Print problems with HP B9180 and Hahnemulhe Photo Rag

[Llew]

Hi Everybody.

I have a problem that I cannot understand or resolve. I have a HP B9180 printer and I am trying to print onto Hahnemulhe Photo Rag although the problem arises with other third party papers. I can get a variety of images just as I like them on my calibrated monitor, however, if I get Photoshop CS5 to proof colours to simulate what the image might look like if its printed the image looses contrast and there are some weird colour shifts. Unsurprisingly the colour shift and lack of contrast come out in the print. Some images will print out well especially B+W. The paper profile comes from HPs web site while the Hahnemuhle's own is rubbish giving even more weird results. I have followed the instructions regarding printer dialogue, rendering intent and black point compensation. It seems that you have to pick and choose which images you print on this paper and as yet I dont know which images print well and those that dont (except B+W). It would seem that the answer might be that I get a profile made for the paper but before I go to this expense I thought I would ask the question.
BTW this happens to a lesser extent with other papers too

Any help gratefully received

Mark

[Colin Southern]

Hi Mark,

Hard to say what's going on, but keep in mind that profiles are only correct for a very specific number of circumstances, namely

- For a given printer model
- For a given paper
- For a given ink set (ie from a given manufacturer)
- For specific media settings (eg canvas, 180gsm paper etc)

Vary any one of those 4 and the results can be a lottery.

The last of those 4 may be something you need to double-check

With regards to soft-proofing, personally, I don't use it a lot - too inaccurate for me. Monitors use additive colour and have typically a 6 stop dynamic range whereas printers use subtractive colour with around a 4 stop dynamic range - so different as chauk and cheese.

I print onto canvas a lot and it inherantly lowers the contrast - so I need to increase it before printing. Personally, I'd say get the custom profile done, but make sure you print the targets using the right media settings (and be sure to note down which ones you used very carefully) - then you possibly won't get perfect results, but at least they should be consistent - and from there you can learn what's needed to compensate.

Also, be sure to do a nozzle check / clean before printing as it'll make the profile targets null and void if there are blosked jets.

Hope this helps

[Llew]

Hi Colin

Thanks for the info. I have been using the media settings that HP recommend. The printer has been put through several cleaning cycles recently with this in mind. I came to use the soft proofing because it gives an idea of whether the print is worth printing with that paper. The thing that gets me is that when use the soft proofing it quite accurately reflects what I get in the print. I have to change the on screen image substantially to get a better printed image and even then its not as I would expect.

With bog standard Permajet Oyster or HPs own Advanced papers there is no problem. HP Professional Satin Matt is very good and prints out well. Permajet's fine art papers can be a bit like the Hahnemuhle but mostly print out OK.

So it would seem that custom profiling would be the best solution. Any suggestions who might be a good source for this? I am going to install a continuous ink system for this printer as I am fed up with the print HP charge for their cartridges. So I will wait until this is commissioned before getting profiles done.

Regards

Mark