How to set up your Canon pro photo printer

To get the best from a new camera, including making the most of its available functions, a professional photographer needs to set it up correctly. The same goes for a pro photo printer. Canon's pigment ink-based professional photo printers, for example the imagePROGRAF PRO-1000 and imagePROGRAF PRO-300, are capable of delivering consistently high-quality prints, while dye-based pro photo printers, such as the Canon PIXMA PRO-200, will also give very good results. But to get the best out of their advanced features and supporting software you need to know how to set them up properly.

Canon printing specialist Frederic Vaneesbeck has 17 years of experience leading printing workshops for professional photographers. Here he shares his expert knowledge, revealing how to make the most of what Canon imagePROGRAF and PIXMA PRO printers have to offer.

Recent Canon printer models have a QR code on the packaging that links through to the Canon IJ Setup support site, allowing you to prepare for setup before you've even opened the box. Frederic highly recommends using the support site as it includes important information and step-by-step guides to setting up individual printers, as well as online manuals, recommended functions and answers to frequently asked questions.

"Once you're on the website, you just need to select your printer from the list," says Frederic. "Helpful videos are available to guide you through the setup procedure, starting with removing the orange packing tape and protective inserts, plugging in the power cord, switching it on and applying the initial settings – including choosing a language and date/time. Further videos take you through the next steps of installing the cartridges and printheads, as well as aligning the printheads."

Before installing the software drivers, Frederic advises setting a fixed IP address for the printer if you're going to be using it on a wired or wireless network. "This ensures that the IP address remains the same when you switch the printer off and turn it back on again, enabling two-way communication between the printer and a computer," he explains. "For Apple computers, it's also important to use the Canon driver rather than AirPrint, otherwise you won't be able to access the maintenance tab, and you might also experience colour management inconsistencies."

If you're connecting the printer to a single computer via a USB cable, it's vital to download the latest drivers first and run the software set up routine before attaching the USB cable. Wait until prompted before connecting the printer to the computer.

Once you've set up your printer and installed the printer drivers, the next step is to download the Media Configuration Tool from the Support section of the Canon website. Frederic explains: "This software has two main functions. First, it will ensure that you have the latest printer profiles installed for all own-brand Canon photo papers and fine art media. Secondly, it enables you to add printer profiles for a wide range of independently created, specialist media from companies such as Canson Infinity^® and Hahnemühle, making the appropriate settings available directly both in your printer driver and on the printer itself. The papers will then be available via the manual feed tray for the smoothest paper pass." When printing you should ensure the correct paper type is selected on both software and the printer screen.

To achieve colour accuracy, it's vital to work with a calibrated monitor. This ensures that the luminance and colour rendition of the screen matches your environment. To get the best match for printed output, it's imperative to select the right paper in the printer driver, says Frederic.

"This is why Canon now uses AM1X files, which build on the capabilities of using an ICC profile and add many factors including ink density limits, paper feed vacuum strength, print head height, drying time and borderless printing parameters," he explains. "These aspects are covered for specific, individual types of photo paper and fine art media, not only for Canon's own-brand papers, but also for a wide range of third-party media." He also advises checking your prints against the brightness and colour rendition of your computer monitor under the same environmental lighting conditions, as moving to a different light source with a warmer or cooler colour temperature will change the appearance of the print.

To keep performing well, Canon printers maintain themselves during operation. "People get up in the morning, have a shower and they're ready for the day," says Frederic. "Printers [figuratively speaking] are much the same. When you switch them on or wake them up from standby, they initiate a mini-cleaning routine that ensures the print quality will be optimised.