Hi Guys,

Attached are the two missing prints that should have been attached to my first post.

And Fred, the Swallowtail butterfly is a girl!!

Will shortly download the trial version of Ultimate - will post my findings later.

JohnA

Hi Fred A & Terry M,

Many thanks for your response and you tube link.

Understand the principles of the sharpening you have demonstrated - must confess I have not had problems with the halo effect as shown.

Will download the demo version over the weekend and try it out.

Many thanks.

John A

PS If I can work out how your insert an image works I will show what I currently do

Hi All,

Now have new PC on Win8 and 64bit.
Currently use PS Elements 8 which works OK but in 32bit.
Looking to upgrade this to PSE 13, still in 32bit, or switch to alternative software which will make use of my 64bit PC.
I have gone thru' all details of Ultimate, and all looks very good, but unable to see if I can add borders and text to provide border(s) around image and a title at bottom of print as I can do in PS Elements.
I produce a lot of my photos as exhibition prints so it is important to me.

Any advice appreciated.
Thanks
JohnA

Hi Jeff,

Many thanks for the comments and images.

I hear what you say however I am happy with the software I have.

But I am always happy to participate in any forum on the subject.

However I am still awaiting an answer as to why I can't attach an image.

If I click on the "Insert Image" button all I get is [img] [img] and no obvious way of adding an image.

I have tried copy and paste too.

John

Hi all,

Been a while since my last post about a Canon i950 with blocked print head.

Now have Canon Pro 9000 and very pleased with results.

Use Ilford Galerie Gloss paper and profile downloaded from Ilford website.

Have also sold first prints so very pleased.

I have also started to produce HDR images using Photomatix Pro which has been a new challenge for me and have introduced this to my local French photo club who are quite enthusiastic.

Anyone have any views on this software?

If I could work out how to attach an image here I would show you a recent panorama shot in RAW & processed in HDR with tonemapping but I have been unsuccessful with inserting an image.

John

Hi Guys,
It's been a while since I last commented here as we have been busy getting our gite up & running for the season.
I have since cleaned the print head in my i950 with isopropyl alcohol and I now have a fully functioning printer delivering sparkling prints.
Heres how for anyone interested.
I removed the ink cartridges from the print head, sealed them in cling film to stop them drying out, and detached the print head.
I placed a folded piece of paper kitchen towel in the bottom a sealable plastic container.
Soaked this with the alcohol and placed the print head on top of it with the print jets face downwards.
I then dribbled some alcohol onto the ink input points and then sealed the container.
I kept the paper towel moist with alcohol and changed it a couple of times and dribbled more fluid into the input holes.
Did this over two days and it flushed and cleaned the inkjets perfectly.
Once finished I ensured the print head was throughly dry and installed it back in the printer.
Ran the ink cleaning system a couple of times to get the ink flowing and the result was great.
Also found out that if you don't use the printer too often you need to run at least one print through the printer each week to ensure ink does not dry out in the inkjets.
John

Dear Fred A
As usual your comments are to the point.
Thank you.
I have recently changed from a Canon EOS 300D to Nikon D300s so I am looking to maximise on this with prints that I can sell so my next printer choice has to be right.
Thanks
JohnA

Hi Everyone,
I really appreciate all your very helpful comments about my printer problems.
However unknown to me at the time the print head on my printer was evidently starting it's downward spiral into oblivion and is now delivering an excess of black ink.
The yellow is being contaminated. I have cleaned the ink cleaning pad and have seen some improvement in a less black yellow.
But I guess now is the time to consign one i950 to the printer graveyard as print heads for this model are obsolete and I can't find one anywhere.
So my big decision is to stay with Canon or go over to and Epson - both in A3 format.
JohnA

Hi Guys,
Many thanks for all your comments.
My printer profile was purchased from DDIsoftware as a premade profile for the printer and the paper - canon pro plus.
I use to use Elements 3 and my prints were fine using this as the image management and output source but no colour management and the printer set to manage colour.
My prints were printed as seen on screen - no difference between either.
Now using Elements 8 and it's colour management with the DDI profile and the same images and paper my prints are lighter in colour - mainly a loss in red area.
To check my screen and output I have obtained an image from another source of the same shot I took on my camera that I am using as a test image - the two images onscreen are identical - so I am quite sure the screen is calibrated OK.
I have printed sample images to my printer using Windows Explorer and get the same lighter image result - so for now I suspect something has changed with my printer - but nozzle checks etc. all show each colour is being printed.
I will keep checking to see if I can find the problem.
Thanks everyone.
JohnA
Addendum
After two frustrating days I have found a workaround for my problem - noted here in case it helps someone.
My initial images are SRGB so I have set the whole work flow up as SRGB.
Elements 8 I have left as per screen in SRGB, I have loaded a SRGB printer profile, a screen driver for my Dell panel in SRGB. I have put my DDI printer profile to one side.
The printer is set at colour adjustments manual, enabled the ICM, image intensity increased to +5 and print quality high.
Result is very little difference between screen and final print.
Not ideal but gets me there.
Reason - I think Elements 8 is not recognising a part of the workflow that it should do.

Hi Guys,

I tried this today and got a 3 first time.
And living in France I am further away from the screen than you so my eyes must be pretty good.
And there I was thinking I was colour blind as I am having trouble printing my pics.

John A

Hi Fred,
Thanks for your comment.
Yes Elements 8 has colour management for linking the software plus the image to a printer and profile.
Unless Scott Kelby in his latest book on Elements 8 has got it wrong and what I see on screen is just a visual to make it look like it has something.
It is the one reason I went to Elements 8 without the pain of spending lots of money on CS4.
Thanks
John

I am still happy with this printer, have great prints from it, I purchased an ICC profile from DDI in 2004, thinking it would give improved results.
Recently I have upgraded to Elements 8.
I have just realised though, from following the print routine in Elements 8, that I have not been using the profile correctly, the printer still managed the colour, not the profile, and amazingly the prints were good enough for club competitions.
In setting Elements for it to manage print output and selecting the ICC profile and now (at last) the correct printer settings as per the instructions from DDI, my prints are no longer colour correct, either too dark or too blue.
My monitor is profiled using a Pantone Color Vision Spyder.
If I reset the printer back to auto the prints are almost colour correct - very little difference between screen and print.
Anyone any ideas or can help me to use the profile correctly?