VIDEOS: Top Tips for Using Canon’s iPF Series Print Plug-in

Today’s tips and tricks blog relates to printing shortcuts for the Canon iPF Series Print Plug-in. We created a series of quick videos to walk you through each process, which include universal page set ups, setting paper presets, using the adjustment pattern setting and printing borderless and with no spaces.

Universal Page Set Ups: Get away from doing a different page set up for every image printed.  This tip is particularly helpful when using roll media through any Canon printer.  When you are using the “No Spaces Top or Bottom” button you can make Universal Page sizes for the common roll widths you use.  Watch this video to see how.

Setting Up a Paper Preset: Learn how to create presets for your materials.  If you are switching between several different products like canvas to photo paper to banner, you can set individual one-click presets for each one.  Watch this video to learn more.

Using the Print Adjustment Pattern:  Have you had your image come out too dark, too magenta or in any way different than what appears on your screen? Use this tool to help you dial it in so that adjustments made can be used for any print moving forward without adjusting your actual file attributes.  Here’s a video to help you.

Use Borderless and No Spaces: Eliminate space on the top or bottom to produce a print that is trimmed all four sides borderless. Here’s how.

Pricing Your Photo Printing so the Printer Does all the Work

How to print borderless and price your workAs I examine the pricing that photographers charge, I find a serious lack of consistency across the board.  That is why I have decided to do a quick two-part series on pricing. The next part will appear tomorrow morning here at the LexJet Blog.

Many photographers and fine-art producers base their pricing on the square foot cost of the material and ink. It is an easily measureable cost, so I understand why this is the trend. But there are many other factors that should be considered when setting up your pricing structure.

For example, labor should also be considered, as I will illustrate in the first part of this two-part series.  The next installment will provide two other methods of tweaking the pricing structure in order to make more money.

Epson and Canon large format professional printers have the ability to print borderless left to right, and cut top to bottom to bleed. To find out more about how to print borderless, go to the following posts at the LexJet Blog:

Borderless Printing through Photoshop and the Epson Driver

Borderless Printing through Photoshop and the Canon Driver

Borderless Printing through the Canon Plug-In

Check your Tech Data Sheet to see which sizes your printer can print borderless, and purchase rolls in these widths. For example, if you are printing on a 10-in. roll on an Epson Stylus Pro 7900, the printer can drop perfectly trimmed 8x10s in the basket for you. There is no trimming labor involved with frame sizes that have one dimension the same length as a roll you have loaded, like in the previous example. 

Also, it is very simple to make one cut in between to frame sizes that are half the width of the roll. For example, if you print two 5x7s on a 10-in. roll with double cut on, then you will only need to make one cut in between the two for perfect 5x7s. Therefore these sizes should be promoted to your market.

The frame sizes that don’t fit these parameters should be priced significantly higher for two reasons: 1) To cover the additional cost of labor involved with trimming, and 2) To discourage the customer from ordering these sizes. Here is a quick example of how a pricing structure should look to encourage customers to use the sizes that are most profitable for you:

2 – 4x6s = $10.50 ($31.50 per sq. ft.)
2 – 5x7s = $10.00 ($20.57 per sq. ft.)
1 – 8×10 = $11.31 ($20.57 per sq. ft.)

By making the 4×6 more expensive than the larger 5×7 and barely cheaper than the 8×10, the customer is sure to pick the 5x7s or the 8×10. If they really need the 4×6 size, it is still offered, but at a price that covers the additional labor involved.

Your customer may ask why the pricing seems out of line. I would respond to them with honesty, but in a manner that does not reveal your exact methods. A good example of a response would be, “Unfortunately, a 4×6 is an odd size in my photographic process, so it costs more to produce that particular size.” This is a simple response with which your customer can relate.

By adjusting your pricing slightly you can encourage your customers to purchase the products that are the easiest for you to produce. This should decrease your labor costs and increase your profit per print, which will have an immediate impact on your bottom line!

Weekend Viewing: LexJet’s YouTube Channel and Coming Attractions

YouTube printing videosOver the past few weeks tech guru and video maestro Sean McGettigan has been posting a slew of how-to videos at LexJet’s YouTube Channel.

Right now there are 35 educational videos, three product demonstrations (Canon iPF printers, LexJet Sunset Photo Metallic Paper and LexJet Simple Flo Wrap Vinyl) and a general LexJet video about ordering and tracking shipments at lexjet.com.

While we’ve been posting them here on the blog as they go up on YouTube’s LexJet Channel, we’re entering the next phase of educational videos. The current videos primarily address pre-printing workflow issues, such as how to download and install ICC profiles, printing through various configurations and software for Canon and Epson printers, tips using the ImagePrint RIP, how to print borderless and so forth.

The next round of videos will concentrate on hands-on production, such as how to set up and install various printers and printer troubleshooting (there are already some Canon iPF troubleshooting tips at the LexJet Channel) as well as step-by-step production tips for various large format print applications.

So check out everything that’s been posted so far and keep an eye out for the next round of videos. Please let us know if there’s anything you’d like to see demonstrated or explained and we’ll do our best to put it together for you.

Three How-To Videos for the Price of One: Using the ImagePrint RIP

ImagePrint is the most popular RIP software on the market for professional photographers and fine art reproduction companies. Primarily compatible with Epson printers, ImagePrint optimizes How to use Step & Repeat in ImagePrintthe output from the printer while helping with a number of workflow concerns, including:

  • ICC profiles
  • Laying multiple images out on a single page
  • Printing multiple copies of the same image
  • Borderless printing
  • Tiling images
  • Package printing

In the first video below you will learn the basic workflow for printing through ImagePrint. The second video will teach you how to print borderless images, and the third video will teach you how to use the Step & Repeat tool for printing multiple copies of the same image.

Borderless Printing through Photoshop and the Epson Driver

Printing borderless Photoshop Epson printer driverOne of the commonly used features of large format inkjet printers is the borderless printing function. This can be a huge time saver since trimming prints can be greatly reduced or even eliminated.

Before printing borderless, examine the common output sizes and buy rolls that fit those sizes. For example, if the majority of your business is selling 8×10 units, then buy 10-inch rolls. If the majority of your sales are 24x20s and 24x30s, buy 24-inch rolls.

Once you have the proper roll sizes, you simply need to set up your workflow to execute the prints properly. Keep in mind that most printers cannot print borderless on sheets (the Epson 3880, 3800, R2880 and R2400 are the only two really designed for this).Also, keep in mind that most printers can’t print borderless on all roll sizes. Check your owner’s manual to see which roll sizes your printer can print to successfully in borderless mode.

In the two videos below, you will learn how to print borderless images through Photoshop and the Epson printer driver using a Mac or a PC, in that order.

To learn about the full workflow for printing through Photoshop and the Epson printer driver, click here for Mac and click here for PC.

Borderless Printing through Photoshop and the Canon Driver

Borderless printing Canon driverAs mentioned in the previous borderless printing post, one of the commonly used features of large format inkjet printers is the borderless printing function. This can be a huge time saver since trimming prints can be greatly reduced or even eliminated.

In the videos below you will learn how to print borderless images through Photoshop and the Canon Printer Driver using a Mac or a PC, in that order.

  • To learn about the full workflow for printing through Photoshop and the Canon Driver, click here for Mac instructions and click here for PC instructions.
  • To learn how to print borderless images through the imagePROGRAF Print Plug-In for Photoshop, click here.

Related videos:

Borderless printing through the Canon Plug-In for Photoshop
Printing through Photoshop and the Canon driver