SC-P600 suddenly a blue color cast

[Ink stained Fingers]

For clarity, does everyone think OP's nozzle check is proper?

It's for me a working assumption at this time, to look for other probable/possible causes for the reported effects but not more.

 

[stratman]

It's for me a working assumption at this time

OK. I still think it's off but continue to entertain other potential causes.


@Lesslemming - What is the issue with dialing color correction manually? Is it a no go, as in cannot be done satisfactorily, or am I misinterpreting a willingness as reluctance?

 

[stratman]

In the image you posted for the AWB settings, you are using "Darker" for Tone. User Manual states may get better results with Tone set to "Dark".

printed using ICC profile - even stronger blue color cast

What ICC Profile? One from Epson or a custom made one?

If using a custom ICC Profile via the printing app did you turn off color management by the printer?

Just crossing the "t's" and dotting the "i's". If this was already covered i forgot.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

I tested various pigment glossy inks over time - in a P400 or a WF2010W - like the glossy black for the P600/800, Conecolor, OCP, Canon PFI105, some Chinese inks and more and created profiles with those, regular color profiles, and the black point is that point which is not modified/adjusted/corrected by other factors, it's the ink as the driver prints it onto the paper, the LAB values of most of these glossy black inks are in the range of L=3 - 6 or 8 , all measured on the same or very similar papers , the a value is typically slightly below 0 - like -0.3 to -0.9 and the b value ranges from -1.2 to 4.3, but most are around -2.5. That's about the point that you see that the black gets a cooler touch, it's by far not a blue yet and not a warm tone overall. If you go up the L axis there is room that a color, in this case a dark gray can be adjusted/modified by the profile, and there are various options for it - adding a color tone to the gray - creating a toned monochrome print - e.g. sepia as it is easily done with the Epson B/W Photo driver extension. I did not print specifically B/W prints with these profiles I created , I used and use them for regular color prints.
So I'm irritated that @Lesslemming gets blueish B/W prints with a profile, and this not just since 2 weeks, something is wrong there e.g. double profiling.

 

[Lesslemming]

Thanks for your continued support, I feel you are going out of your way to figure this out with me.

Regarding toning for correction:

I am reluctant to use color toning as a long-term solution, because it should not be necessary. I have taken that road for the time being, however.

Regarding AWB settings:

I have so far tried light, dark, darker. No difference in color (but in lightness of the print, as expected).

Regarding ICC Profiles:

I have never really pursued the ICC topic. On occasion I have used the following ICC Profiles. Hahnemühle FA Baryta, Ilford Gold Fiber Silk, Canson Baryta II. Always straight from the paper manufacturer and in conjunction with the recommended paper set as media in the driver setting. The results were always acceptable but had a cool touch as opposed to the ABW which always was neutral (perhaps leaned towards more magenta/yellow if I was pushed to pass judgement).

The extent of the blue tone I am seeing now, however is not comparable to what I have seen when using ICC Profiles back then. With Profiles it used to be a matter of taste which could easily be passed off as intended. The problem now is visible even to the novice and affecting ICC, Printer Manages Color and ABW.

I was, of course making sure not to double profile in Capture 1. Color Management is off when I use an ICC.
It is also quite impossible to double profile in Epson Print Layout, right? That's the entire settings possible for EPL. There is no driver pop-up afterwards. It goes straight to print from here.

Just for sh*ts and giggles I scanned a print and created a color palette with 15 Colors from affinity, to see what the RGB values would look like and here is the result. This corresponds to the green-blue hue I see.

This looks almost like not enough magenta. I have since replaced the VM cartridge.
I have also replaced the VLM cartridge yesterday. I printed some A4 sheets in VLM but no change yet.

Maybe the VLM channel will return to full power soon?

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

Thanks for your feedback; I think we have reached the limits of remote diagnostics to find out what's going on with your blue prints, keep in mind that color saturations may be different by color, and you are not using a color spectrometer but a non profiled/calibrated scanner, you can do that for some prelim comparisons but not for absolute measurements.
I'm not using the Epson Print software but Qimage , I got used to the typical settings so it appears to be easier to me. I would try to print from another program and directly access the driver from there without the overlay by another piece of software.

Regarding toning for correction:

I am reluctant to use color toning as a long-term solution,

Please be aware that's exactly the job of an icc-profile - to calculate a correction table so that you get a standardized output - within the limits of the gamut - to compensate errors introduced by the printer hardware, ink/density characteristics and driver settings.

 

[The Hat]

Excuse me for asking;- But if your media setting is for Premium Photo Paper Semi gloss, then why are you using Canson Baryta photograph icc profile, to my way of thinking that’s a bit of a miss match..

You’re so exact in your setting and yet everything is coming out arse overhead, I reckon you should stop fiddling with profiles and setting and let the printer handle colour and you just use the proper media settings..
Because if you don’t then this thread is going down the pan quickly, and your grip on colour management is not in the ball park, you have changed something a while back and can’t remember what you did or won’t admit it.. because that’s what it looks like..

 

[Lesslemming]

Okay, this thread has now an immense amount of information.
Let me summarise:

My prints come out with a distinct, heavy, blue tone. Not just a bit, but something you would definitely notice and probably be concerned about. This happened over night.

• I get these results from Epson Print Layout, C1 and Affinity Photo and from a completely different PC and OS
• Deleted and re-installed printer driver
• Nozzle checks come out without missing lines
• I get these results from all types of Papers from different manufacturers requiring Semi-Gloss, Gloss or Lustre in the media settings, so it is not related to Paper or media settings
• I get these results when I print using an ICC profile, ABW or Printer manages color
• My test images/charts are downloaded from reputable sources and have not been modified and yields the same results as my own images
• I have shaken all cartridges very diligently and replaced VM, VLM, LK, LLK since

I will gladly check and screenshot EVERY Setting you think could possibly have been changed by me, advertently or inadvertently. Let us start with ABW because that is my use case.

Here are my ABW settings in Epson Print Layout.
Notice I have loaded a paper with the recommended type being Premium Semigloss. (Pardon me for the screenshot with the wrong media being selected. That was just for the screenshot)
I have also tried papers with the recommended medium being Glossy and Luster.
I have also tried Light, dark and darker, Quality and Max Quality settings.

Here are my settings in C1

 

[The Hat]

Try using a test image like this one, just set media type and print, do nothing else..
http://www.riwodot.de/wc/Doku/riwodot_RPIC.tif

Can you not use Photoshop or Qimage as most others would use, and are you using Mac or Windows O/S…

 

[Lesslemming]

Try using a test image like this one, just set media type and print, do nothing else..
http://www.riwodot.de/wc/Doku/riwodot_RPIC.tif

Can you not use Photoshop or Qimage as most others would use, and are you using Mac or Windows O/S…

II already have. Multiple times. I used well known standard charts for both color and B/W. I did not change/manipulate them. I set the correct media type and printed it.

I have Capture One, Affinity Photo and the official Epson Print Layout both on Mac and PC.