Doesn't everybody love sunsets?

Collapse
X
Collapse
 
  • Page of 2
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
Previous 1 2 template Next
  • blackcat4866
    Master Of The Obvious

    Site Contributor
    10,000+ Posts
    • Jul 2007
    • 23009
    #1

    Doesn't everybody love sunsets?

    I used to love sunsets ... until today.

    This customer has a CS-C2525E, and is printing these lovely brochures with lovely sunsets. Beautiful sunsets, well, mostly beautiful.

    So there are these peachy gradients from C: 0%, M: 44%, Y: 77%, K: 5% gradually through C: 0%, M: 40%, Y: 47%, K: 60%. Somewhere around the middle of the picture where I'd like to see Pantone 172UP (C: 0%, M: 59%, Y: 76%, K: 0%), but instead there is a crisp line right through the gradient. Unfortunately this same color is in the normal range of fleshtones, so it also shows up in pictures of people. Color / FF6A51 / Pantone 172 U :: COLOURlovers

    It is not associated with a particular application. The customer mainly uses Publisher 2003, but it also appears when using Picasso, Microsoft Picture and Fax Viewer, Word 2003, and Adobe on the same bits of clipart. I've checked the original art with ColorPic. It's a smooth transition. No radical jumps in the gradient. It does not affect copies, prints only.

    I've re-loaded drivers, then upgraded to 5.2.1108, no difference. I still have 4.4.xxxx on my PC, and it still looks the same. If I shift the spectrum into the red I can get it to smooth out, but who wants rosy sunsets and people? It's got to be peach. I've tried every combination of color correction, custom color adjustment, and emulation and have had only limited success.

    Is a color profile going to help out here?
    If you'd like a serious answer to your request:
    1) demonstrate that you've read the manual
    2) demonstrate that you made some attempt to fix it.
    3) if you're going to ask about jams include the jam code.
    4) if you're going to ask about an error code include the error code.
    5) You are the person onsite. Only you can make observations.

    blackcat: Master Of The Obvious =^..^=
    Tags: application, c252, c2525e, color, communication error, copies, customer, drivers, kx driver, printing, reproduction, shows, word
    • Jules Winfield
      Senior Tech

      500+ Posts
      • Jul 2009
      • 821
      #2
      Try explaining to the customer the concept of "business color".
      But I'm trying, Ringo. I'm trying real hard... to be the Shepherd.

        Comment

        • blackcat4866
          Master Of The Obvious

          Site Contributor
          10,000+ Posts
          • Jul 2007
          • 23009
          #3
          Originally posted by Jules Winfield
          Try explaining to the customer the concept of "business color".
          Yeah ... good luck with that. =^..^=
          If you'd like a serious answer to your request:
          1) demonstrate that you've read the manual
          2) demonstrate that you made some attempt to fix it.
          3) if you're going to ask about jams include the jam code.
          4) if you're going to ask about an error code include the error code.
          5) You are the person onsite. Only you can make observations.

          blackcat: Master Of The Obvious =^..^=

            Comment

            • nmfaxman
              Service Manager

              Site Contributor
              1,000+ Posts
              • Feb 2008
              • 1702
              #4
              Can you scan an image for us to look at?
              Have you run test prints in halftone?
              This may sound strange (and I am going on a hunch), but is the machine set to count 1 or 2 for 11X17?

              Second thought is to zoom in to the center when you do a print setup from any application.
              Their settings may be set for letter on both sides insted of ledger.

              As always...................
              Why do they call it common sense?

              If it were common, wouldn't everyone have it?

                Comment

                • blackcat4866
                  Master Of The Obvious

                  Site Contributor
                  10,000+ Posts
                  • Jul 2007
                  • 23009
                  #5
                  Originally posted by nmfaxman
                  Can you scan an image for us to look at?
                  Have you run test prints in halftone?
                  This may sound strange (and I am going on a hunch), but is the machine set to count 1 or 2 for 11X17?

                  Second thought is to zoom in to the center when you do a print setup from any application.
                  Their settings may be set for letter on both sides insted of ledger.

                  As always...................
                  I did a color calibration first. The U089, gray test pages are smooth-no lines.
                  The "line" is not a straight line. It's like an altitude map. The 'line' follows the color change. I can scan tomorrow. My b&w scanner won't display the problem very well.

                  It is set to double-count ledger, but the same effect can be seen on letter. It does sound strange. I can't imagine how it would affect a single color.

