PRO9500, ICC Profiles, and Colour Management

[Sheldie]

Canon Pixma PRO9500 ICC Profiles & Colour Management:

I use Vista and have downloaded the driver with its ICC profiles from Canon's European website. Like many other users, it seems, I have been puzzled by the names given to the ICC Profiles.

Other exchanges on this forum have established that the Profile called SP1 refers to Photo Plus Pro Glossy (PP-201 paper, fine setting), and that SG1 refers to Photo Plus Pro Semi Gloss (SG-201 paper, fine setting). Profiles such as ‘Fine Art Photo Rag’ are obvious.

However:

1. Does anyone know what the profile name for simple ‘Plain Paper’ is? Is it, for example, ‘Canon IJ Color Printer Profile 2005’?
and
2. I guess that GL1 (which I have on my computer from the Vista compliant download) refers to ‘Canon Gloss’ paper (GP-501); does anyone know different?

Any help would be much appreciated!

[Gordon B]

All suitable Canon paper are listed in manual under "printing media".
There are some profiles on Canon US website - did have the link sorry but can't find it now.
Perhaps this may have been of some help.
Gordon

[Peter van Bers]

Link tp printer profiles.
http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/controller ... ProfileAct

Code Description Quality Setting
MP1 Matte Photo Paper 1
PR1 Photo Paper Pro 1
PR2 Photo Paper Pro 2
PR3 Photo Paper Pro 3
SP1 Photo Paper Plus Glossy 1
SP3 Photo Paper Plus Glossy 3
SP4 Photo Paper Plus Glossy 4
SG1 Photo Paper Semi Gloss 1
SG3 Photo Paper Semi Gloss 3

[Sheldie]

The Plain Paper setting in the Canon PRO9500 printer dialogue (settings) box:

I have now ascertained the following direct from Canon:

"There is no (ICC) profile that is specific for plain paper as plain paper varies greatly it is not possible to supply a profile. We can only suggest you use driver adjustment options or create your own for the specific plain paper you use.

The profile you refer to (Canon IJ Color Printer Profile 2005) is an old generic profile which may be chosen for printing when there is no other profile, however, we can not advise upon the quality of results and suggest you get appropriate profiles for the paper being used."

It is not therefore possible to advise a software program of the ICC profile when using plain paper, using just the profiles that come with the Canon driver disc/download.

[gcrogers]

Plain paper is mainly used (with photo printers) when photo printer owners want to print something besides a photo (a thing that has never made much sense to me). I don't believe you are going to obtain much of anything worth looking at printed on plain paper, which would perhaps even further explain why there is no profile for same. (in addition to what your were told about varying paper qualities etc)

Put another way, IMO you are fighting a losing battle.

I for one totally missed the 'plain paper' part of your initial post.

[Sheldie]

Thanks for your detailed reply. I agree that photo printers are for photos, and have kept an old 4 cartridge Epson for general work! But I wanted to be clear about the position with the PRO9500 if I ever do need to try the plain paper setting, to see whether I can match my screen image with what will come out on the print. (This works fine - in fact amazingly well - with the semi-gloss photo paper, where my screen image is a very good indication of the print I get).
I am impressed by Canon's response to Vista, the way all the drivers etc have been updated and are free for download. But I regret their lack of easily accessed, full and up to date publicity about the naming of their ICC profiles for ther various media types - the info in the 'online' manual is partial at best - and there are other postings on this site and elsewhere on the Internet to indicate that others have experienced anguish over this!

John

[gcrogers]

Ah, now I understand better what you are trying to accomplish John. Makes perfect sense.

I have no experience with the Pro9500 so I was speaking in generalities. Perhaps trial and error by trying various Canon-supplied profiles might be your best alternative.

Of course, you could always have a custom profile made for whatever plain paper you tend to use if you wanted to. If you tend towards obsessive/compulsive (as do I, sadly), then this may be your solution.

[anam123]

Does anyone know what the profile name for simple ‘Plain Paper’ is? Is it, for example, ‘Canon IJ Color Printer Profile 2005’?

[Vincent]

You don't need to worry about profiles for plain paper just select Pain Paper as the media type and let the printer do the rest. Plain Paper is not going to give you photographic quality.