Dreadful colour when I print out from windows gallery

Chickenbrain2009

PLEASE can someone help me, I am being driven out of my mind. I use windows 7. I recently bought a new printer, its a CANON PIXMA MX470. I bought it especially to do colour printing for craft work, and it has excellent reviews. It took ages to set up, but when I print out from Windows gallery I get washed out colour pics. Black and white is fine.I have discovered that if I use Picaso I dont get that, the colours are beautiful. However picasso doesnt have the print out options I want, and I am used to using Windows Gallery. But the quality of print outs I am getting with Gallery is dreadful. I also use Dropbox, but that uses Windows gallery as the browser, so if I try printing out from that I still get pale colours! I have tried everything I can think of, including setting the printer to a finer setting, contacting microsoft ( no hope, you just go round in circles) contacting Cannon, they say they have not heard of this before, trying to download alternatives to windows gallery, but I cant find one that does the specific print options that I need, updating windows gallery ( no difference)....I have done a search and occasionally come across people who have washed out prints, but when I go to the fixes, they are always something simple which I have already done, such as changing the settings.
I have come to the conclusion the problem is with windows gallery interfacing with the printer in some way, the printer itself prints our beautifully when I an not using windows gallery. I would be very grateful if ANYONE can tell me how to fix this, as I have spent hours on it. Please don't tell me that you cant understand why I want to use it, the answer is that it is the only way I can get the print options I want for cards. Very grateful, this isn't good for my health.:(:(:(:(

wongataa

What settings are you using in the printer dialogue box?

Strider590

http://forums.techguy.org/digital-photography-imaging/926879-poor-photo-print-quality-windows.html

Sounds similar to your issue.

From a bit of web searching (it's not difficult), the general consensus is that Windows Photo Gallery has a low quality print default setting hidden away somewhere.

It's worth checking the colour profile on the images too, make sure they are sRGB, as Windows gallery might not support other colour profiles (like AdobeRGB).

roddydogs

Install Picasa (free) try that.

Chino

roddydogs wrote: »

Install Picasa (free) try that.

The OP has already stated:

Chickenbrain2009 wrote: »

I have discovered that if I use Picaso I dont get that, the colours are beautiful. However picasso doesnt have the print out options I want

Chickenbrain2009

I have now taken it back to the shop! I have ordered an Epsom photo xp 750! I had an Epsom before and didnt have this problem. I will let you know if I get better colour print out on Gallery once I have had it installed.

Chickenbrain2009

Interesting that the link you put up was a Canon as well.

Nilrem

Chickenbrain2009 wrote: »

I have now taken it back to the shop! I have ordered an Epsom photo xp 750! I had an Epsom before and didnt have this problem. I will let you know if I get better colour print out on Gallery once I have had it installed.

The 750 is a great printer for colour, I bought one earlier in the year and it's awesome for colour prints on everything I've tried it on.
My only complaint is that the card printing option isn't too clearly explained in the instructions (either that or I was half asleep when I did it).

cookie365

Chickenbrain2009 wrote: »

I have now taken it back to the shop! I have ordered an Epsom photo xp 750! I had an Epsom before and didnt have this problem. I will let you know if I get better colour print out on Gallery once I have had it installed.

If the images print out fine with Picasa,there's clearly nothing wrong with the printer.

Chickenbrain2009

I have an update on this. I returned the Canon to the shop, full of complaints, and got my money back. I went and got an Epson 750X,installed it much more easily and it is printing out lovely prints from Windows Gallery, Dropbox and elsewhere.
So, for future reference, in my opinion this is an issue with the printer. It may be some sort of glitch which can occur with Canon printers ( see previous post above re Canon) because this is the only time I have had this issue, and I have had other printers before. Thanks everyone.