                  If there was some sort of page break, and the line were straight, that would make sense. No page break-ledger original. Not a straight line. =^..^=
                  If you'd like a serious answer to your request:
                  1) demonstrate that you've read the manual
                  2) demonstrate that you made some attempt to fix it.
                  3) if you're going to ask about jams include the jam code.
                  4) if you're going to ask about an error code include the error code.
                  5) You are the person onsite. Only you can make observations.

                  blackcat: Master Of The Obvious =^..^=

                    Comment

                    • aragul
                      Trusted Tech

                      100+ Posts
                      • Dec 2007
                      • 128
                      #6
                      Have you tried KM-Net Direct Printing? Sometimes the KX driver just hates me and I have to export/print to pdf and send that directly to the printer. Unfortunately if it works, explaining business color may be easier than explaining the interface to Direct Printing.

                        Comment

                        • blackcat4866
                          Master Of The Obvious

                          Site Contributor
                          10,000+ Posts
                          • Jul 2007
                          • 23009
                          #7
                          Originally posted by aragul
                          Have you tried KM-Net Direct Printing? ...
                          Hey! Now there's a thought ...

                          I scanned the samples today, and wouldn't you know it, the scanner smoothed over the unblended areas. =^..^=
                          If you'd like a serious answer to your request:
                          1) demonstrate that you've read the manual
                          2) demonstrate that you made some attempt to fix it.
                          3) if you're going to ask about jams include the jam code.
                          4) if you're going to ask about an error code include the error code.
                          5) You are the person onsite. Only you can make observations.

                          blackcat: Master Of The Obvious =^..^=

                            Comment

                            • jmaister
                              certified scrub

                              Site Contributor
                              500+ Posts
                              • Aug 2010
                              • 755
                              #8
                              late reply, but does changing emulation help? I found KPDL does awful colour reproduction on voyagers.

                              and since the newer driver has the PDF emulation, if should work great with pdf's tho not perfect(i've tried on a few files).
                              Idling colour developers are not healthy developers.

                                Comment

                                • blackcat4866
                                  Master Of The Obvious

                                  Site Contributor
                                  10,000+ Posts
                                  • Jul 2007
                                  • 23009
                                  #9
                                  KPDL turned out to be the best choice for this color range, and with color profile "c_kodak" it smoothed out almost perfectly ... all except for Pantone 172. The customer was willing to go with it. I'm glad that I didn't have to have that "business color" discussion.

                                  I sent the same art to a Saturn, and it blended smoothly. Don't you just love that microfine toner! I'm still keeping my eye out for possible color profiles that help. Thanks for your responses. =^..^=
                                  If you'd like a serious answer to your request:
                                  1) demonstrate that you've read the manual
                                  2) demonstrate that you made some attempt to fix it.
                                  3) if you're going to ask about jams include the jam code.
                                  4) if you're going to ask about an error code include the error code.
                                  5) You are the person onsite. Only you can make observations.

                                  blackcat: Master Of The Obvious =^..^=

                                    Comment

                                    • Venom
                                      Technical/IT Support

                                      500+ Posts
                                      • Nov 2009
                                      • 765
                                      #10
                                      This is why we bought a Colormunki and create our own color profiles. Pantone approved...ya right
                                      IBM, Mita, Konica Minolta, Ricoh, Kyocera, HyPAS, Canon, Oce, Samsung, HP, TEO IP PBX/Unified Communications, Comptia Network+ Comptia PDI+ Certifications

                                        Comment

                                        • blackcat4866
                                          Master Of The Obvious

                                          Site Contributor
                                          10,000+ Posts
                                          • Jul 2007
                                          • 23009
                                          #11
                                          I hate to resuscitate this thread, but it's the same customer, new piece of art. And it's in the Pantone 172 range again.

                                          Today I did a U024 HDD reformat, then U020 Memory All Clear, reloaded both parts firmware, reentered the maintenance report data, reentered scanner data,and performed color calibration.

                                          The original test art does appear smoother, but this new piece of art has very distinct color steps in the gradations. It is only affecting prints, from various applications. And I've sent the same docs to a Saturn, and it looks much better.

