FAQ

=FAQ=

How do I search the Wiki to find the information I need? How do I contact Canon USA for support? Where can I get a PDF manual for my iPF printer?

Pre-purchase FAQ General
Do you recommend that I buy a Canon iPF Printer? What are the known limitations of the Canon iPF Printers? What are the borderless capabilities of the iPF printers? Where can I request a Canon large format printer sample? What longevity test results are available for the different Lucia inksets? What extended warranty coverage is available for the iPFprinters? What is the consensus about service and support of the iPF printers? Which dealers have Wiki participants had good experiences with? What operating systems are supported for the printer driver and other software? What warranty does Canon provide on the printheads for the iPF printers? What is the expected life of the Canon printheads? Can I Use Qimage with the IPF Series Printers? Is clogging a problem with the IPF Series Printers? What are the colors of the Canon Inks for the iPF Series Printers? How does the ink delivery mechanism of the Canon differ from Epson?

Pre-purchase FAQ IPF6300/8300
What are the official specifications for these printers? Can I use the iPF8300 without the printer stand? What is the dmax of the Lucia EX inkset on various papers?

Pre-purchase FAQ IPF6100
What are the official specifications for the printer? Can iPF6300 Inks Be Used in iPF6100 Printers? How does the iPF6100 compare to the HP Z3100 and Epson 7880? How easy is it to load thick sheets from the front slot compared to other printers? Is there a good solution for catching sheets rather than letting them fall into the basket? How can I make an adapter for the IPF8000 instead of buying a roll holder for 3 inch core roll paper?

Pre-purchase FAQ IPF5100
What are the differences between the iPF5100 and the iPF5000? What are the pros and cons of the IPF5100 compared to the Epson 3800 and 4880? What are the official specifications for the printer? What are the biggest potential drawbacks of the IPF5100/iPF5000? How does Monochrome Photo mode compare with the Epson ABW mode and Cone Neutral K7 inks? What is the easiest way to get this large printer into my home or office? What is the best printer stand for the IPF5100/iPF5000? Can the ink cartridges (other than the blacks/grays) from the iPF5000 be used in the iPF5100? Can the PF-01 printheads from the iPF5000 be used in the iPF5100?

Pre-purchase FAQ IPF5000
What are the dimensions, weight, ink cartridge capacity and power consumption? [|What are the official specifications for the printer?]

Setup FAQ
[|Where can I see podcasts from Canon on Setup and Use of iPF printers?] Where is the little brush that is supposed to come with the printer? What are all the parts that ship with the roll holder spindle for? What is the transparent plastic sheet that comes sandwiched between two pieces of cardboard? What is the little "ramp" at the back of the paper output tray for? What connections are available to connect the printer to the computer? How do I set up a fixed IP address for the printer when using Ethernet connection? How can I get the software to recognize the auto roll feed unit? How do I install the Export Plugin for Digital Photo Professional? Does the IPF5000 work with wireless print server/hub? What size and type of paper do I need to do the initial printhead alignment? How much of the 90 ml starter inks are used charging the printer before first use? How can I copy the manual that comes with the printer to my hard disk? Do I have to drain the ink before moving the printer to another location? [|Where can I purchase a dust cover for my printer?]

Tools FAQ
What is the GARO Device Utility and the GARO Status Monitor? How can I set the GARO Status Monitor to start automatically and monitor the iPF Printer? What is Remote UI and what can I do with it? What is the Printer Driver Extra kit? Where can I get detailed information on the printer settings, ink remaining, paper used, etc.? How can I determine what version of Firmware is installed? What is the granularity of the ink tank and maintenance tank readings in Display Status portion of GARO Status Monitor? What does Canon mean by the terms Cassette and Tray? What is a Media Type? What is the Media Configuration Tool and how do I run it? What is Poster Artist?

Printer Control Panel FAQ
What are the five modes the printer can be in? What do each of the buttons and LEDs on the control panel do? How do I navigate the menu on the printer LCD? What functions are available in Menu Mode? How do I set the length of time until the printer goes into sleep mode?

