Mike Chaney's Tech Corner

https://www.ddisoftware.com/qimage-u

2023.100      Aug 5, 2022

Priority: High

v2023.100 completes the breakthrough Driver AI system:

• Compatible: Compatible with nearly all Canon and Epson photo printers.
• Intelligent: Manages all printer driver settings from color management to scaling and max print quality.
• Thorough: Handles all brand-specific settings to prevent oversights and guarantee optimal print quality.
• Convenient: Control media size, type, source, etc. from Qimage and never open the driver in most cases.
• Optional: Let Qimage manage settings, choose your level of control, or take full manual control if you like.
• And more: Also included are various bug fixes and UI optimizations in this version.
• See the new Driver AI video: https://youtu.be/nI5GiclOP2A

Mike

Folks, may I strongly suggest that you play the video at least a second time, and more.
There's a ton of information to absorb, new information , unique information; about a blockbuster feature Printer AI.
No one has anything close... so play the video again and learn this so you can appreciate the new version.

A lot of intensive work for Mike; so Huge Kudos to our Mike.

Fred

I second that, It's a lot to take in.  Mike's videos are amongst the best given in clear speech and at a pace that allows old brains to keep up without too much backing up and muttering what did he say?

jeff

 

Thanks Jeff.
Even making that video and getting it to cover the new stuff in a clear concise manner is no easy chore.
Fred

Mike,  I have a Epson Artisan 1430. When I start Qimage 2023.100 The AI tells me that it it fixes the Quality Option to Photo. Yet when I click on Properties DRAFT is selected. I open Properties, change to Photo or Best Photo. I get the message from the AI that changes were made. Yet when I hit properties again, DRAFT mode is selected.  You sure ALL Epson printers are supported?  Suggestions?  (This didn't happen with the last release.)

Andy

Looks like it is working.  The Artisan 1430 is 10 years old now and is running an old Epson driver so you have to check quality in the right place since there are two things that say "quality" in the driver and the only one that actually shows the current quality setting is on the Advanced tab.  If you are reading "Draft" on the "Main" tab of the driver, that is not a quality setting: that is a preset that is used to load settings when you click on it (like a "quick settings").  After Driver AI indicates it has set the quality, if you click the "Advanced" tab and check the actual print quality (third dropdown from the top on the left), you'll see that Qimage has chosen Photo RPM (or whatever the max quality is for the paper you are using).  The driver simply doesn't know to move the dot on the "Main" tab to update it after Qimage has changed the actual print quality.

So basically it doesn't update that "dead indicator" on the Main tab of the driver but it is setting the highest quality available in the actual print quality setting.

Edit: forgot to mention...  This couldn't have happened in the previous release since this feature didn't exist in that release.

Regards,
Mike

Mike, You are correct as always. Setting in Advanced menu is correctly to to Photo RPM. Thanks for solving the confusion.

Andy

If one has a non Epson/Canon printer, should the AI setting boxes be turned off, or does it matter? Does the AI attempt to do anything with other drivers?

Thanks,
Conrad

No.  There's no need.  Those boxes are ignored (nothing is done to the driver) if the printer is incompatible.

Regards,
Mike

Thanks!

Evidently this discussed AI Driver is a feature that is included in the 2023.100 release of Qimage_U and not a separate Driver for specific Brand and Models of various Printers (such as Epson 3880).  I have attempted to View and Hear the narrative of the Video but due to the size of the displayed illustrations and my lack of ability to hear normally, I get very limited usage of this or most other displayed Videos on my computer screen.

What effect does this have with the current Printer Drivers for our specific printers.
Will the usage of the AI driver improve current printed Photos.
In my case I have a few rather old Epson Models (R800 and R1800) plus the 3880.  Using AI, Would I get improved printed Photos with these Model(s) printers.

Mike, you picked a (Modern and Current) identification -- AI

My regards,  Vernon....

Hi Vern,
I'll try to clarify a little, but Mike will fill in better.
AI (Artificial Intelligence) is the name Mike tagged on to his latest gold nugget.
Essentially, it is simple to explain, and it works!!  The only thing is, that when you start out, you wont believe it worked, so you will peek in the driver to be sure. 
All it does, and it is amazing, is to set the settings inside your driver Automatically to the optimal settings and prevent user error.
For example: It shuts off scaling so the print size comes out as you chose. It sets Quality to its highest number (which depends on the paper selected and the DPI of the printer. It sets Color print matching to the correct setting so you cannot double profile. If you use a printer profile, then AI sets the match to OFF or NONE.  No profile, sets it to ICM.
Tons of stuff like this for all the Epsons, Canons and a few Brother printers. No HP printers as they live in a world of their own.
Will it make better prints? I think so because two items alone: Quality settings always reset to the highest even when you change paper and profiles. Two: No more scaling so when you request a size print, you get it.
.... and last item:  If you click on that blue gear wheel, you open a box where you can shut off AI if you choose by unchecking boxes.
I have 60 printer driver in my machine and except for the HPs, it works on all including R800 3880, etc

Hope this helps
Fred

Fred described it well so I don't need to add anything BUT the following...