                                          Any ideas? Memory? HDD? Main PWB? As far as I'm concerned beyond this point I'm just throwing parts at it. =^..^=
                                          If you'd like a serious answer to your request:
                                          1) demonstrate that you've read the manual
                                          2) demonstrate that you made some attempt to fix it.
                                          3) if you're going to ask about jams include the jam code.
                                          4) if you're going to ask about an error code include the error code.
                                          5) You are the person onsite. Only you can make observations.

                                          blackcat: Master Of The Obvious =^..^=

                                            Comment

                                            • Aries_1
                                              Technician
                                              • Feb 2009
                                              • 42
                                              #12
                                              I'd presume it would be a driver/application issue sooner than I would think a parts issue.

                                              Is the paper in landscape or portrait?

                                              EDIT: Found a button - Printer>Printer Menu>Print Quality that I can turn from Normal/Fine.... Not sure what it does but give it a try.

                                              (page 3-21 in the Adv manual)
                                              Last edited by Aries_1; 03-31-2011, 10:51 PM.

                                                Comment

                                                • blackcat4866
                                                  Master Of The Obvious

                                                  Site Contributor
                                                  10,000+ Posts
                                                  • Jul 2007
                                                  • 23009
                                                  #13
                                                  Originally posted by Aries_1
                                                  I'd presume it would be a driver/application issue sooner than I would think a parts issue.

                                                  Is the paper in landscape or portrait?

                                                  EDIT: Found a button - Printer>Printer Menu>Print Quality that I can turn from Normal/Fine.... Not sure what it does but give it a try.

                                                  (page 3-21 in the Adv manual)
                                                  First, Thanks for the suggestions.

                                                  It doesn't seen to make much difference which way the image is oriented, though most of their images are laid out landscape for two-fold brochures.

                                                  Normal/Fine Quality didn't make a difference. Neither did any of the other color options in the driver. Nor did changing versions of the driver. I must have tried every choice I could find. Also tried setting FRPO print default dpi to 600, but discovered that the driver (at 600dpi) overrides the printer default of 300dpi), so it looked exactly the same. The ICC color profiles made a minor difference. and the HDD reformat/All Memory Clear/Firmware reload was a fair improvement on the original piece of art, but didn't help the new one.

                                                  I was finally desperate enough to open a hotline case#. And the hotline guy even listened through my whole long story, and four emails full of attachments, photos, scans, & maintenance reports. I'm hoping to get something useful in the near future.

                                                  I've gotten a suggestion to send the Publisher print job to a PDF converter (like CutePDF), then send PDF to print. I'm reserving this as a last resort.

                                                  Again, thanks for the response. =^..^=
                                                  If you'd like a serious answer to your request:
                                                  1) demonstrate that you've read the manual
                                                  2) demonstrate that you made some attempt to fix it.
                                                  3) if you're going to ask about jams include the jam code.
                                                  4) if you're going to ask about an error code include the error code.
                                                  5) You are the person onsite. Only you can make observations.

                                                  blackcat: Master Of The Obvious =^..^=

                                                    Comment

                                                    • Morlock49
                                                      Trusted Tech
                                                      100+ Posts
                                                      • Mar 2009
                                                      • 166
                                                      #14
                                                      I have had a problem with some files from quark and adobe software, especially with color matching and gradients. the only way I could get a good clean print was to advise the customer to convert the image to PDf and print as image. you don't say if you have tried this, but if you have not I hope it might help.
                                                      Sorry folks, reputation removed by Just Manuals, because he's a sad little wanker

                                                        Comment

                                                        • blackcat4866
                                                          Master Of The Obvious

                                                          Site Contributor
                                                          10,000+ Posts
                                                          • Jul 2007
                                                          • 23009
                                                          #15
                                                          Update:
                                                          The PDF conversion did not make much of an improvement.

                                                          The printer DIMM and image memory made no improvement, actually worse. I got C0240 codes which took a while to clear (print card communication error). That led me to the fix, which turned out to be replacing the printer NIC.

                                                          I was very glad to get that one resolved. That was my last idea. Thanks to everyone that commented. =^..^=
                                                          If you'd like a serious answer to your request:
                                                          1) demonstrate that you've read the manual
                                                          2) demonstrate that you made some attempt to fix it.
                                                          3) if you're going to ask about jams include the jam code.
                                                          4) if you're going to ask about an error code include the error code.
                                                          5) You are the person onsite. Only you can make observations.

                                                          blackcat: Master Of The Obvious =^..^=

                                                            Comment

                                                            Previous 1 2 template Next
                                                            Working...