may not look as good as the MG8100 as the money may be spent on the tank system and less on image fidelity.

A custom ICC Printer Profile may help but this adds a layer of cost that is not justified if using only Plain Paper. It's up to you.

yes, i know that they use different ink system. I'm a photo enthusiast that also print on photo paper sometimes (not professional), but i want to check to the results using plain paper first before printing on a photo paper.

since it looks pale and bluish i thought that i can "tweak" it using the canon driver manually, but alas there's no this functionality on mac . i was looking for alternative solution to manually tweak it.

if i knew this earlier, i'd buy another canon multi-function printer. i do like tanks since it's a family printer but i don't want to sacrifice the photo quality for that only.

 

[stratman]

since it looks pale and bluish i thought that i can "tweak" it using the canon driver manually, but alas there's no this functionality on mac . i was looking for alternative solution to manually tweak it.

It is odd that manual color adjustment would not be found when using a Mac but is found on the Windows version.

Your printer is new and under warranty. Have you called Canon Technical Support? They should be able to give you definitive answers on this "missing" function.

I don't know color management apps for Mac, but I suppose Adobe Photoshop (payware) or GIMP (freeware) will work. There are probably many others. Search on Google.

i want to check to the results using plain paper first before printing on a photo paper.

This is like guessing what chicken tastes like by eating a hamburger.

Plain paper and Photo paper are very different media. The choice of paper - even within the same class (eg glossy) - can give very different results.

 

[xpcoolz]

after looking around i found out that the one that i installed earlier was the additional software (nothing to download on canon website). this is confirmed by looking at the settings that show airprint (hence no color customization).

looking at the other review website (https://www.rtings.com/printer/reviews/canon/pixma-g7020) i noticed that the printed color is also kinda bluish.

i was wondering is there any third party software that can manually tweak the color of the printer? photoshop does offer color correction and i tested it by setting the rendering intent to saturation. it does give a slightly better color (more saturated), but nowhere near the original photo.

 

[stratman]

photoshop does offer color correction and i tested it by setting the rendering intent to saturation.

Photoshop does a lot more than that. A good book or a class will give you the skillls to utilize the expensive software.

i was wondering is there any third party software that can manually tweak the color of the printer?

Since you already have Photoshop then there is little need to try the free GIMP, unless you find the controls better for you. Did you search on Amazon for yourself? Look at reviews and try out free software to see if you find something to your liking.

looking at the other review website (https://www.rtings.com/printer/reviews/canon/pixma-g7020) i noticed that the printed color is also kinda bluish.

One of the "cons" of the printer was "mediocre color accuracy". Lower end tank printers are for convenience, not color accuracy. It is the trade off with this printer model. You will have to work to improve your color management skills, especially with this printer, to obtain better color fidelity.

Try a different paper as recommended. Better yet, try a Canon photo paper for images. Plain paper is notoriously poor for color fidelity. Your printer is designed to work optimally with Canon OEM ink and paper. You may find acceptable substitutes but you may need to make an ICC printer profile for any change in the combination of Printer/Ink/Paper to optimize color fidelity. It all depends on your tolerances. These are immutable facts.

Consider calibrating your monitor to get as close as possible with your hardware/software to printing what you see on your monitor.

In the end, maybe a different printer would suit your needs better.