I had nightmares when I first got my printer, it took me a long time to get prints that matched what I saw on my calibrated screen. I did printer profiling and calibrating and all sorts of nonsense until I discovered I wasn’t doing it right on the computer. Here is a step-by-step using my Canon Pixma Pro9000 as an example.
I use Ilford paper because the profiles are readily available, if you’re using Canon paper you should have less issues, but still follow these steps.
Once the profile is downloaded (a .icc file) simply double click it and windows will add it, you may need to reboot I don’t know.
Go into photoshop and open the image you want to print.
I usually sharpen with an unsharp mask, 150% 1.0px Threshold of 4.
Then go file->print
What you see will likely look like this, which is all wrong:
First things first, click print settings.
Now depending on the profile you downloaded, you actually have to select a type of Canon paper on this page. With the Ilford profiles they say at the end of the .icc filename which type of paper to use with an acronym, in my case it’s PPPGn which is photo paper plus glossy, so I will select that one.
For print quality select custom and set it to 1.
Here is the most important bit, for color management select manual and then click set. Ignore the first tab and click the “matching” tab at the top. There should be an option for None. Select this and click ok.
On the Page Setup tab of print settings make sure the right size paper is selected, up to you if you do borderless prints, I think it’s pretty pointless unless you’re foam or block mounting yourself.
Under the “Effects” tab in printer settings make sure nothing is checked, like so:
And lastly, under “Profiles” click Add Profile and name it something like “photoshop manages colours” which is basically what we’re setting up here.
Ok, click Ok at the bottom.
Now in the Print dialog in Photoshop:
- Select the correct paper orientation (horizontal or vertical).
- Center the image
- Scale it until it has an appropriate border size, I try to keep the DPI figure as a whole number like 300 or 480 but that’s really just OCD.
- Change the drop down box on the top right to Colour management (if it is set to output).
- Make sure “document” is checked and not proof.
- Under “Color Handling” make sure it is set to “photoshop manages colours”
- Under “Printer Profile” change that to the name of the paper profile you downloaded earlier. If you’re using Canon paper then select the appropriate Canon profile, you will find the code for their papers on the back of the box they came in, something like GL1 or SP1. Here I have selected my Ilford profile.
- Rendering intent should be Relative Colorimetric
- And black point compensation should be checked.
It should look like this:
Now you’re ready to click print.
