Epson 2200 print problem. . . - DPChallenge Forums

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

02/13/2004 02:19:08 PM · #1

If anyone has an answer or suggestion to this problem I would really like to hear because I am at wits end.
One day I printed out from my Epson 2200 and everything was fine. The picture that printed looked just like the picture on my screen. Then the next day I loaded some new pics up into the computer and worked on them and then went to print. The pictures did not look right. The pictures got darker in color from the top down to the point that the bottom third of the prints were really muddy. I tried everything and finally gave up and took the printer back to the place where I purchased it. I presented the problem to them and they had no clue, but I had also purchased a replacement warranty so they gave me a brand new Epson 2200. I took it home and put it together (deleted the old software) and put in the new software. The pictures are slightly better but barely.
I have rotated them to see if it is positional (and it's not), I have waited for the paper to dry to see if it looked different (and it didn't), I have checked the gamma on my monitor and it seems to be okay, I have printed out previously saved photos from a disk and having the same problem.
I am totally stumped. I have no clue what is going on but to say that I am aggravated is an understatement.
I went on the Epson site and no one their so far as any other advice except for the things that I have already done and didn't work.
I would really appreciate some help with this problem if you can think of something else to try.
Thanks a lot.

Neil

Fujifilm X-T30

02/13/2004 02:21:59 PM · #2

How about scanning one and posting it so we can get a better appreciation as to the degree of change.

dtouch1

Canon EOS-300D Rebel

Tamron AF 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6 Aspherical for Canon

02/13/2004 02:47:51 PM · #3

I just got rid of an epson printer because it was junk. Just for service they wanted $80 per hour plus parts. I now have a hp photosmart 7960, and it is awesome.

02/13/2004 02:59:57 PM · #4

Sonnyh,

Pardon the obvious questions, but just in case.....

Have you changed ink manufacturers or paper manufacturers?

Did you clean the print heads?

Are you formatted correctly for the photograph, ie text vs. photo?

Per your description, the problem is consistent through both printers and accross both old and new photos. This leads me to think of items that are common to both processes. Namely, software/ink/paper/settings. I will check my manual later and post, if I discover anything of use.

02/13/2004 03:05:16 PM · #5

Pardon the obvious questions, but just in case.....

Have you changed ink manufacturers or paper manufacturers?

Did you clean the print heads?

Are you formatted correctly for the photograph, ie text vs. photo?

Per your description, the problem is consistent through both printers and accross both old and new photos. This leads me to think of items that are common to both processes. Namely, software/ink/paper/settings. I will check my manual later and post, if I discover anything of use.

Nothing has been changed. I am using the same Epson inks and in fact the new printer has 7 new cartridges so that isn't the problem. The settings are correct for the paper and size. I am using the same make and kind of paper throughout (Epson). Everything is coming out darker across the board and more down the bottom third of the photos.
I think I must be going crazy.

02/13/2004 03:06:36 PM · #6

nshahpiro-I don't have a really good scanner as I hardly use one so it wouldn't do the problem justice (I don't think). However, I am going to scan something in now and see what happens. If it portrays the problem properly than I will post it.

Gordon

RIM BlackBerry Curve

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

02/13/2004 03:13:20 PM · #7

Edit - reread what you said.

If you are loading existing files (that you've saved just as they were printed) and its still screwing up, on two sets of hardware, then the problem will likey be your printer driver settings.

Check the paper type hasn't changed, check the colour management settings in the printer haven't changed etc...

Message edited by author 2004-02-13 15:34:58.

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

02/13/2004 03:20:15 PM · #8

Originally posted by sonnyh:

Nothing has been changed. I am using the same Epson inks and in fact the new printer has 7 new cartridges so that isn't the problem. The settings are correct for the paper and size. I am using the same make and kind of paper throughout (Epson). Everything is coming out darker across the board and more down the bottom third of the photos.
I think I must be going crazy.

You're not going crazy......

With all epson products in use, and repeating on 2 different printers with both old and new photos, it has to be a communication problem.

I'll check out more later.

peecee

Canon EOS-5D

02/13/2004 03:41:04 PM · #9

Any chance system restore ( if you have windows) could roll back to the day it printed ok?

faidoi

Pentax K10D

Pentax DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF

02/13/2004 05:00:10 PM · #10

Anyone else who has access to the printer changed the settings. That's happened to me.