The feature was carefully named: it is Driver AI, not AI Driver!  I intentionally did not name it AI Driver because that would make it sound like it is a separate driver that has AI.  Instead, I named it Driver AI so you would know that it is AI for your existing driver.  :)

Regards,
Mike

Fred and Mike, I appreciate your replies.  It is good to know the new AI Feature will be effective with some of the older Epson Models such as the R800 that I mentioned.
I installed my NEW (Old Stock) R800 Printer last week that I purchased new several years ago.  Of course, I used the new cartridges in other R800 or R1800 printers a few years ago.  Mike, it is good to see that you are continuing to develop new features for use in Qimage Ultimate.
Sometimes I wonder how my photos (printed with Qimage) could be better.

Forgot to ask:  Does AI have any effect relating to having the ability to work on an individual  ( ONE Color Channel) for functions relating to Clogged Nozzles, Head Cleaning, etc.
OR -- am I mixing Printer Driver details with functions designed and built within the individual Printer(s)

Thanks and My Regards to BOTH,
Vernon....
 

Mike, does AI have anything to do with recommending, selecting, or other actions regarding  a Printer Profile for a specific Printer and type of Photo Paper.
With part of my basic review, I could (for example) select Luster Paper and also select a Profile for Matte Paper and it appeared to be accepted.  This would not be my choice.
This part is another reason for my inquiry plus hoping AI has some contribution for this area:
Intelligent: Manages all printer driver settings --- from color management --- to scaling and max print quality.

On other occasions, (not relating to the above) there was a displayed message indicating that AI has changed some settings.  Is there a way to be advised specifically what changes were made.

I am trying to evaluate what AI will and will not do.  The above items were from a very basic and short visit with the new Qimage version.
There was also one added item (that I forgot) until after I had posted my last entry.

Vernon....    

All that is covered in the video but I know you said you can't see or hear it so I'll try to answer here.  You can get suggestions on which profile to use by dropping down the "Printer Profile" selection and selecting "Suggest printer profiles...".  The AI will make a suggestion based on the name of the profile but it can't know what is in the profile or what printer, paper, and driver settings are applicable to that profile or what paper you have loaded; it's intelligent but not clairvoyant.  ;)  If you are selecting from manufacturer profiles, the suggest profile option will usually put the relevant profile right at the top of the list (list sorted in relevance order) but if you have your own custom profiles, be sure to name them as the manufacturers do: with the name of the printer and name of the paper that is selected in the driver.  The filename/description is the only way to know how to match that profile with the current printer you have selected and the current media type so the suggestions will only be as relevant as your profile filenames.

On the second question, when you get the banner that says Driver AI made changes, it says "click for more info".  You can click the banner before it disappears and it'll tell you what it did.  Or if you miss clicking on that, you can hover your mouse pointer over the "Properties" button (the one where you open the driver) at any time and the hint balloon will tell you everything that Driver AI changed.

Regards,
Mike

Mike, I really appreciate you taking your time to provide details regarding my inquiry.  Also, I want to apologize for my Hearing and Vision limitations.  I am trying to find a way to Download the Videos and transfer to DVD so I can view/play on my large screen TV that has added features regarding the Audio.

MY Regards,  Vernon....

I would have thought there was some simple voice recognition utility to create on-the-fly captions for video, but a quick search didn't turn up much. DW and I watch a lot of movies with closed captions and, based on all the errors, they must be machine generated. Dictation using the Microsoft utility for Word and such seems to work quite well.

Oh no!  Please don't think you need to apologize for that!  The video is pretty useless if the video/audio is not well suited for you and that was my only point: if you can't make use of that... I'm glad to help you here!   8)

Mike

Have you tried just clicking on "CC" below the video while watching on YouTube?  Closed Captioning is provided free by YouTube and it does a pretty good job.  I try to speak clearly in every video, use a professional mic, and have no noise in the background so the YouTube CC feature picks up pretty much every word I say.

Regards,
Mike

I may not be using this properly to control which post I am replying TO:

During part of my searching for a "working solution" to Download (using the Video in the Link in the first post of this thread) I saw a FULL Screen display of a YouTube Movie.
Is there a choice that I have not found to display the Qimage-U training Videos using the FULL Screen.  This would possibly allow me to view the Video(s) on my 24 inch Monitor.

