Canon imagegrafPRO1000 Review, insights, tips and tricks.
So after one year of owning this amazing machine I felt well versed enough with her to offer up a review for fellow photographers who may be ready to take their craft to the next level via print. Let me start of by saying that it is indeed a daunting proposition; between learning the various ICC profiles, paper manufactures, print sizes, and paper mediums one can be very tempted to just remain in the purely digital realm. I certainly was all throughout college and into my thirties; only printing when I was very moved by a particular image and then settling for a less than impressive print from Walmart or some pharmacy. Granted there are many excellent on-line options such as Shutterfly, Mpix, etc. but when you get right down to it nothing replaces the convenience of being able to shoot off a 5x7 or 8x10 on the fly right in your office…
Retailing at over $1300 the Pro-1000 is significantly higher in price than the pro-100 and pro-10 but owning both I can tell you the difference immediately shows in both build quality with the latter two looking and feeling rather cheap and “plasticy”. Now make no mistake for many amateurs and enthusiasts that will be just fine, but for those with high megapixel count DSLRs and those looking to make prints for clients and sell, the pro-1000 is without a doubt the arena you want to find yourself in. Simply put weighing in at over 70 pounds it is built like a Mack truck- When you make a print it literally sounds like a jet engine taking off. From the vacuum paper feed to the complete lack of shaking that I’ve always come to expect from inferior machines, you can just feel, hear, and sense the quality of this machine.
Now in the event you do take the plunge and purchase I’m going to save you hours of time and research and just tell you keep it simple and don’t get overwhelmed by the many paper options and different mediums they offer. Do some research and pick a paper manufacturer, get a sample pack, and learn their papers. It will take some time and repetition but after a while you will get a sense of what you like and don’t like (i.e. glossy papers vs. Luster vs. Matte vs. Baryta) and how the different weights and finishes render different images. A lot of that is personal preference and a lot has to do with your shooting style and the types of photography you practice; the way you will want to display an architectural shot with lots of shiny metal and glass is going to be a lot different from a macro shot of a rose or a pastoral landscape. As far as papers go, I personally can vouch for Red River and Canon papers. They both have displayed my work beautifully and their ICC profiles have been spot on. I’m a big fan of Red River in particular, their enthusiasm and knowledge for all things paper is really quite apparent. Below is a video to probably the most comprehensive review of the pro1000 on the internet along with an interview Red River Paper CEO Drew Hendrix. Have a listen and you really get a sense of how well they know paper and the print game.
Another very comprehensive and informative conversation about paper and printing. ⬇
Once you have selected a paper manufacturer and begun to learn their product line that’s when things really begin to get interesting. It’s at that point you can begin to go into the field with the intention of composing a print with the final outcome in mind. For instance when I compose a frozen waterfall after a good snowfall I am already thinking about the end result. “Man this would look killer on the super thick and textured 315gsm Palo Etching Duro”. And then later in the day after capturing a winter sunset I would be thinking about how that would look on a Red River’s Polar Matte product. The point I’m driving at is the knowledge of paper and it’s characteristics adds a whole new dimension and influences the whole creative process immensely making photography on the whole that much more rewarding.
Now a few things to keep in mind; Although Lightroom does have a built in print module within Lightroom the printer does come with it’s own proprietary software (Canon Print Studio Pro) and I have heard great things about it. I myself in the interest of simplicity chose to just do all my print setup within Lightroom and have found that it works great for me. Keep in mind when setting up a print within the print module in Lightroom measure 2, 3, or even 4 times and cut once so to speak. Ink and paper is very expensive when you get to this level and at $60 per cart the last thing you want to be doing is wasting it on a misprint of a 17”x22”! Below are screen-shots of things in particular to take note of when setting up a print. Of particular note is to MAKE SURE you turn off color correction within the printer driver as you will be selecting the ICC profile within the Lightroom Print Module. Failure to do this will result in “double profiling” and lead to a bad print.
In closure if printing is the next step in your photographic journey and you do pickup a Pro-1000 (or Pro-10, 100, or Epson for that matter) begin by honing in on a paper manufacturer and then their specific papers (my recommendation being start with a luster and a matte-the latter for pastoral landscape type shots and the former for work with punchy colors and high dynamic range). After that familiarize yourself with manual and give yourself ample time to do so!
This printer is next level, and learning all the nuances and settings available to you will take much time; remember it’s the destination AND the journey. And congratulations, in my mind you have now reached the pinnacle of this craft and once you master it, you are now in control of the entire creative process.
