Canon Pro9000 ll colour shift noticeable in greys

[Emulator]

Hi stratman

Yes, it is possible to enter 'Lab' values to set both white and black points. Or you can calibrate from the paper itself. I have experimented for some time, but the results are not as good as using the clear film, which appears to remove the effect from all target colour patches without shifting the colours. I am assuming it is acting as a UV filter.

The paper is listed in the signature details, PPD or Photo Paper Direct 280g micro porous glossy, it's on the web. It is a nice paper. I think it must contain a UV whitener, which is the explanation for these effects. The -97.95 value for 'b' indicates a strong response on the blue axis.

From my experiences in using SpyderPrint, I suspect that there is a software switch, which responds to high -b values when 'strip' reading over the white target patch and then offsets all patch values, to compensate for the 'blue rinse' papers. But I get better results by using the additional film. This suspected switch does not seem to operate when making individual 'patch mode' readings as opposed to 'strip mode' readings. But this is all speculation.

Regards Ian

 

[stratman]

Emulator:

Thank you for the explanation. I just read a review of the SpyderPrint package. Looks good.

Are you using the latest software update from January 2012? Reading the version changes for the software, there may be nothing recently altered that would affect your situation, but it might not hurt to be updated.

Have you inquired with the Spyder folks on this issue?

 

[Emulator]

stratman:

Thank you for your interest. Yes I am using the latest version 4.2.3. I have just re-read the review which I read originally before I purchased the Spyder3Print. I would agree with the review based on my experience.

I rather drifted into this topic as a result of Roy Sletchers input some weeks ago, about over warm prints, but have found some beneficial techniques as a result. Barring some of the issues discussed, the results are generally excellent.

My original question about colour shift in light greys across a print has not been addressed!! This must I think, be printer/ink cartridge, ink flow related and not profile.

May be no one else has experienced it?

Regards Ian

 

[PeterBJ]

Emulator wrote:

My original question about colour shift in light greys across a print has not been addressed!! This must I think, be printer/ink cartridge, ink flow related and not profile.

May be no one else has experienced it?

I think you are right in assuming it is an inkflow problem.

I've had a similar problem with a refilled OEM BCI-6 C cartridge in a Pixma 4000. After printing half of a test sheet, cyan would stop working, but strangely enough it seemed that only one set of cyan nozzles stopped working. After finishing the test picture I did a nozzle check, which showed nothing wrong. When printing photos the ink demand is much higher than when printing plain paper documents or nozzle checks. Blowing into the vent when holding the cartridge over the kitchen sink made the cartridge work again but only for half a test print. Replacing the cyan cartridge made the printer perform flawlessly. So something went wrong with my refill or the cartridge was somehow defective. It was an old cartridge I had flushed and dried, I wonder if they can be ruined if kept for five years without being sealed? Here is a scan of a part of my test print showing failure of cyan, click to enlarge:



So I suggest you replace the cyan and light cyan cartridges or flush and dry and fill them again. I hope that will cure your printer
Peter.

 

[stratman]

I don't own a Pro9000 II, but I have flushed a cartridge or two in my day to revive them. PeterBJ certainly had ink starvation. Now may be a good time to review Nifty-Stuff.com Pharmacist's cartridge flush/conditioning solution recipe again:

-3 % propylene glycol (or 2 % glycerin)
-20 % isopropyl alcohol
-distilled water up to 100 %

To make this conditioning solution a cleaning solution to dissolve stubborn stains: add 5 drops of concentrated ammonia per 100 ml of this solution. This solution has been tested by several forum members already and they are very happy with it. It also enhances the absorption degree of ink into the sponge after flushing, especially with the difficult pigment based BCI-3eBK/PGI-5Bk cartridge.

Conditioning: after flushing the sponge has difficulty to absorb the ink well and tends to be become a bit hydrofobic (water repellent). By completely immerge and drenching the sponge material with this solution and then blowing as much solution as possible the sponge is revived again. The pigment BCI-3eBK/PGI-5Bk is the most difficult one and using this conditioning solution improves the absorption degree of your favourite refill pigment ink.

Despite different inkset for the Pro9000 II than what Pharmacist originally posted about, his recipe should remain valid.

A new OEM Canon cartridge is the easiest and least affected by variables when trying to diagnose an issue like yours. It wouldn't hurt to flush the cartridge, with or without Pharmacist's recipe, then refill and try again to see if it would resolve your issue. Consider ghwellsjr's method to more quickly remove excess fluid after purging.

 

[Emulator]

PeterBJ and stratman

Many thanks for your responses.

Yes, looking at your posted image, it displays a more severe grey drifting into straw colour. Does this happen with darker greys?

The grey on the image is 186 in RGB values and it seems to be the most critical in displaying this effect.

My OEM carts, now refilled, are only a few months old. I have flushed them with hot tap water until all traces of colour have been removed and dried them with kitchen paper towel wicking, before refilling. They seem in good condition. The ink readily spreads through the foam.

I must devise a flow rate test, perhaps a paper towel sheet with the cart in the centre in good physical contact with the outlet pad. Then time the expanding stain.

I had a look at the squeezy bottles of ink and interestingly if you tilt and release the bottles on a flat surface, the cyan does seem to be slightly more viscous than the magenta.

How is the choice of ink cartridge made that produces the required shade of colour. What determines the choice of Photo Cyan over Cyan, ditto the magentas, presumably there must be a critical point of change over. Is it, by chance 186 RGB values?

Has anyone else any experience of the problem?

Regards
Ian

 

[Emulator]

First time I have uploaded an image, so I hope it works.

I have created grey strips in Photoshop at specific RGB values from 40 to 240 in steps of 20.

On the left in Canon 9000ll colour mode and on the right in greyscale mode both using Easy Photoprint Pro.

The left hand strips illustrate the colour shift from grey to brown grey in the first half inch of print.

Using the jpg image it is possible to measure the strip colour shifts in Photoshop. Typically in the left hand 160 colour strip, the changes are: Red 174 to 182, Green 172 to 168, Blue 169 to 163. Relatively small changes numerically, but noticeable to the eye.

It looks as though the stable ink flow rates are different from that available from the slight reservoir effect of inks available at the start. Although the effect is not visible in the black ink greyscale strips, so this may not be correct.

 

[Emulator]

Looking at the posted image the colour shifts are barely noticeable, but in a print they are!!

 

[Emulator]

The jpg image was made from a photograph of a print.

 

[PeterBJ]

Looking carefully at your posted image I can see the transition from an almost neutral grey to a a grey with a reddish or brownish tint. I think the image was printed in landscape orientation, starting with the left edge. So to me it looks as if one of the cyan cartridges stop delivering ink after one inch of the image is printed. If you have no spare cartridges you could try to get one or two empty cyan cartridges from Octoinkjet UK: http://www.octoink.co.uk/products/Canon-CLI%2d8-EMPTY-Cartridge.html . I think the normal cyan cartridge can also be used for photo cyan ink if you cannot get a photo cyan cartridge.

I am refilling BCI-3e/6, PGI-5/CLI-8 and PGI-520/CLI-521 cartridges with IS dye and KMP-U pigment inks from Octoinkjet UK and have had no problems with ink flow apart from the incident with the BCI-6C cartridge, which I assume is defective, maybe ruined by flushing with hot water.

I have since stopped using hot water for flushing, as I suspect this could have ruined the sponges in the cartridge. I guess the sponge material is some synthetic fibres, and clothing made from synthetic fibres can be ruined if washed too hot.