# Photos totally washed out



## axkman (May 23, 2003)

I am using XP Home SP3 and printing to a Canon Image Class MP700. The problem I have is that while the image on the monitor looks excellent, when I try to print, the result is a very "washed out" picture. Greens become yellow, flesh tones also yellow and blacks are shades of green, all looking grossly over-exposed. I try to correct using brightness, contrast and saturation controls, but this is very much trial and error, and the results are not good. 

Is there a way to fix this, please, a package that will accurately translate the monitor picture to the photo output (and yes, I do understand the difference between RGB and CMYK) but I am at a loss to know how to go about getting decent pictures. I will be most grateful for any suggestions - that don't require TOO much technical knowledge


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## buck52 (Mar 9, 2001)

Howdy

It's all about monitor calibration and printer profiling...

here's one of many good reads on the subject...

http://www.drycreekphoto.com/


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## etaf (Oct 2, 2003)

what size are the images, and what size are you printing out ?

have a look in the printer settings for colour management and see what profile is set 

also what software are you using to view the image, and what profile is being used 

as buck52 has said, this is a classic monitor and printer issue


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

See this thread Monitor-Printer Colour Calibration and the tutorial videos Colour Managemant there.


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## axkman (May 23, 2003)

Thanks for the input, guys, and my apologies for the delay in replying. To answer your questions, etaf, the images are typically 620x419, 735x495 or 715x475 pixels, printing out to a standard 6"x4" print. I use Picasa 2 or Canon Zoom Browser to view the images, and the colour management profile is CNBJPRN2, selected automatically by Windows.

Looking at the issue of printer profiling and monitor calibration quite honestly gave me the horrors. The problem is, I'm really a "plug'n'play" sort of user, and it looks to me as if I'll need a PhD in colour management to be able to understand it. So it looks as if I've got some learning to do if I'm to get the printer to operate properly - either than, or dump all the images onto a CD and get them processed at the local camera store. 

Anyway, thanks again, I do appreciate the support and feedback.


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## etaf (Oct 2, 2003)

Given the Pixels and print size you have posted, then you are printing at 120PPI 

Typically a high quality print is usually expected to be around 300PPI 

This may be part of the issue 

I would get some images which are 1800 x 1200 pixels and print those out at 6" x 4" and see the results you get


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## slipe (Jun 27, 2000)

What you describe seems too much of a shift for monitor calibration. Run a nozzle check from the maintenance tab and look at it under magnification. You probably have some clogged print heads.

Images that small won&#8217;t look great printed at 4 X 6, but if the original image is good the prints shouldn&#8217;t look as bad as you are describing. I&#8217;ve printed crops in the 120 PPI range and they looked OK unless you looked more closely. Detail wasn&#8217;t great but the color was fine.


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## axkman (May 23, 2003)

Thanks guys. I tried converting to 1800x1200 and printing at 300 PPI, etaf, but there was no significant improvement that I could see.

But I think slipe may have got the issue right. Confession time - I've been using "el cheapo" generic ink rather than the genuine Canon product - on the obvious ground that the ink was cheaper. However, even after 2 or 3 cycles of cleaning and deep cleaning, the nozzle check print looked quite unsatisfactory. Black showed lateral bands of black and dirty grean, yellow didn't print at all, and azure and magenta showed what I would call a comb pattern - solid at the top and vertical bars underneath, separated by equal white bars.

This does not suggest a happy printer, and I think I will need to get it to a reputable printer mechanic (or replace the printer heads myself, but I don't think that is a job for a tinkerer like me ) So thanks very much for the help, guys - and I've learned my lesson - short term cheap, long term expensive and frustrating, and now back to the genuine Canon product.


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## etaf (Oct 2, 2003)

are you not able to use the head alignement printout, - where no areas correct


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## axkman (May 23, 2003)

Thanks again, etafe. I tried printing out the head alignment, and it didn't look pretty. Blue was OK, magenta looked like a dirty purple and yellow didn't print at all. And, again, there were a lot of what I've called "comb" patterns - the top solid, the bottom alternating white and the relevant colour. This tends to confirm my suspicion that there is a real problem with the print heads that needs a professional exploration. So, thanks again, guys, you've given me a lot to think about.


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