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pseyler

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various color printers print Green with various files

I have several color printers, mostly HP and Epson. All of them have recently begun printing photos with a strong greenish tint.  This happens with multiple file types, using multiple applications, printing to multiple printers.  The only thing they all have in common is that they originate on my laptop.

The same files, when printed from another computer to the same printers, will print perfectly.

File types include:  MSWord doc, PowerPoint, Photoshop PSD, JPG and CorelDraw
Printers include:  HP G85, HP 450, HP 460, Epson 2200, Epson c88, and Epson CX3810

My only theory is that somehow there is a color profile stored on my laptop somewhere, and some application installer has edited it.

I'm unable to print in color, which is normally a big part of my work.  Your collective help is much appreciated.
Avatar of bk_jreinstein
bk_jreinstein

Hi,

I had the same problem a year back.
It means that the ink levels are not good.
You just have to change the color cartrige!!

Cheers!
Is there an option in your print window to turn off color management or "no color management" to check?  I've read some people do that on an Epson to stop the green tint.

Other suggestions I have read say to do a nozzle check. Green prints would indicate that the magenta heads are blocked up. Then do cleaning cycles until nozzle check is perfect, and/or do windex cleaning.

DeeDee
Avatar of pseyler

ASKER

Thanks to both of you.  Unfortunately, as described above, the problem occurs accross several software packages (some have color management and others, like MS Word, don't) and accross several different printers, so it's not likely that all their nozzles became clogged at the same time.

It even occurs when I print a windows printer test page. Somehow windows thinks that the color space had changed, and blue now equals green

Many thanks for the responses
So you're saying its a problem with your laptop??
Have you connected your printer to any other laptop/pc and tried to print??
By the way, you work on Windows XP right?
>My only theory is that somehow there is a color profile stored on my laptop somewhere, and some application installer has edited it.

Can't be. Windows programs don't generally do that. Even if it is, it will be a very rare case.
Avatar of pseyler

ASKER

> you work on Windows XP right?

Yes, I use XP Pro, SP2

> Have you connected your printer to any other laptop/pc and tried to print??

Yes.  As indicated in the original post, I used other computers to send the same files to the same printers.  When I did that, the colors were correct.  

My computer printing multiple files  to multiple printers = colors skew green
Other computers printing same files to same printers = colors correct.

That's what's so strange... the only common element in the green printing is sending from this laptop.

Thanks for your comments!

First, it sounds like a gamma problem...
http://files.support.epson.com/htmldocs/sc88__/sc88__ug/wwhelp/wwhimpl/common/html/wwhelp.htm?context=Epson&file=probsol3.htm#wp1014975
Read about Selecting the Default Settings for All Windows Programs.

There are ways to check your printers to see what kind of color management is associated with them.  Maybe they all have the wrong one?

Go to Start>Printers and Faxes and highlight a printer that is listed.  Right click and select properties.  My color printer (which is a Canon) has a color management tab.  It has 2 options: Automatic and Manual.  Mine is set for automatic.  Now, If I was in your shoes, I'd try some other options.

When I looked at HP's site I found this:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/genericDocument?cc=us&docname=c00294087&lc=en&jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN
Color management options are listed in the Color management menu on the Color tab in the Print Properties dialog box. You can access these options by selecting File, Print, and then Properties, Color.  (then it describes some of the options)

Also, I've read that some coated paper or different types of paper can cause unusual results.

Epson has details about ICC color settings for the Epson 2200:
http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/support/supDetail.jsp?BV_UseBVCookie=yes&infoType=FAQ&oid=47722&prodoid=24557582&foid=50199


It can't hurt to make sure you have the latest drivers or upgrades for any printers you use:
Also for the HP 460 there have been a firmware upgrade:
http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/softwareList?lc=en&cc=us&dlc=en&product=466208&lang=en&os=228

I wish I knew one quick fix ... possibly some gamma setting will work?

DeeDee


Avatar of Jose Parrot
Hi,

1. When the same file print differently when sent by your laptop and sent by any other computer, the only suspect is the laptop.
2. Your laptop is composed of hardware and software. As the defect appears in any printer, and the printing process is hardware independent, the guilty is the software.
3. Software can be firmware (BIOS), Windows and applications. As all applications repeat the problem, the suspects are BIOS or Windows.
4. As BIOS is almost hardware, due to its memory be almost read-only, the main suspect is Windows.
5. Windows is disposed in layers: hardware related device drivers, device independent services, abstract entities, interface, etc. Device drivers can be wrong. Assuming that was checked and found correct, the last suspect are the device settings.
(parenthesis open)
One important setting related to color skew is the sRGB Color Space Profile, that is a Color Management from HP. This setting is most of times bypassed and remains in its default status. This is the last guy in the way between the applications and the printer. And can be set differently in each PC, of course reaching different results when compared to other PCs with the same files, same applications and using same printers.
To check if this setting was modified, take a look at C:\WINDOWS\system32\spool\drivers\color to verify the modification date and what file are you using (Kodak, sRGB, is330). Maybe... So, problem has a chance of solution in this step. I agreewith DeeDee comment,  in part, as I don't see gamma correction settings related to this case.
(parenthesis close)
6. The case is that there are few chances of the HP RGB Color Space Profile and the equivalent for Epson have set to the same correction. As you don't tell about that, it is supposed to not be the case. (anyway, take a look on that). Assuming this is not the case...
7. Last ever guy is the Windows component between the last layer of the device driver and the real printer, like parport.sys and parvdm.sys. If we are at this step, the option I see is to reinstall Windows.

Before that radical task, do install the Microsoft Color Control Panel Applet for Windows XP.
Download at
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=1e33dca0-7721-43ca-9174-7f8d429fbb9e&DisplayLang=en

If doesn't work, well...

Jose

I would love to hear if any of the suggestions helped with the problem.  And I am interested in the final disposition of this question.

Thanks,

DeeDee
Avatar of pseyler

ASKER

I have tested all of the suggestions so far, and none of them have worked.  Most of them were focused on a single printer, and I've had this color shift across ALL printers.  I would think that having the problem consistently across all printers would pretty much rule out all single-printer, head cleaning, cartridge changing type solutions.  Nevertheless, I tested each recommendation with no luck so far.

I'm in the process of removing ALL printers at the same time, and then adding them back one at a time to see if it clears or reproduces the problem.  Because I'm constantly using this computer, I have to have downtime on a weekend to take it out of service.
Sorry nothing has worked.  Let us know how adding the printers one by one works.

Thanks and good luck,
DeeDee
Yeah, waiting for your feedback.

Regards,
bk
Avatar of pseyler

ASKER

Thanks, All.  I'll keep you posted.  This whole "green" thing has taken on mythic proportions.
Avatar of pseyler

ASKER

Actually, we did find a way to solve the problem.  After removing *every* printer from the system, the problem has now cleared.  Something in ONE of those printer drivers (there were 11) was causing the problem, because now that they're all gone, reinstalling each one of them did didn't recreate the problem.  All printers are reinstalled, and the green skew to the color hasn't reappeared.

What's odd is that I had previously reinstalled each of the 4 problem drivers (an HP and 3 Epsons) and it didn't solve the problem, so it must have been some automatic update to one of the other "non-problem" printers that created the issue.  Once every one was gone, the problem cleared.

Thanks to one and all for the effort anyway.

ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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CetusMOD
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