Problems printing with the Epson R800

Question

Problems printing with the Epson R800

I know this topic has been posted several times, but I still seem to be getting erroneous results, and I feel that I am in need some serious help....

This is the situation:

I have successfully imported NEF (RAW) files from my Nikon DSLR into Aperture, and I have also properly installed the correct ICC profiles for my Epson Photo Glossy paper (specifically designed for the Epson R800 printer).

I then go to print within Aperture:

ie: File->Print Image

I then select Printer Settings

PRINT SETTINGS:

Media Type: "Premium Glossy Photo Paper"
Move the slider to "Quality"
Select "Advanced"
Print Quality "Best Photo RPM"
Glass Optimizer "ON"

Color Management:
Off (No Color Adjustment)

Then I select Done and return to the main Aperture Print Window

I then select:

ColorSync Profile->SPR800 PremGlossy BstPhotoR1.icc

but my printouts are awful. There are ugly colorcasts (yellow) and the skin tones are all off. Moreover, I have cleaned the nozzle (using Epson's Utility) several times, but to no avail, the issues keep persisting. I have not done any adjustments from within Aperture, so this straight from the camera. Furthermore, my screen has been profiles with a Colorvision Spyder2, but this should not matter as I am not doing any adjustments!

Any advice would be greatly appreicated!

MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Posted on Jun 28, 2006 6:29 AM

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Answer 1

Jun 28, 2006 7:41 AM in response to Vishal Goklani

Epson photo glossy paper is not the same as Premium photo glossy paper, so unless that was a typo, you are applying the wrong media setting/profile to the paper you are using. If you are indeed using epson photo glossy paper there is a profile and media setting called photo paper which would work better, or even the standard setting would probably work better.

hth

I have successfully imported NEF (RAW) files from my
Nikon DSLR into Aperture, and I have also properly
installed the correct ICC profiles for my Epson Photo
Glossy paper (specifically designed for the Epson
R800 printer).

I then go to print within Aperture:

ie: File->Print Image

I then select Printer Settings

PRINT SETTINGS:

Media Type: "Premium Glossy Photo Paper"
Move the slider to "Quality"
Select "Advanced"
Print Quality "Best Photo RPM"
Glass Optimizer "ON"
or Management:
Off (No Color Adjustment)
Then I select Done and return to the main Aperture
Print Window

I then select:

ColorSync Profile->SPR800 PremGlossy BstPhotoR1.icc

but my printouts are awful. There are ugly
colorcasts (yellow) and the skin tones are all off.
Moreover, I have cleaned the nozzle (using Epson's
Utility) several times, but to no avail, the issues
keep persisting. I have not done any adjustments
from within Aperture, so this straight from the
camera. Furthermore, my screen has been profiles
with a Colorvision Spyder2, but this should not
matter as I am not doing any adjustments!

Any advice would be greatly appreicated!

Reply

Answer 2

Jun 28, 2006 7:48 AM in response to Vishal Goklani

"Epson photo glossy paper is not the same as Premium photo glossy paper, so unless that was a typo, you are applying the wrong media setting/profile to the paper you are using. If you are indeed using epson photo glossy paper there is a profile and media setting called photo paper which would work better, or even the standard setting would probably work better. "

Thanks for the reply! I suspected that this would be an issue, but how does one select the proper paper profile for that particular setting. I am indeed using "Epson Premium Glossy Photo Paper", but I don't see any obvious way of adding this particular option to that submenu. But I will experiment with the two other settings you mentioned above, although I wish there was a more direct way of implementing this particular paper type.

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Answer 3

Sasl

Level 1

65 points

Jun 28, 2006 8:03 AM in response to Vishal Goklani

Recently I had a similar problem. Awful skin tones and yellow cast. I hadn't used my R800 for several months, so I used the Utility to test the printing and found that a number of the cartridges were not feeding. I cleaned the print head and re-ran the test and all looked good. And the prints were amazing as usual.

Have you run the Utility's test pattern? If it's coming out OK, then your prints should be OK.

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Answer 4

Jun 28, 2006 8:16 AM in response to Sasl

Hi,

Thanks for the response - i've done that! I even went to so far as to invdivdually remove all my cartridges and shake them vigorously! That hasn't changed much though.

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Answer 5

Jun 28, 2006 8:32 AM in response to rwright99

well, I tried both the "photo paper" and the "standard paper" settings. The latter won't let me print in PhotoRPM mode (that setting is blocked out) and the colors were worse, and the former blocked out the glass optimizer. Is there any way of importing the correct paper type into this submenu?

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Answer 6

Jun 28, 2006 11:25 AM in response to Vishal Goklani

The selection is driver dependent. You need to make sure you have the correct updated driver for the correct printer, and if the option is there in the driver, you can print with PhotoRPM. I don't have the 800, so I don't know if it has that option. I user the 2400.

