Tweak IP4200

[ksyedali]

I have just bought IP4200 and am extremely satisfied with the output
quality and the speed, it was very easy to make it up and running. I
have also printed some photos and the resolution was good enough. The
improvements for photos like improving the sharpness and brightness
before printing is very easy but I would have preferred if Canon had
given some more options (like controlling RGB etc..). All in all a very
good printer which I would advise anyone.

I just have two issues:

Can anyone help with how to tweak the printer configurations for a)
less ink consumption and b) for better quality.

The other thing is that I have observed that the colors are very
vibrant and does not look very real how I can reduce the color level.

 

[Burt]

I have just bought IP4200 and am extremely satisfied with the output
quality and the speed, it was very easy to make it up and running. I
have also printed some photos and the resolution was good enough. The
improvements for photos like improving the sharpness and brightness
before printing is very easy but I would have preferred if Canon had
given some more options (like controlling RGB etc..). All in all a very
good printer which I would advise anyone.

I just have two issues:

Can anyone help with how to tweak the printer configurations for a)
less ink consumption and b) for better quality.

The other thing is that I have observed that the colors are very
vibrant and does not look very real how I can reduce the color level.

My preference is to adjust sharpness and brightness in a program such as
Photoshop or photoshop elements and do only minimal adjustments in the
printer setup. For tweaking color output you can set the color on manual
instead of auto and click the "set" button next to the color setting. You
will then see a series of sliders that permit you to adjust the color output
before printing. If you feel that the overall output is too intense be sure
to uncheck all of the areas where the printer software automatically sets
intensity, etc. Make your own adjustments in the software you use for
correcting the pictures prior to printing. If the prints are still too
intense, you can reduce the intensity setting that is with the color sliders
as described above.

The quality of the output is adjustable with the selection of paper in the
printer properties menus as well as in the Print Quality setting. If you
set it to custom you can then click "set" and adjust the quality .

Reducing ink use reduces intensity and that may produce a less attractive
print. Several of the participants on this newsgroup refill our ink
cartridges with bulk ink purchased on line from one of several vendors.
This reduces the cost of ink to about $1 US per cartridge refill instead of
$12 per cartridge of Canon ink. Unfortunately, the newest Canon printers
have a computer chip attached to the cartridge and the aftermarket vendors
haven't come up with aftermarket cartridges yet. The inks are advertised as
being different from the previous Canon inks - supposedly improved - and
they are not yet available from the vendors I feel best purchasing from.
Hopefully these products will become available soon for purchasers of the
newest Canon printers.

 

[ksyedali]

Thanks for the comments, I appreciate it very much. Can you also give
me some idea about how to select the right kind of paper type in
options at the time of printing and how much any paper option selected
will affect the print quality or cost.

I have printed many documents today, the output is good but I am really
surprised with the print speed, its beyond my exception.

Thanks Again

 

[Taliesyn]

Thanks for the comments, I appreciate it very much. Can you also give
me some idea about how to select the right kind of paper type in
options at the time of printing and how much any paper option selected
will affect the print quality or cost.

I have printed many documents today, the output is good but I am really
surprised with the print speed, its beyond my exception.

Thanks Again

I use last year's models, the iP5000, iP4000, and I've always had the
best results on photo paper using the Photo Paper Pro setting,
regardless of paper brand - Canon, Epson, Costco, other, or even dollar
store paper! I haven't found any setting that even comes close. I use a
magnifier sometimes to get a closer look at the printout.

For highest print resolution (which, naturally, also takes the longest
to print), I select "Custom" in Print Quality, click "Set", and when the
window opens I slide the lever in the Quality section to the right, or
"1". The "1" setting is available when photo Paper Pro is selected.
Don't know if it's selectable under other paper types. It's been too
long since I experimented with the lesser paper settings.

-Taliesyn

 

[ksyedali]

Which photo editing software is the best for printing photos. Can
anyone explain why?

 

[DK]

Which photo editing software is the best for printing photos. Can
anyone explain why?

There is not such thing. It's like asking what car is the best.

It all depends on your goals, requirements and level of proficiency
with the particular software. Start with the editor *you* know best,
then identify its limitations for *you*, then ask a question of what
software does not have the same shortcomings while keeping
the things you like *and* meeting your other requirements.

For example, QImage or Photoshop might be what many
professionals would consider "the best" but I find that Picture
Window does equally good job for me at 1% of the effort to
learn and use them. Hell, sometimes even IrfanView's most
basic adjustments are enough.

 

[Taliesyn]

Which photo editing software is the best for printing photos. Can
anyone explain why?

