The difference between Standard quality level 3 and the higher quality prints is apparent. Keep in mind that these are macro image and the difference is not striking at viewing distance. Still, the smoother dot pattern and cleaner edges of quality level 2 and 1 will result is sharper looking prints. canon pixma pro-100 setup
Our conclusion is that Level 2 High print quality is the best setting for most photo projects. The Level 1 setting does not result in appreciably better print quality and takes 38% longer to complete.
For the first time, Canon has included gray and light gray inks in a PRO level dye based printer. In combination with black, these two new tanks greatly help the B&W output of the PRO-100. Another first is detailed printer driver control of grayscale output. Our tests consisted of printing the 8x10 test print (shown above) using the driver B&W feature. Photoshop was set to Printer Manages Color and no adjustments were made to the target file. We printed the target using the default, Cool Tone, and Warm Tone settings. After drying for eight hours the prints were evaluated under balanced Solux light.
Brightness settings include normal, light and dark. Intensity and contrast are sliders allowing for finer adjustments.
All of these adjustments will be "previewed" using a standardized sample image. The drop down menu below the pencil photo at right allows you to choose different preview samples. What actually happens on your printed image may be different. We suggest being judicious with changes and make small test prints when getting started.
Overall we were pleased with the results. You will benefit from well prepared files, which means proper exposure as well as some additional mid-tone contrast. Both are helpful in adding the proper amount of intensity and life into a black & white print.
The Canon PRO-100 printer drivers are basically unchanged from previous PRO printer models. We're starting on the Quick Setup tab, which contains most of the controls you'll need for printing.
We recommend using this screen as much as possible as it gives you access to the custom print quality and manual color controls.
When setting up a print job, you must tell the printer the type of inkjet paper (media) that you are using. Think of the media type as part color profile and part ink throttle. Different inkjet papers need different amounts of ink to perform properly - and this is where the media setting becomes important.
If you are using ICC color profiles, the media type is critical. You have to set the media according to your profile's instructions in order to get the best results.
Note! You will not see alternative paper brands, such as Red River Paper, in this listing. Only manufacturer inkjet media are in this drop down.
Fine Art Margins - If you choose a fine art or non-Canon specialty media type, the printer driver forces a 30mm (1.18") margin to the top and bottom of your print. The left and right margins are set at 3.4mm (0.13"). The media settings also limit the available paper size you can use to:
The feature is most likely an attempt to minimize possible head strikes at the beginning and ending of a print when using "fine art" papers. As a result, Red River Paper and other paper companies have chosen to make their fine art printer profiles with the Matte Photo Paper setting, which avoids the size and margin constraint.
Print quality can be controlled from the Quick Setup and Main tabs.
On either the Quick Setup or Main tab, quality settings of Standard and High are available when using photo quality media.
To access the custom quality menu, go to the Main tab, click on the Custom radio button, and then click Set. A slider controls the print quality setting. Level 2 corresponds to High and Level 3 to Standard quality. You will also find a third quality choice, the Level 1 setting. Canon has not given this setting a named label. We will call it "Highest" for the purposes of this review.
Only glossy, semigloss, and luster media settings have Highest quality as an option. Lower quality settings, such as Fast (Level 4), are available when plain paper or envelope media are selected. You would choose this setting for text and light graphic printing.
The PRO-100 driver color controls have an Auto and Manual mode. In Auto mode, the printer is completely in control of color management. You'll choose this setting if you are not using a printer color profile, and if you have found the printer's default setting to offer adequate output quality.
If you need to make slight adjustments to the printer's color output, you can click on the Manual radio button then the Set button for the Manual Color Adjustment menu.
On the Color Adjustment tab you'll find a number of sliders. These are "rough" controls for color saturation, brightness, intensity, and contrast. We say rough because there is no color managed preview of your image with the changes. The workflow pattern would normally be print, adjust, print, and adjust until you got the desired results.
One answer to the problem is to always use a printer color profile for the PRO-100 and your paper. Profiles take the guesswork out of correction and faithfully reproduce your file to the best of your paper's ability.
For those not swayed by the printer profile argument, Canon has a feature called Pattern Print. Accessible from the printer properties (Windows) or the Print Studio Pro plug-in, Pattern Print will setup and print a repeating series of your image on a single sheet of paper. The pattern represents and denotes various changes to color or brightness/contrast settings. Upon consulting the choices, you can dial in the recommended changes into the printer's color adjustment controls. Make sure you let the test print dry at least an hour, preferably longer, before making any decisions.
Below is a screen shot from Print Studio Pro showing the pattern layout and recommended Cyan, Magenta, and Yellow settings to achieve the look of each variant.
If you are using a printer color profile (ICC profile), then you will select the Matching tab. Under the heading Color Correction you'll find:
Driver Matching - this is the default setting for printer color management
None - this setting completely turns off the printer's color controls. Use this setting when you have a printer color profile and are using it to print via Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Lightroom, Qimage, and the like.
ICM - Rarely used, ICM allows you to print using a printer color profile from software that is not "ICC aware". This applies to basic photo software and layout tools where the developers did not know of or consider color management important.
Controls for paper size, print orientation, and layout options are on the Page Setup tab.
Of particular interest are the Borderless print controls. When Borderless is selected, you will notice the Amount of Extension slider appear. When printing without borders, the PRO-100 will automatically stretch out the edges of a file to insure ink covers the edges of the paper. You can increase or decrease this function. Move the slider to the left for more extension. If you have a photo with important details at the edges reduce the amount of extension to avoid those areas being cut off. canon pro-100 setup
Above you'll see all of the possible Canon PRO-100 borderless size options. These are set by the factory and cannot be modified.