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I have a PIXMA PRO 100, and the print quality is absolutely great. But the software that came with the printer to actually make the prints is terrible — it lacks some very basic print options which vastly limit the kind of prints I can do. I need some alternative software, but I've read about some serious drawbacks to using third party software with this line of printer.

I've heard that a lot of the third party software use different algorithms to calculate ink usage and more intricate things like paper type and other more complex options not usually available for regular printing, and as a result print quality is noticeably poorer. Is this a legitimate problem, and if so, what software have you had good experience with printing with PIXMA?

If anyone knows on a more technical level how the printer driver interacts in general with software with regard to making print decisions (ink tank usage, accommodating for paper type) that could shed more light on the problem.

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    \$\begingroup\$ Which software are you referring to? Generally speaking you get the colour profile etc. right in your editing software and the driver should then be as transparent as possible letting the image editor do the work... \$\endgroup\$
    – James Snell
    Jan 14, 2016 at 22:22
  • \$\begingroup\$ Are we talking about Canon's Print Studio Pro? because that's what came with my Pro100 and ICC profiles, etc. are all in there, and I'm really happy with the print quality, even using 3rd-party inks. \$\endgroup\$
    – inkista
    Jan 15, 2016 at 16:24
  • \$\begingroup\$ When asking about software, it's important to specify the platform you're using. \$\endgroup\$
    – Caleb
    Apr 14, 2016 at 18:59

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Try Qimage - it's very good and I really liked it when I used to use Windows machines. It automatically up/downscales thee resolution to match the printer and it will (if you want) take a bunch of photos that you select and automatically arrange them to use as little paper as possible. You you could point it at a folder of photos, tell it what size you want each printed at and how many copies, load the printer with A3+ and it'll put as many as possible on each sheet, rotating as necessary and with crop marks etc if the photos have white borders etc.

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I recently bought a PIXMA PRO 100 and would have to agree - the SW drivers that came with it are pretty horrible. The best answer I found came from an Improve Photography post on the printer that you can find here:

http://improvephotography.com/35495/canon-pixma-pro100-printer-review/

It suggested that you ignore the driver and use the plug-in for Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. I have been using the plug-in for Adobe Photoshop and it is far superior to the Canon driver that runs stand-alone. I don't have a good answer for you, though, if you don't use Photoshop.

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I agree completely with those that recommend using Print Studio Pro plugin. At least if you are using Canon ink and paper. Read this thread.

https://www.photo.net/discuss/threads/lightroom-or-print-studio-pro.510600/

I could never got lightroom, ON1 raw, Gimp or Affinity, to produce a similar print on two different canon papers. Seems like a good test to me. I'm not even trying to match the screen yet. I'm sure it can be done with these software packages, just not sure how. Seems like the plugin has a lower learning curve. Also, strangely the print with the plugin looks nearly like my screen, which I have not even calibrated (just lucky likely). The two papers that I have used are Canon pro luster and Canon pro glossy 2? (The later you can buy at Wallmart, I can only get the pro luster online). I used the ICC for the luster and the "pro mode" for the glossy 2. Really very close results with the plugin. Close enough that I think I can make test prints on the cheaper easier to buy paper, before making big prints on the pro luster. Sorry I have not tried any other paper yet. And clearly the accuracy of the ICC files for paper is an important, so be sure whatever program you use can apply ICC profiles. With the plugin, I only needed to change from the defaults when it was obvious to do so (like activating an ICC for paper that I have, paper size). Hint, the numbers in the ICC profiles for canon papers are the print quality. To see print quality as a number, you have to hit the custom print quality bottom. You can print test pages that a matrixes for different color or brightness\contrast adjustment an a zoomed in part of your image. Very useful if you are not matching your screen.

And you do not need Adobe software to use the canon plugin. Canon also has it for the canon raw editing software that you can get if you own a Canon SLR like the 70D or 6D. Digital Photo Professional. If Canon programmer's can make both of these things? Why not a stand alone version for Photo Print Pro plugin?

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