If I can see the Video I would then add whatever Audio assistance (Devices) I need to hear the audio.
Vernon.....   

Take a look at the attached.  I've circled the two buttons you should click: just open the video in YouTube as normal and click the two buttons circled in yellow at the bottom of the YouTube interface.  One makes it full screen and the other turns on closed captions.

Regards,
Mike

Attached is example of Screen Size -- this is separate since the original time I tried to send the file was slightly too large.
Yesterday, I saw the indicators (at bottom right) and checked them.  The Full screen I mentioned seeing --  fills the entire screen.
Vernon.... 

I will try to send the screen copy file again.

Note: I must have originally posted this in the wrong Forum since I don't see it there.


Qimage Driver AI Review_08-19-2022

I am checking to see if settings AI makes are different to what I have been
using.  I am using one of my Epson R800 printers.

Printer Profile:  Let Printer Driver manage color.
Type set to:  Photo Quality Ink Jet Paper
Using Quality set to -- Text & Image -- .

However, if  ANY of the other settings (are used) except Draft which are:
Text, Text & Image, Photo, Best Photo,--  AI will set to DRAFT and And

indicates:   Quality set to Fine 

The Bottom Driver AI setting is checked.
 "Always set Driver print quality to highest available"
(top 3 are NOT checked)
 
AI Changes choice in Quality to:   DRAFT
And indicates:   Quality set to Fine

This (to me) does not appear to be correct.
How can DRAFT be considered to be Fine Quality
Especially since Quality is set for Text & Image

Well, I'm not Fred but...

This was covered in the 2023.100 thread but I'll repeat it here.  The R800 is now 20 years old and those old Epson drivers had two areas where you could select something they called "Quality".  Newer drivers do not have these contradictions.  You are looking at the main driver window where it shows "Quality Options".  These are basically presets where you can select an option and the driver automatically selects several parameters.  Qimage has in fact set quality to the highest available for that paper type but the driver doesn't know how to select the "preset" properly.  There isn't even a "Draft" quality for Photo Quality Inkjet Paper (see below).

If you want to see the actual quality setting in the R800 driver, click the "Advanced" button on the bottom right of the first driver window and then click "Continue" if you get a warning message about you having to be an expert to use that mode.  On the advanced window that appears, you'll notice that there is a new quality dropdown that says "Photo".  In fact, "Photo" is the only available option for Photo Quality Inkjet Paper: there isn't even a selection for "Draft".  So Qimage actually made the proper setting but the driver didn't know how to update the selection on that other screen.

P.S.  2023.100 says it chose "Fine" because Epson changed their wording back in about 2005 but only the names changed so Qimage is still doing it right (setting it to the highest available which the driver calls "Photo") but naming convention for the quality setting might not line up if you happen to still have a printer that is that old... and is still running.  ;)

Regards,
Mike

Mike, first I want you to know that I am NOT just "Nit Picking" I always like to know how to use a "tool" before i start using it.  That is what I am trying to do with AI.
I now have Downloaded Your last Video to my Computer and as a preference converted it to a DVD to use on my DVD Player and this is to view the Video on my Large Screen TV.
Now I can see the small details of the Video.  Also, the TV Audio is good.
Again, I appreciate your assistance. 
I continue to say that Qimage is the BEST -- and Amazing.

My Regards,  Vernon....   

Forgot to mention that I have viewed (quick scan) the Video.
Part of the information I did not connect with and I believe it is due to my using the older Epson Printers so long plus not being Familiar with any Canon Printer.  Probably the Canon Printers was the most different part.
I do have a couple (Private) minor suggestions but not for posting on the Forum.  If you have interest, please send how to contact you -- to my Email address

Note: suggest Fred (in the other thread) read my comments again.  I know the R800 is almost as old as I  am but I believe you (Fred) missed the point my comments.  However, I do appreciate your reply. 
Where is my post.
Note: Fred, I did a little research and found you are younger than me -- [Grin]....
My Regards, Vernon....

Vern,
It was Mike that was comparing your printer  (R800) to the Dinosaur.
... and I will be 90 on my next birthday.
Stay on the green side
Fred

Fred, such comparisons for my R800 printers does not offend me. 
One of the R800 printers (NEW OLD Stock) was lifted from the Epson Shipping box last week and installed for the first time.  I purchased it several years ago as a spare since I like this Model with both Matte and Photo Black inks.

Congratulations on your young age of 89, you are only one year behind my 90.

My Regards,
Vernon....

Vern,
Years ago, Terry had an R 800 and I had R1800. They were essentially the same except that R 800 was 8.5 inches wide , while the 1800 was a 13" carriage.  We both loved our printers and compared a lot.
Fred