Mike Chaney's Tech Corner

Hi folks,

There's something I really can't fathom about print sizes. I have a Canon Pro-1 and, using fine art matte paper, the driver sets a minimum of 35mm borders all round. So I've set up a Job Profile that uses this driver setting (Fine Art) and the paper size is set at A3+ (330x485mm). By default I get "Original Size" in the preview window.

However when I drag some (not all) images into the window, the border is very obviously much larger than 35mm and the only way I can get the image to fill the available space is to drag out the corners.

If I select "Fit to Page" it tells me it's going to print on more than one sheet, so that's no good. So I thought I could solve the problem by setting a custom size of 260x415mm, that is the A3+ with 35mm borders all round. Result - it says "Poster Mode" so that doesn't work either.

I must admit that of all the great features in this program (I'm still learning!) this whole business of print and paper size totally confuses me.

I would appreciate some guidance!

Regards

It's just like you built a boat in your basement, and now you can't get it outside.
Open the Qimage HELP FILE and reset Printer.
Now click on Print Page setup (Upper right corner where there are 3 buttons; the left of the three)

Set the paper type and size. Set Quality, and set color controls to off (Assuming you use a printer profile)

Close that Printer page setup (The driver)

Now Qimage will show you the printable area of the A3 page.  411.9mm x 290.1mm
That's what your printer allows for maximum print size on A3.

Now, what size print do you want?
Forget original size. We can deal with when one would need that later.

Assuming you want the largest print possible, you open Print properties, Crop scissor on, and click Fit to page.

Ok, let's stop here and see if you are up to speed, and you can tell me what EXACTLY you want to make.

Fred

I see some more craziness with that paper selection.
It automatically gives you 35mm margins, but changes your paper size sneakily back to letter size.
Then all you can do is go back in and override the paper sizze back to A3.  There go the margins...
Just tell me what size print you want...
I will try a different approach!

Fred

If I choose any other paper, no problem.... I simply select Borderless, and then add a 35mm border in white to my print. Fit to page with crop on...

Something about that paper choice in the driver that throws all size settings to the wind.
Perhaps your book or a call to Canon might shed some light.

Maybe someone you or anyone who has the physical printer can make a print and actually measure it.

Fred

Thanks Fred. It's nearly midnight here (UK) so I'm off to bed now.  :)

I'll look at it again tomorrow evening (here, that is!).

If I select any paper other than the Fine Art, Canon doesn't impose this wide border and there's no problem. I see it's been (sort of) covered before about a year ago - again it was an issue with Canon and Fine Art and you contributed to that discussion too. In that discussion someone got over this by selecting a different paper (Matte Photo Paper - Hahnemuhle)) in the driver setting, so I'll try that.

Not sure why Canon does insist on this wide margin - unless it's to guard against head strikes.

Many thanks

John

Hi John.
I wake up very early here in the US. Otherwise Terry, who resides in the UK, will wake me with a text message to my cell phone.
So I might as well wake early.

It isn't so much the imposed 35mm margin as much as it is the change of size. The A3 changes to Letter size. Then you can override and select A3 again and that page size is not even close to A3.
Then I looked for User defined page, and it appears that Canon has removed that option. I thought we could sneak around through the back door.

Ok if I can help in any way, just holler.

Fred

I assume the paper you want to use specifies the need for the "Fine Art" setting with a supplied icc profile.
One possible work-around would be to use a different paper setting, as suggested in that other post, and have a custom profile made using that setting.
Also, as Fred suggested, contact Canon support or  Hahnemuhle support.
Terry

Thanks Fred and Terry for all your suggestions and your patience. You really are Superheroes!!!

The paper I'm using is Innova FibaPrint White Matt. Using Canon's "Fine Art" paper setting, it produces excellent monochrome prints with good detail in the shadows but imposes that wretched 35mm margin. I changed the paper type to Matte Photo Paper and that's removed the 35mm margin, but the gradation is nowhere near as good, with less dense full black and, even worse, muddy shadows with no detail. (I'm spoiled, I suppose, by those days long ago in a "real" darkroom with Ilfobrom and the like!).

I'm now going to experiment with different profiles for this paper and, maybe, look for a matt paper that performs better with this printer at that setting. Hot foot to Fotospeed's website!

I'll let you know of the outcome. I'm still confused by QI's print size settings though, and I have watched the video!  :-[

Incidentally Fred, how do I get to the dialog box that you posted above (called Image 131.jpg)? I can't find any buttons or shortcuts that show me that.

You mentioned "original size" in your first post. Using embedded size (ie. ex Photoshop) is, in my view, a clumsy way of doing things and QU simplifies things by simply using mm or inches. QU looks after the resolution for you.
What exactly puzzles you. Tell us what you want to do with some actual sizes, including the page size and we'll take you through the process - it's very straight forward.
Terry

That is located in the Qimage Ultimate Page Editor with the Size Location tab clicked.


As Terry is trying to say, and I touched on earlier, mentioning that Original Size is only used on rare occasions.

Qimage is very simple and brilliant to use especially when making a print to a certain size.
John, the only time it becomes a mystery is when the user has spent a lot of time in Gulag Photo Shop, and has been approaching printing from the wrong direction.

Just tell us, Terry or me, what size print you want to make, preferably from a file that you have not fooled with regarding size or shape.
In under 30 seconds your printer will be running.

I use original size when I want to print a TARGET image that has a specific ppi and a specific size for that ppi.



Fred

Hi John,

Fotospeed used to supply canon printers, probably still do. If you buy your paper from them, they will do an icc profile for you - used to be at no charge. If they can  not offer a solution/reason for the wide borders, then you could select a paper size/type that works for that paper size, without the margin, and let them provide the profile (You download a file, print it (write down the exact printer settings) post back the print, and they will email the profile to you.

Phone them up, and have a chat, or pay them a visit, if you can.

Best Wishes,

Ray