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Answer 7

Jun 28, 2006 11:44 AM in response to firstlaunch

I see, may I ask what settings are available on your particular submenu? btw, I do have the latest (and correct) drivers installed....and the R2400 is just the wide-carriage version of the R800. In particular, my choices under the Print Settings -> Media Type submenu are:

1. Plain Paper
2. Photo Quality Ink Jet Paper
3. Enchanced Matte Paper
4. Matte Paper - Heavy Weight
5. Premium Glossy Photo Paper
6. Premium Luster Photo Paper
7. Premium Semigloss Photo Paper
8. CD/DVD
9. CD/DVD Premium Surface

Does this correspond with what you have? Which settings do you use, and for which paper type? How are your results?

Thanks for the help! 😀

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Answer 8

MeWoody

Level 1

5 points

Jun 28, 2006 11:56 AM in response to Vishal Goklani

Hi,

Thanks for the response - i've done that! I even
went to so far as to invdivdually remove all my
cartridges and shake them vigorously! That hasn't
changed much though.

I have an R800 and experienced the same problems. I tried everything suggested here without luck until I went out and purchased a color calibration tool. After I calibrated the monitor and used the correct paper settings, things finally looked great. Good luck.

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Answer 9

Jun 28, 2006 12:01 PM in response to Vishal Goklani

Hi, I too have an epson R800. Let me run through the exact settings I have with it and see if that may help you out. Under printer settings, I've chosen Stylus Photo R800 (Sheet Feeder - Borderless) as the printer. Then under print settings, I have Premium Glossy Photo Paper, Color, Advanced, Photo RPM, Finest Detail, & Gloss Optimizer ON. In addition, color management is set to OFF. Back to the Aperture settings, I have SPR800 Photo Paper(G) as my ColorSync Profile, Black Point Compensation, and 1.28 Gamma.

Those are the settings I use and I don't have any problems with the colors. Try them out and let me know how it works. If that doesn't help, my only suggestion is to try to use a generic monitor profile instead of your calibrated one and see if that helps. It could be that something got messed up with your current profile and that it needs to be redone.

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Answer 10

Jun 28, 2006 12:01 PM in response to MeWoody

can you please be more specific, what do you mean by the correct paper settings? also, what does calibrating the monitor have to do color accuracy on the printer when you are printing straight from the RAW file (with no color conversion).

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Answer 11

MeWoody

Level 1

5 points

Jun 28, 2006 12:26 PM in response to Taavi Taijala

Hi, I too have an epson R800. Let me run through the
exact settings I have with it and see if that may
help you out. Under printer settings, I've chosen
Stylus Photo R800 (Sheet Feeder - Borderless) as the
printer. Then under print settings, I have Premium
Glossy Photo Paper, Color, Advanced, Photo RPM,
Finest Detail, & Gloss Optimizer ON. In addition,
color management is set to OFF. Back to the Aperture
settings, I have SPR800 Photo Paper(G) as my
ColorSync Profile, Black Point Compensation, and 1.28
Gamma.

Those are the settings I use and I don't have any
problems with the colors. Try them out and let me
know how it works. If that doesn't help, my only
suggestion is to try to use a generic monitor profile
instead of your calibrated one and see if that helps.
It could be that something got messed up with your
current profile and that it needs to be redone.

These are the settings that I use as well when printing from my R800 with the most recent printer software and R800 icc printer profiles.

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Answer 12

Jun 28, 2006 12:21 PM in response to Taavi Taijala

Hi,

Thanks for the response - the settings help a little bit...but I have two questions:

1. why did you choose Photo Paper(G)? Shouldn't you be using the SPR800 Premium Glossy Photopaper ICC profile instead?

2. why did you shift your gamma so much - isn't 1.28 rather high?

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Answer 13

Jun 28, 2006 12:23 PM in response to Vishal Goklani

I don't have 8 or 9. I have Double-Sided Matte Paper and Proofing Paper Semimatte under the Media Type.

Here is what is important in the Printer setting:
1. Select the correct Driver.
2. Select Layout/Printer setting.
I use Premium Luster Photo Paper so I have the option to use PhotoRPM (Some papers don't have this option).
3. Turn Color Management OFF.
4. Back in the print Dialog, make sure you use the correct color Profile under ColorSync Profile.
5. Save this preset.

Also, monitors need to be calibrated...as noted in the previous post.

These settings work great for my printing with the Epson 2400.

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Answer 14

Jun 28, 2006 12:24 PM in response to MeWoody

it does, thank you! unfortunatly it doesn't resolve my situation, as my display has already been calibrated! but thanks anyway!

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Answer 15

Jun 28, 2006 10:45 PM in response to Vishal Goklani

Yes, I do think that 1.28 is a bit high for gamma, but I found that for whatever reason the R800 tends to print a little dark. For my monitor, I found that setting the gamma to 1.28 made my printed pictures equivalent to what I saw onscreen with Aperture. Granted I do have CRT so your mileage may vary with that setting.

As far as ICC profiles, I only have Matte Paper, Photo Paper(G), Standard, and Super Fine Paper for the R800. I've had my ICC profiles for almost a year, so it is possible they've been updated since then, but so far Photo Paper(G) has worked great for me. I'd try using the regular Photo Paper(G) (what is up with that G?) setting and see if that helps your print quality.

I'll try and download the latest profiles and check out the Premium one.

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