Epson R1800 printing too dark

Moderated by: Hendrik, guardian

Visit the FM Store · Image Upload · Buy & Sell
FM Actions & Plugins support
Workflow Guidelines

FM Forums | Post-processing & Printing | Join Image Upload

2 end

veroman
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #1 · Epson R1800 printing too dark

I've suffered with this problem for quite a while. Compared to my Epson 4000, my Epson R1800 tends to muddy up shadow areas and, in general, prints everything way too dark, particularly on glossy papers. I tend to light things up a bit just for the sake of printing, but that's really a hit-and-miss solution. I still don't get what I see on my screen when I print to the 1800.

My system is extremely well calibrated from input to output. Prints from my Epson 4000 match what I see on my screen 99.99%, regardless of paper (but it's at its best with semi-gloss to matte finishes). Prints from the Epson R1800 on matte finish (like Moab Entrada) are ok, but still too dark. Glossy is where the real problem is, though. VERY dark on the 1800.

I've heard others have similar experience with the 1800. I've wasted too much time, ink and paper trying to solve this one. Thought I'd seek some help and guidance here. Thanks...

- Steve

Mar 08, 2008 at 04:00 PM

DIS Ottawa
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #2 · Epson R1800 printing too dark

I hate to ask the obvious but have you downloaded the premium (updated) ICC profiles for the 1800 from the Epson website? I had an 1800 until recently and never experienced this problem but did get better results with the premium profiles.

You can also try talking to or emailing Epson. I've done this and their customer support will respond. Eventually.

Mar 08, 2008 at 05:22 PM

veroman
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #3 · Epson R1800 printing too dark

DIS Ottawa wrote:
I hate to ask the obvious but have you downloaded the premium (updated) ICC profiles for the 1800 from the Epson website?

No, I have not. I didn't know they existed! Thanks. I will certainly give them a try.

- Steve

Mar 08, 2008 at 06:13 PM

Perreault
Offline
Buy and Sell: On

p.1 #4 · Epson R1800 printing too dark

I have the same problem.
My system is calibrated as well (R 1800, iMac, intel, Leopard driver, Lightroom). I tried for many hours to find on the net a way to solve the problem. I recently downloaded the driver and the profiles on the Epson website but the same problem is still happening. Dark prints, black shadows.

The best result I get is when I don't use a printer profile and use let the printer manage the colors...

I am looking for a best answer to this problem.

Yves

Mar 08, 2008 at 06:39 PM

DIS Ottawa
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #5 · Epson R1800 printing too dark

Steve,

Are you also using a Mac computer? Perhaps it's speciifc to those.

Mar 08, 2008 at 06:59 PM

veroman
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #6 · Epson R1800 printing too dark

DIS Ottawa wrote:
Steve,

Are you also using a Mac computer? Perhaps it's speciifc to those.

Yes. I've been using Macs since the mid-1980's. I currently use an Intel-based Mac.

- Steve

Mar 08, 2008 at 08:18 PM

DIS Ottawa
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #7 · Epson R1800 printing too dark

It sounds like it's time for Mac users to provide some advice or point you to Mac user discussion forums.

I use PCs and have never experienced this or any other similar problems with Epson printers and so cannot offer any better advice.

Sorry.

Mar 08, 2008 at 08:37 PM

veroman
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #8 · Epson R1800 printing too dark

Perreault wrote:
I have the same problem.
My system is calibrated as well (R 1800, iMac, intel, Leopard driver, Lightroom). I tried for many hours to find on the net a way to solve the problem. I recently downloaded the driver and the profiles on the Epson website but the same problem is still happening. Dark prints, black shadows.

The best result I get is when I don't use a printer profile and use let the printer manage the colors...

I am looking for a best answer to this problem.

Yves

Yves: I've often resorted to using the printer's own color management. Sometimes it works fine. But with non-Epson papers ... like Moab's, which I use a great deal ... there's a lot of hit and miss and wasted ink/paper. I now use my Epson 4000 for most of my work, regardless of print size. It just does the job. All of the individual profiles work great.

Lately I've been using the Epson 1800 primarily for printing letters and 4" X 6" family stuff. I've decided to give up on figuring out the "darkness" thing.

I called Epson a couple of days ago. They say they don't know anything a "darkness" problem. And yet, like yourself, I've heard of others experiencing the same thing. Sounds to me like Epson is in denial of the matter....

- Steve

Mar 08, 2008 at 08:57 PM

ohenry
Offline
Image Upload: Off

p.1 #9 · Epson R1800 printing too dark

Are you using custom profiles for each paper you're using, canned profiles from the paper manufacturer, or no profile at all?

Mar 08, 2008 at 09:20 PM

veroman
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #10 · Epson R1800 printing too dark

ohenry wrote:
Are you using custom profiles for each paper you're using, canned profiles from the paper manufacturer, or no profile at all?