There is NO software that prints a better photo than Qimage!

Why? Simply put you will see details and sharpness you have never
witnessed before. You'll think you just bought the world's best digital
camera and printer. At least that's what struck me the most. I'm sure
there's other things it does better.

This is the software most professionals use. I'm not a professional,
but I want what they're having! A free 30 day demo download is
available. It took just ONE PRINT to convince me and immediately paid
for it and got the unlock key. I just checked the price and it's $49.95.
I believe ALL future upgrades are free. Matter of fact, I see they have
an upgrade now. Gotta go . . .

http://www.ddisoftware.com/qimage/

-Taliesyn (Note: I don't work for them; you asked, I replied . . .)

 

[Arthur Entlich]

Maybe this seems like a silly question, but where do you think QImage is
getting all this detail and sharpness from, exactly?

Art

 

[Taliesyn]

Maybe this seems like a silly question, but where do you think QImage is
getting all this detail and sharpness from, exactly?

Art

Obviously from where other software (and I've tried several!) is unable
to get it from . . .

-Taliesyn

 

[Taliesyn]

I ran a quick test with an Office Depot matte paper they call
"Presentation Paper."

Taliesyn states that he uses the CUSTOM setting on the ip-4000 and
then moves the slider all the way to the right. He claims that setting
gives him the highest quality when using the PHOTO PRO paper setting.

He's RIGHT!

I tried his way and a side-by-side comparison with a setting for
GLOSSY PHOTO PAPER and the HIGH QUALITY box checked (using the same
Office Depot Presentation Paper) showed a considerable difference in
resolution and tonal gradation. His setting produced a clearly better
image.

It's the only setting I use for High Quality work, whether it's glossy
or matte paper I use. Glad it worked for you too!

-Taliesyn

 

[Pixmaker]

I ran a quick test with an Office Depot matte paper they call
"Presentation Paper."

Taliesyn states that he uses the CUSTOM setting on the ip-4000 and
then moves the slider all the way to the right. He claims that setting
gives him the highest quality when using the PHOTO PRO paper setting.

He's RIGHT!

I tried his way and a side-by-side comparison with a setting for
GLOSSY PHOTO PAPER and the HIGH QUALITY box checked (using the same
Office Depot Presentation Paper) showed a considerable difference in
resolution and tonal gradation. His setting produced a clearly better
image.


New Subject:

I'd like to find a low-cost matte paper for photo proofing (that's why
I have some of the OD paper on hand.) It's OK but the prints fade
badly when compared with, say, Costco Glossy. Two years on the wall of
an office lit with flourescent tubes (cool white) produces very
noticable fading. The glossy I mentioned seems to stand up pretty
well in the same environment.

Any experience from y'all will be appreciated.

Pixmaker inFLL
==========================
It's not the heat, it's the humidity!
==========================
(Think the humidity's bad?
You should watch us vote!)
==========================

 

[Tom]

Obviously from where other software (and I've tried several!) is unable
to get it from . . .

-Taliesyn

It basically comes down to doing better interpolation and upsampling. Most
other programs will simply take your raw image and hand it to the printer
driver saying "please stretch this to 4 X 6 in any way you can". Qimage takes
matters into its own hands and upsamples your image to the printer's native
resolution. There is a very long explanation of this whole process here:
www.ddisoftware.com/qimage/quality
This whole process does make printing significantly slower, but the results
are well worth it.
--Tom.

 

[Arthur Entlich]

Or maybe its making it up? And I don't say this facetiously. A lot of
sharpening and other algorithms (like shadow detail) "create" data that
although it looks good to our eyes, is not actually in the original
information.

I'm not necessarily knocking the program, it may be bringing out data
that is otherwise covered, but it may also be generating it. Genuine
Fractals worked in that manner. So does unsharp masking. There are
tricks that the human eye find appealing.

Art

 

[Taliesyn]

Or maybe its making it up? And I don't say this facetiously. A lot of
sharpening and other algorithms (like shadow detail) "create" data that
although it looks good to our eyes, is not actually in the original
information.

I'm not necessarily knocking the program, it may be bringing out data
that is otherwise covered, but it may also be generating it. Genuine
Fractals worked in that manner. So does unsharp masking. There are
tricks that the human eye find appealing.

Art

Merely talking about Qimage is quite pointless when all one has to do is
try it - it's a relatively small program and free for a month of use.
I'm not a professional like you, so you'd get better use from all the
different adjustments that can be made. I didn't need to use up the
whole month, just the first 10 minutes (one print!). I still haven't
loaded the latest version, I have to clean up my computer first...

-Taliesyn