Paper FAQ
Where can I find a list of supported Canon media? What paper paths are available for printing on the iPF5100/iPF5000? Should the side of the sheet paper to be printed be facing up or down? For which paper paths? What paper thickness can be used with each paper path? Which Media Types can be used with which paper paths (Cassette, Roll Holder, Manual) Which black ink do they use? Where can I find recommended Media Types for creating a custom profile for specific non-Canon papers? How do I determine the optimal Media Type to use when creating custom profiles for non-Canon papers? How can I print profiling targets from Photoshop CS5? What are the Media Types marked Special 6-10? Which black ink do they use? What are the total ink limits for different Media Types? Which Media Types Allow 32 pass printing (iPFX100 and later only)? Where can I find the Media Detailed Settings for each Media Type? How can I change the Head Height and Vacuum Strength to work properly with my paper? Is there any problem leaving roll paper loaded for extended periods of time? Where can I find directions on loading the front Paper Feed Slot? What are the various paper sizes available when converted to inches? What is the smallest sheet paper size I can print? What are the smallest margins I can print? What is roll length tracking and how do I enable it? What are the three basic types of photo inkjet paper? Has anyone found a supplier for Canon 17" paper rolls in the UK?

Photoshop 16 Bit Export Plugin FAQ
What are the changes/limitations of the 64 bit Photoshop plugin? How can I linearize Monochrome Mode to get good screen-to-print matching for B&W Images? What combinations of OS and Photoshop version will work with the Export Plugin? How do I access the Photoshop 16 bit Export plug-in? How many bits of data does the 16 bit Export plug-in send to the printer? Is there a way to turn off the annoying confirmation dialog when exiting the plugin? Can profiles made for the Photoshop plugin be used for the OS level printer driver? How can I create Favorite settings to remember the combination of paper size, type, etc.? How many settings can be saved as Print History Favorites? What happens if their is a conflict between the plugin and the printer in the setting for media type or media source? Why are prints made through the plugin with Relative Colorimetric intent darker than prints made through the driver? Is there a difference in gamut between the regular driver and the plugin? Do 16 bit targets make better profiles if printed through the 16 bit plugin vs. the 8 bit driver? What differences have been observed between prints made with the driver and the plugin? Why is Monochrome Photo mode missing in the plugin? Is there a way to rearrange the order of all the custom media sizes I've added to the Print Plug In size options? How can I keep file size reasonable, but still get the benefits of printing with 600 PPI files? Does the Photoshop plugin work with version 4 ICC profiles? I am a Canadian user and the units default to mm in the plugin. How can I set the default to inches? How do I ensure that prints made with the Photoshop/DPP plugin on roll paper consume the least amount of paper and are correctly oriented? How can I be sure that my borderless prints are oriented the way I want from the plugin? Why can't I see the number of passes in the Photoshop plugin?

Usage FAQ
How do I turn the printer off? How do I calibrate the printer (iPFX100 generation and later only)? Is color calibration always active after running a calibration? I told the printer to print from the tray when I meant the cassette. How do I cancel this request? How can I print from the Cassette? It is not listed as a paper source in the Photoshop plugin. When not printing, should I leave the printer on (sleep mode) or off to conserve ink and avoid clogs? How much ink does the printer use per square foot of paper printed? Can I Use Qimage with the iPF Series Printers? What Print Settings Produce the Finest Quality? What factors affect the gamut attainable on a particular paper? How much difference is there quantitatively between the Cool and Warm settings in Monchrome mode? What method of interpolation do the printer driver and 16-bit Photoshop Export Plug-in use? Does Unidirectional Printing provide better quality than Bidirectional? How do I select it? For Canon-supplied ICC profiles, what does Standard, High and Highest in the profile name mean? Which inks get used the fastest? How accurate is the ink consumption data in the Print Log? What is the shelf life of the Canon Lucia inks? How long are they good after installation in the printer? How can I make Sepia toned prints? How can I print a test strip or other very narrow print on roll paper without wasting a lot of paper? If an ink cartridge runs out in the middle of a print, can I replace it and continue? Are profiles made for iPF5000/iPF5100/iPF6100 interchangeable? What is the museum and gallery standard for matting and framing a print? Where can I find evaluation images to help check the quality of a printer profile? What is the Canon Kyuanos Ambient Light Adjustment function? How long can the printer be left off without causing clogging problems? How can I set up my system to automatically print an image every few days to help avoid major cleanings? How long should I let printer targets dry before reading them to create profiles?