I use the profiles supplied by the paper manufacturer (Moab-Legion and Epson).

When I elect to use the printer's color management, I of course select "Printer Color Management" in the Photoshop color management window.

- Steve

Mar 08, 2008 at 09:30 PM

ohenry
Offline
Image Upload: Off

p.1 #11 · Epson R1800 printing too dark

I'm printing with a R1800, using custom profiles, and don't see the issues you're seeing. Obvious problems include monitor is just set too brightly, double profiling (both Photoshop and printer), not soft proofing, bad profiles.

Worth a look at this to make sure you're not missing something in your setup somewhere:

Print with Color Management CS3

Mar 08, 2008 at 11:03 PM

Hatteras photo
Offline
Image Upload: Off

p.1 #12 · Epson R1800 printing too dark

You might try letting Photoshop do color management it is a lot better at it. I am not fimilar with the 1800 I use a 3800. But every where I read (even in the Epson 3800 manual) Photoshop should be doing the color management. My own pratice shows much better results with Photoshop then Epson drivers. If you already tryed this sorry to bud in..........Peter

Mar 08, 2008 at 11:11 PM

Trekka273
Offline
Image Upload: Off

p.1 #13 · Epson R1800 printing too dark

I am not on a Mac, but i have the R1800 and I do not experience the problem that you are talking about. Maybe you are somehow getting a double profile or something?

Perhaps, as has been suggested above, let Photoshop manage the colours. This is what I do and I am more then happy with the output, as are my customers.

Have you given this a try? I can list out my exact settings if you wish, but I am sure you know what they should be on.

Mar 09, 2008 at 12:04 AM

veroman
Offline
Image Upload: On

p.1 #14 · Epson R1800 printing too dark

ohenry wrote:
I'm printing with a R1800, using custom profiles, and don't see the issues you're seeing. Obvious problems include monitor is just set too brightly, double profiling (both Photoshop and printer), not soft proofing, bad profiles.

Worth a look at this to make sure you're not missing something in your setup somewhere:

Print with Color Management CS3

Thanks, but my monitor is actually set to its lowest brightness, pretty standard with the Mac/Apple wide screens. Nor am I double-profiling. Color Management is turned Off in the Espon driver when I'm letting Photoshop and the media profiles do the color management.

I've done some more tests and comparisons between using the printer do the color management and setting color management with Photoshop. Using the printer's color management is turning out to be much better. Again, this is only with the Epson 1800, not my Epson 4000, which is doing great when I do color management from Photoshop using the media profiles.

- Steve

Mar 09, 2008 at 07:48 PM

Trekka273
Offline
Image Upload: Off

p.1 #15 · Epson R1800 printing too dark

veroman wrote:
ohenry wrote:
I'm printing with a R1800, using custom profiles, and don't see the issues you're seeing. Obvious problems include monitor is just set too brightly, double profiling (both Photoshop and printer), not soft proofing, bad profiles.

Worth a look at this to make sure you're not missing something in your setup somewhere:

Print with Color Management CS3

Thanks, but my monitor is actually set to its lowest brightness, pretty standard with the Mac/Apple wide screens. Nor am I double-profiling. Color Management is turned Off in the Espon driver when I'm letting Photoshop and the media profiles do the color management.

I've done some more tests and comparisons between using the printer do the color management and setting color management with Photoshop. Using the printer's color management is turning out to be much better. Again, this is only with the Epson 1800, not my Epson 4000, which is doing great when I do color management from Photoshop using the media profiles.

- Steve

That's really strange.... Hard to know what is going on there, as if you are using the correct profile for each paper type, etc then letting Photoshop determine the colours should work without any problems. Maybe the profile/s that you are using aren't up to scratch, have you tried a custom profile at all?

Probably wouldn't make much difference, but have you tried uninstalling all of the software and starting again, just in case something went wrong during the initial install?

Mar 09, 2008 at 11:37 PM

CTYankee
Offline
Image Upload: Off

p.1 #16 · Epson R1800 printing too dark

I have an R1800 and a Mac, the prints are not good with the canned profiles. I would suggest a custom profile. I have not done it myself because I keep expecting to sell the printer b/c of how much ink it uses and how much I like the prints from WHCC.

Mar 10, 2008 at 02:11 AM

Ken-L
Offline
Image Upload: Off

p.1 #17 · Epson R1800 printing too dark

I also have the Epson 1800, use PS-CS3 on a Windows PC.

My image looks fine on my calibrated monitor, and the Soft-Proof also looks okay.
But when I print the result is way too dark!

I use the latest profiles from Epson.

I recently published my second Blurb book, and the photos that they printed are fine. As were the ones they printed before.

I have tried several different modes and all have the same dark result with the 1800.