Weather or temperature change may also effect printing quality.

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

02/13/2004 05:10:15 PM · #11

Sonnyh,

I think I would first run a printer check (page 71, problem solving, epson manual). This would at least confirm either a printer problem or an interface. "If the check page prints, then the problem lies in your software settings, interface cable, computer, or incorrectly installed software".

On pages 74/75 it talks about quality problems, specifically wrong or missing colors.

Based on what you have described so far, and feeling that you have already done these things, I think I might next try a new interface cable.

Rasai

Nikon D2Xs

02/13/2004 07:28:48 PM · #12

Originally posted by sonnyh:

If anyone has an answer or suggestion to this problem I would really like to hear because I am at wits end...Thanks a lot.

I have had the same problem with mine & it SUCKS ! I wanted to select â��printâ�� and have the same quality print I saw in the demonstrations! Such is not the caseâ�¦

Here is a good tutorial on the exact procedure to performâ�¦
Please give this â��Soft Proofâ�� procedure a try with the Epson printer ICC profile you have currently installed (which will likely be the generic profile that came with the printer software). It will probably help!
//www.drycreekphoto.com/Learn/profiles.htm

The story behind this;â�¦ the â��soft proofâ�� and what a difference it made for the Custom Lab printer I had to use in a pinch.
I have had the same bad results with my Epson 2200. When I took the same file I was trying to print to a custom lab with a â��High Endâ�� printer it produced the same BAD results. The manager of the lab told me to go to this site and get the ICC profile for their specific printer, install it and follow the instructions to soft proof the file and bring it back for them to reprint for free:

//www.drycreekphoto.com/

I read up on the Epson 2200 Printer & downloaded the free â��ICC color profileâ�� for their (the custom labâ��s) printer. I followed the instructions implicitly to use Adobe Photoshop to perform a â��soft proofâ�� and embedded the resulting profile in a copy of the original file. The Custom lab reprinted the picture using the file with the new ICC profile embedded. The picture came out 100% PERFECT. The Epson 2200 is a very high quality printer that should/would produce results just as good as the High End printers if they are given a file to print that properly matches what you see on your monitor by calibrating & setting up using Adobe (or perhaps a similar procedure using whatever program that allows you to make these changes to your file) I would offer that EPSON technical support is sorely lacking (or restrained) in this area of technical support, as is the â��manualâ�� that came with the printer.
VERY IMPORTANT! Please look at this page on the site which deals with paper recommendations for the Epson 2200 printer:

//www.drycreekphoto.com/Learn/printers/epson_media.htm

As there are Epson papers that DO NOT work properly in the printer even though they are supposed to!

There is a lot more information at this site than I ever wanted to know aboutâ�¦

Iâ��m currently looking for other ICC profiles for the EPSON 2200 should anybody know of any please send me the link.
Thank You
Tim
I love to take pictures ~ not set up profiles in a computer.

Message edited by author 2004-02-13 19:29:10.

02/13/2004 08:39:35 PM · #13

First of all let me say thank you to all that have sent me personal e-mails with advice and those that have responded in this forum.
The thing that is driving me crazy is that Monday the printer printed just fine. I went to bed and on Tuesday (I didn't turn off the computer) I printed out these pictures of tulips that I took and they were horrible. The only thing that I did different than before was follow a tutorial on how to sharpen your photo without using the USM. It used a duplicate layer and converted the mode to Lab Color. When it first happened I assumed that it was converting for part of the tutorial to Lab Color so I went back and used a copy of the original that I had and printed again without the sharpening and the same thing. Then I tried an old picture and compared it to how that photo had printed just the week before. Big difference. I went and checked my Gamma and I checked my ICC Profile which was exactly the same as it has always been. No one else uses my computer
It might be a communication problem but what part of the communication.
When I brought home the new Epson I uninstalled the old software and installed from the new disc as I noticed it was a higher version. Same problem.
Rasai has left a link and I will check that out. I am pretty stupid when it comes to all the ICC stuff and it is really more than I want to spend a life time on, but I guess I'm going to have to learn so that I can straighten out this problem.
By the way I use only Epson paper. Three types -- Enhanced Matte, Professional Media Premium Luster and Super B Premium Semigloss. They are the three papers I have always used.