omoore3

I am unable to print a B&W on my Canon pro-100. No matter what I try the print output is very light. I haven't tried to print in color because I don't want to waste more expensive ink.
Background: The printer was purchased new and was used in the art of a magazine I owned. I know it is a notoriously difficult printer. The output was 100 in color. When I sold the magazine I kept the printer. I have used it sporadically over the years. Result, I put it to use printing a B&W portrait scanned from an 8x10 print on a Xanon 9000f scanner, also from the magazine.
The scan was saved in maximum resolution and inspected.
I used Element 23 to reduce the image size to 5x7.
Printing:
I tried to print with Elements 23. Photo looked perfect on the color corrected monitor. But the print was washed out.
I opened maintenance, cleaned the nozzles etc. and tried printing again. Still washed out.
I tried printing with “no color management” and “optimize for printing”
I went into Enhance and darkened the photo.
Nothing worked.
I switched to:InPixio 12, qimage ultimate and canon easy photo-print ex
Still terrible.
I am one of those people who hate to throw things out. I still have my Nikon 100 somewhere. But I am about to take this thing to the dump.

Suggestions anyone?
Oliver

one_eyed_pete Loc: Colonie NY

There are some info missing. Did you print a nozzle check? Are you using OEM ink cartridges? What paper were you printing on? Did you set the printer driver software to B&W (not color)? Don't think the problem is with your. printing software. It sounds like you are not getting the correct amount of black ink from the BK channel nozzles. If you are only getting G and LtG that would explain the very light B&W print. You might want to get a standard B&W test image and try printing that to see the step ladder gradiations. You may want to connect with the JToolman YouTube channel or fb group. Jose is a printing Guru and loads of his fans/followers have Pro 100's and love them. The Pro 100 printer is now out of production (superseded by the Pro 200). Many owners successfully refill cartridges and avoid the high priced Canon ink carts.

omoore3

Yes I know it is old. As I said I bought it new for the magazine's art department. I can't justify spending upwards of $1k for a new pro printer. Don't produce presentation work anymore. Meantime, you missed this "I opened maintenance, cleaned the nozzles etc." etc meant everything to do with nozzles. Yes, tried different papers. B&W checked. Stopped using Canon inks years ago because of cost.
Thanks for the tip about Jose. Will check hium out. I like the test image idea. I have a color test but didn't know about B&W test. Will keep you posted.

one_eyed_pete Loc: Colonie NY

Jose's fb group has a files tab with lots of test images, ICC profiles and other stuff. I think "Northlight" has one for B&W. I've learned to ask questions for confirmation because many folks fail to clearly describe what they are doing accurately. A few days ago someone posting about a printer problem said his printer did it's auto-maintenance but still had streaks. He mistakenly thought his printer automatically performed nozzle checks and cleaning cycles.

FYI, about a year ago I bought an Epson ET-8550 and it has been performing flawlessly. It produces surprisingly good prints in color and B&W and has MBK pigment ink for beep blacks on matte papers. I use the Qimage purge sheet utility to automatically exercise it weekly. The ink tanks are still over half full and refill bottles are reasonable priced. I think it's on sale now for about $599.

SuperflyTNT Loc: Manassas VA

Notoriously difficult printer? I’ve known lots that used that printer, and many that still do, (me included), and it’s the first time I’ve heard that. I went all summer without printing and first photo out was flawless.

bsprague Loc: Lacey, WA, USA

"I know it is a notoriously difficult printer."

"I have used it sporadically over the years."

"Stopped using Canon inks years ago because of cost."

My Pro-100 has been working well since 2013. There is a procedure where you can remove the print head and soak the nozzles to clean them. I think the solution was denatured alcohol, but don't trust my memory. It might have been water. I can't remember if the procedure was a YouTube or text somewhere on the internet.

Boris77

Sounds like you operate a little different than I do. I print B&W from full color setting. I do not like neutral greys so it is just a matter of leaning the tints my way. I made warm prints in the liquid darkroom most of the time.
I make computer variations on a strip of the photograph and print them together on one sheet of paper.
Why not go back to using that EXCELLENT printer for color if it is "no good" for B&W?
Boris

jcboy3

Please don't take it to the dump. Put it up on Craigslist and give it away. Someone else might be able to use it.

DavidM Loc: New Orleans, LA

Have a look at this guy's website. It's full of info regarding printing and technologies used. I have a pro 100 that stopped communicating over my wifi so I bought an epson 8550 which is an Eco tank printer that's fantastic.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2Ud6AP-Z5JCnEy9PB-lgQTjgYboBoqLb

tcthome Loc: NJ

After you made all the choices like B&W, ICC profile for printer/paper, etc. in the printer driver, you clicked on the APPLY & OK tabs? I own this printer & find it to be super easy & reliable.

davidrb Loc: Half way there on the 45th Parallel

CALL CANON!

markwilliam1

Unfortunately the New Canon Pro 200 printer will Not accept refillable cartridges! The Pro 200 carts are now completely black and there are No Chip resetters available for these carts! Shame on Canon.

TonyBot

And, probably unplugged, which in itself causes inks to dry and clog up the nozzles.

There are only a few 3d party inks (I.e. Precision Color) that are any good - but you have to load the cart yourself. AND leave the unit plugged in.The others, where you buy filled and cheap are just that - cheap and crappy!

The Canon Pro-100 was probably one of the finest advanced amateur printers ever made, and notoriously reliable!

Leinik Loc: Rochester NY

As "one-eyed-pete" suggested do a nozzle check. Another solution is to print BW through the Canon driver (second window that opens when you try to print).
Go to "Print Settings":
There in the category "Color Matching", choose "Canon Color Matching go back to Print Setting
Then in "Quality Media" (below Color Matching") check the "Black and white print box" and choose "Perceptual", go back to Print Settings, there below "Quality Media" click "Color Options", the window "Tone" at the top, will show "Black and White print" if you click on it you can choose neutral, warm, cool, or custom

You have to check the black and white box in Printer options and then choose either neutral, warm or cold in

wrangler5 Loc: Missouri

I used a pair of Canon Pro-10s for 6 years, making ~1000 B&W prints each Christmas that got bound into books as presents for family. I got excellent results using both Canon OEM cartridges and then refilling them with Precision Colors inks.

One thing I remember being critical to getting the right look is matching the paper selected in the printing software to the paper actually being fed under the print heads. Specifically, forgetting and leaving ordinary printer/copy paper in the machine (after doing nozzle checks, for example) while selecting photo matte paper in the software, produced very light, washed out prints. Selecting one type of photo paper while using another type could also produce unexpected results.

I print using Lightroom Classic, and there are several places to set - or change - the paper choice. Selecting the right paper profile, if your software uses one, would also make a difference in the output.

BTW, those printers sat plugged in but turned off and unused for about 11 months every year - they only got used to print the Christmas books and our Christmas cards, which was all done in December and early January. It was common for both printers to fire up each December with perfect or near perfect nozzle checks the first time. Sometimes it would take one cleaning cycle to get one printer fully up to speed and occasionally it would take two, but it never required a deep cleaning. They were absolute beasts when it came to reliability - if there was paper in the feeder and ink in all the cartridges, they would print a picture when asked to do so. I understand that the Pro-100 is a dye printer, so they're not exactly comparable, but they were contemporaries and aimed at roughly the same market, so I'd be surprised if the 100 were substantially less reliable than the 10.