Epson R1400 Sepia colours

[Forest Fred]

Please can anyone help me? I have an Epson R1400 that I am trying to use for printing sepia photographs. I also use an Epson Stylus D88 Durabrite printer for A4 prints. Using Photoshop CS2 with the D88 I get the sepia tones very near the screen colours which I find acceptable.

Using the R1400 with the same settings there is a ghastly yellow cast over the print. I have obtained a more acceptable print using the Photo enhance sepia mode, but it's still not right. Any suggestions?

[Vincent]

Can you provide me with the settings you are using, media type, colour space etc.

[bez]

Hi Fred
Are you using Epson paper, and have you got the right profiles for the 1400?
Is your monitor calibrated, and/or have you looked at a soft proof of the image in CS2?
Finally, is this an RGB image or a tinted b&w one?

[Forest Fred]

Hi Vincent & Bez, and thank you for responding. I will try to answer your questions. I am using Epson semi-gloss heavyweight paper with Epson Claria inks.

The image is RGB with a sepia wash. Depending on the image, I sometimes desaturate prior to applying the wash with Optikverve Labs Virtual Photographer filter used in Photoshop.

When looking at the profiles in the image preview box in Photoshop, there are several listed, but no guidance as to which one to use.

I contacted Epson and they suggested I tried printing with their easy photoprint software, I have tried this, but with the same result.

[bez]

Vincent may have wiser words, but I will start:

In Photoshop View>Proof Setup>Custom>‘Device to Simulate’ you should choose the Epson paper profile you will use (eg semi-gloss heavyweight, which will be the same as selected in Print with Preview) 'Preserve RGB Numbers' should not be checked, Rendering Intent either Perceptual (best for general printing) or Relative Colorimetric, both with 'Black Point Compensation' checked. 'Preview' obviously should always be checked (or unchecked to see the difference) People generally ignore Simulate Paper Color and Simulate Black Ink, but play around with all these settings.

When you go to Print With Preview select 'Let Photoshop Determine Colors', with Printer Profile the Epson paper profile (same as used in Proof Setup) Rendering Intent again the same as Proof (but usually Perceptual)

When you get to the Epson 1400 screen you must turn ICM colour management Off ('No Color Adjustment') otherwise you are double profiling the print.

If the print still doesn’t match the screen, one of the devices in your chain is out of adjustment – either the original printer, which you may have grown used to, or the monitor. If the 1400, paper profiles, and Photoshop are all set up correctly, then ‘ghastly yellow’ is the way the image is.

Have you tried downloading Vincent’s test image from his printer reviews? If this prints ok with all the settings above, but looks wrong on your screen, then unless you monitor is calibrated, try adjusting it to match the print.