Hi Bruce and welcome.
By the time the folks on this forum are done with you, you will be spitting out beautiful prints!

There is so much in doubt in your stayement of flow, that I'm afraid my approach is to start over.
Maybe others who use the Aftershot will come in and offer, but for me this is simple to reset!

Let's start from the RAW. Raw images have no color space. When they are made visible by software, you may then select the color space you wish to work in.
Here's what I suggest. You have turned off Color management in Qimage, and let the printer run with questionably processed data.
So let's start!
1) Open Qimage Ultimate and click folders, and open the folder in which you placed the raw images from your memory card.
2) Give QU a chance to build thumbs and cache files, you will see all the thumbs looking pretty good already. Qimage has for the most part properly processed your raw images. You can tweak using REFINE, and further Edit (Tone Targeted Sharpening, Cropping, contrast, saturation, Color adjusting etc.) in the editor.

We are focusing right now on your prints, so we will stay with that for the moment.

3)
I have attached a screen snap of the Layout tab. You can see it's clear of any check marks.... make yours look like that!  Snap 054

Next is a screen snap of the Qimage Job properties screen. Make yours look like that! Notice the printer profile located in the Prtr ICC box. That is for Epson Prem Glossy.
If you don't have that, use the proper profile from the profile pack that was installed with your driver. If you have Epson Luster, use the Luster,,, etc.
If you don't have Epson paper, we have a different approach, but for now, let's stay on track!  Snap 055

The next screen snap shows the driver/ called Print Page setup in Qimage. This shows what you set. Paper type, quality (RPM), and Color management in the printer, set to OFF. Snap 056
See the checkmark in OFF!

Back to the main screen of Qimage, set the print size to Fit to Page, click on the GREEN + sign on your nicest thumb nail, and the image is ready to make a test print.
Notice! You are printing from the RAW image. No need to make all sorts of conversions and changes. By default, the raw image will be in Adobe RGB color space.
That is a wider color gamut than RGB, and will offer more color latitude.

At this point I need to stop; see if what I laid out is clear to you; find out from you if you have, and can use Epson paper; if you tried a test print after setting everything mentioned above as per the screen snaps, and what were the results?

If you do not have Epson paper, then we have a simple print fix for that scenario too.
I strongly recommend that you watch some of the videos at http://www.ddisoftware.com/qimage-u/learn.htm

I apologize for taking you off the ::


which you are probably used to using, but there are so many questions to go through in your settings, that we have to start with Qimage.
Once we get you happy with your prints, we can move into other areas.

Fred

Bruce,

Do you use printer profiles?
As I mentioned, I am trying to sort out the printing with you.
My steering you through Qimage (as long as you say you bought it) was to narrow down the possible errors from conversions from raw to tiff and 16 bit and RBG.... and to start with a known quantity.
If we can get a good print using my outlined method, then we know all is well with the printer nozzles and your color flow.
In your scenario, you mentioned improper print location on the paper, chopped off parts and bad color.

I gather you don't use color printer profiles??

It's fine if you want to print a TIF, but you still need to set the rest up correctly.

If you don't use any color printer profile, then set Qimage to LET PRINTER MANAGE COLOR (Click on the black down arrow to the right of the PRTR ICC line in Job Properties.
Select Let printer manage color.
Next go back into the driver (Page Setup) and uncheck NO COLOR ADJUSTMENT, and select ICM.

Please make a test print.(No print Previews or Softproof allowed)

Good luck
Fred

Just an update. (Epson should pay me for all the paper I'm using!!).

I've just about got it figured out now. (I'm using the Pro trial version of QImage). Thanks to lots of help on this forum and online reading.

My only grizzle now is the darkness. If I could get the prints a few shades lighter then all will be well with regular printing. I still think I have an issue with gamut on my gradients but that's always been a problem.

Thanks

Regards

Hi Bruce,
Some observations from you posts which I hope will help - at the risk of repeating what Fred has already said.
This implies you have not calibrated you monitor with a colorimeter or spectro' device. Although sRGB is a reasonable approximation for some monitors, it's nowhere near a proper calibration with a suitable device.
Regarding colour accuracy, if you are using Ilford or Epson paper with their own profiles, prints should come out very close to the true colours of the image. You must make sure you have the correct profile for the paper & settings as Fred has indicated. Last year (or earlier) Ilford revised their "Smooth" Pearl & Gloss papers and provided new profiles, another point to watch.
If the printed image looks different from the monitor, then the monitor calibration is likely to be a problem.
Regarding The most common cause of dark prints is having a monitor set too bright. You adjust the image to the monitor appearance and make it darker so the print comes out too dark.
Fred suggested an empirical method by adjusting the brightness to match the print(s). If you have a calibration device, most  offer, in their advanced mode, a means of setting the brightness (luminance). For example, my Eye One 2 Display software recommends 120 candles per M squared for an LCD monitor. I found this to work well but tweaks can be made using differernt values.I prefer this to relying on my visual comparison print to screen.
I note you are using Corel Aftershot Pro. I have the latest Corel Paintshop Pro for occasional editing so know how the Corel raw conversion works, not very well in my opinion! 
QU raw processing knock spots off Corel.
I note too you are working with sRGB and 16 bit images - that somehow does not match up, a relatively small colour gamut with a large pixel depth. Adobe RGB would be better whatever. Are you really sure you need 16 bit images? Printers work with 8 bits and how many bits does your monitor use? 16 bits are ok if you are doing extensive editing but is that editing required due to a poor raw conversion in the first place?
I do note from your web site that the images are very much "edited" - very dramatic!
With good colour management you should not need to edit images to get the print right - expect th esceen and print to be very close - bearing in mind the limitations of a print on paper.
Sorry if I sound a little negative but read Mike Chaney's articles here:
http://ddisoftware.com/tech/articles/september-2009-digital-photography-reality-check-308/
http://ddisoftware.com/tech/articles/december-2010-do-you-have-a-6-bit-lcd-monitor/

Give my regards to Sydney next time you are there, my daughter lives there. 
Terry



 

Another question if I may!

So far I'm very happy with my results. Not 100% but then comparing a back lit monitor to a reflective print will always be subjective.

I have rather a lot of paper on hand. Epson, Ilford and Canon. My question is, "Does anyone know where I can get a profile for my Epson 1410 for the various Canon papers"? I've searched the web but can't find any trace of Canon profiles. Do they even publish/make them? I'm not interested in a custom profile. So far I've use Epson profile and they are rather close but i would likethem closer if possible.

Thanks.