Maintenance FAQ
How do I find out what versions of firmware and software are installed? What do I need to do after installing a newer printer driver to make sure the correct Media Types are present? How do I run a nozzle check and what size paper do I need? When I run a nozzle check, the horizontal lines slant down as they go to the right. Is this normal? What functions are available in the firmware to adjust the printer for optimum print quality? How do I run a printhead alignment once the printer and software have been installed? What is the difference between Standard and Advanced printhead alignment? What do the ink tank lights indicate? How can I see the remaining capacity of the maintenance tank on the iPF6100 printer LCD? What is the capacity of the Maintenance Tank? Where can I find directions on changing the Maintenance Tank? How often does the printer run cleaning cycles and based on what factors? How can I enter Service Mode, and what can I do there? How can printhead cleaning be run manually, and how much ink is required? Where can I find detailed directions on draining the ink so I can move the printer? How much ink is used when changing the printhead? On average, how much ink is wasted on cleaning the nozzles to keep them clear? Is there a way to reset the maintenance tank instead of replacing it? [|Where Can I Find Details on Ink Cartridge Construction?]

Setup/Installation Problems
I can't install a firmware upgrade. The installer reports the printer being offline, but it isn't. How can I get the software to recognize the auto roll feed unit? Printing is slow and there is lots of banding when printer is connected by Ethernet. My printer prints part of a photo then stops. I got an error installing updated firmware and now I can't print. I get "Carriage Motion Error" every time I turn on the printer. I can't install the software on my Athlon 64 processor based computer. How do I get the AutoLayout program working on Mac OS X? During the initial printhead alignment I got Printhead (r) Check Printhead error and Printhead Nozzle Error--check nozzles. What Do the Various Error Codes Mean?

Paper Feed Problems
I get "Paper Jam" or "Can't Detect Paper" error every time I try to load paper from the top Tray while the Roll Feed Unit is attached. When I try to print to Roll, I sometimes get a "Paper Jam" error. I get a paper jam when trying to print from the Cassette. I get "Paper Loaded Askew" error every time I try to load a roll of paper. Hahnemuhle Photo Rag 308 sheets cause Paper Jam every time I try to print. I keep getting paper alignment failures when inserting paper in the top tray feed. The roll unit makes a noise and I get the message "Check Roll Paper unit!" and "Power up again.". How can I repair a defective Roll Feed Unit on an iPF5000 myself?

Image Quality Problems
I am getting large areas outside the image that are slightly darker than paper white. My printer produces coarse output/has banding. There is subtle banding in the last 1.25 inches of paper on cut sheets when fed from the Cassette. The colors are off using a generic profile. Auto Color from the Photoshop Export plug-in doesn't look right to me. I am getting head strikes. How can I correct printhead misalignment problems causing head strikes with Canon paper and correct Media Type? I get banding/smearing on my prints. When printing the first side of a blank page I am getting a mark on the rear side. I am trying to print on microceramic glossy paper and the inks are running. The last half inch of my print fades to white. There is an odd artifact on all my prints that looks like "ghosting" A print came out with a 3/8 inch wide cyan strip in the white border on the long dimension on one side. My prints have washed out colors and a purple hue Prints made through the Export plugin are dark and muddy and have a color cast Small white specks randomly placed show up on every print

Usage Problems
What options are there to fix a "Clean Printhead" message? How do I fix Check R or L Printhead Message? How do I fix "Internal Error" messages when trying to print from the Photoshop plugin on Windows? What causes a Multi Sensor Error? "Roll" does not show up as a media source in the plugin or driver. I can't print to Manual Source from the Photoshop Plugin, but it prints fine from Lightroom The remaining capacity of one of my ink cartridges suddenly dropped from 60% to 0%. When I print from the plugin from the roll the paper is cut too short. I get almost an inch of extra space before each print. I had a power failure and now my printer is dead. It won't turn on at all. The Photoshop plugin crashes Photoshop frequently. The Photoshop plugin doesn't show the number of passes on the Main tab. The Photoshop plugin prints with the wrong orientation when using roll paper. How do I get prints centered when printing to roll from the Export Plugin? When the printer is in sleep (power saving) mode, sometimes it will not wake up when a file is sent to it.

GARO Status Monitor
The GARO Status Monitor says there is a paper jam, but no problem is reported on the printer LCD. The GARO Status Monitor crashes when I try to start it. The GARO Status Monitor says "Cannot Acquire Status" of the printer while the printer is on.

Centering Problems
I selected "Center Print", but the print is off center by about an eighth of an inch printing from the Cassette. My prints from the top Tray aren't centered.

Documentation
Where can I get the iPF5000 Service Manual? Where can I get the iPF8300 Service Manual?