I have bumped the Gamma on the image to 1.50 and then get nearly the brightness that I need on the print.

It is not my settings or profiles that are the problem. It is quite frustrating, and I'm sure there will be a "simple" explanation and fix.....someday.

Apr 10, 2008 at 12:18 AM

allenlw
Offline
Image Upload: Off

p.1 #18 · Epson R1800 printing too dark

You write
".... but my monitor is actually set to its lowest brightness, pretty standard with the Mac/Apple wide screens." What makes you say that is standard? I have been using Mac wide screens for years. When I profile the monitor I have Backlight (brightness) set to just a notch or two off brightest setting and I have never seen such a problem.

Apr 10, 2008 at 06:25 AM

Lucky_Dog
Offline
Buy and Sell: On

p.1 #19 · Epson R1800 printing too dark

I have the same problem and decided to try Profile Prism (not here, yet) to create a custom profile. I *hope* this will cure the problem.... if it doesn't, I'm going to have custom profiles made for the papers that I use. My printer uses way too much ink, imo, and dark prints, I'm sure, contribute to that problem. The cost of profiles/software should be easily made up in ink costs once this thing is printing correctly.

Apr 10, 2008 at 11:21 AM

dermit
Offline
Image Upload: Off

p.1 #20 · Epson R1800 printing too dark

I have the R1800, have had it for a year. For the last 11 months I've been using it from a Windows PC and for the last month from a new Mac Pro. I have CS3 and Lightroom on both computers (still have the PC). I print from LR most often and always use Photoshop color management and make sure printer color management is turned off (no double profiling). And I get absolutely consistant results from both the PC and the Mac.... ALWAYS way, way too dark. I can, and have, literally printed from the same file copies from the Mac and from the PC to the R1800 and they are the same results. It is NOT a platform problem. I know others with the same problem. I've owned Canon printers in the past and never had this problem, I've always been able to dial in my print to match my monitor pretty close. The same prints I get that are too dark now I can send the EXACT file to a lab like Mpix, whcc, etc. and get great results. I am convinced it's the Epson/profile. If anyone comes up with a solution to this problem I would love to hear it. I am tired of bumping my file brightness up just for printing... a lot of hit and miss.

Edited on Apr 10, 2008 at 02:43 PM

Apr 10, 2008 at 02:40 PM

Ken-L
Offline
Image Upload: Off

p.1 #21 · Epson R1800 printing too dark

Dermit wrote:
I have the R1800, have had it for a year. .......I am convinced it's the Epson/profile. If anyone comes up with a solution to this problem I would love to hear it. I am tired of bumping my file brightness up just for printing... a lot of hit and miss.
Thanks......for the confirmation/validation info of this issue!

Apr 10, 2008 at 03:59 PM

Ubuhle
Offline
Image Upload: Off

p.1 #22 · Epson R1800 printing too dark

I have run into this problem as well. When I use Epson paper with their profiles, my photographs are close to what is on my calibrated monitor. However when I put in my Moab Lasal paper on the R1800 using either the Epson or the Moab ICC profile, I have no success. All of my pictures are too dark. If I let the printer manage the image, the photographs come out too bright. I am probably not doing something right and will have to sit and figure this one out. Perhaps my Moab ICC profiles aren’t adequate for the R1800? In the meantime, I send my best prints to WHCC.

PS - I am using Lightroom/CS2/Windows Vista and XP Pro

BLR

Apr 10, 2008 at 06:40 PM

ohenry
Offline
Image Upload: Off

p.1 #23 · Epson R1800 printing too dark

I found the canned Moab profiles lacking. A custom profile will fix the issue.

Apr 10, 2008 at 11:49 PM

papageno
Offline
Buy and Sell: On

p.1 #24 · Epson R1800 printing too dark

I recently upgraded to an NEC 25490 monitor. Due to shipping error the spectra kit was not shipped, so I calibrated with Monaco and the calibration was too light for the 1800.... On noting that here I got several responses indicating that profiling was too light/bright from others.

I use an 1800 and find it completely consistent for me with the premium profiles on matte and luster epson papers and galerie smooth gloss with the Ilford profile.

To me, the larger question is who is really off: Monitor calibration or printer profilees. Is it reasonable to ask that the discussion be broadened to c onsider both issues?

Apr 11, 2008 at 01:33 AM

Ken-L
Offline
Image Upload: Off

p.1 #25 · Epson R1800 printing too dark

Today I printed by by-passing Photoshop. I just used the Windows Print Utility, and then allowed the printer to manage the colors using the +1.8 Gamma setting for one photo and used a different setup for another...... Unfortunately it's been trial and error.

Apr 11, 2008 at 02:39 AM


FM Forums \| Post-processing & Printing \| Join Image Upload 1 2 end