I Finally Got a Photo Printer: Canon imagePROGRAF Pro-1000

I am 76 years old so have been in the photo business for a "few years". I did a lot of 2 1/4" square and 4"x5" black and white and color photography but finally switched over to mostly digital about 18 years ago. I had a few of the Epson printers like the 3800, 3380, etc. but found them to be more likely to clog and spit ink even with frequent use. I decided to switch to the Canon Pro 1000 about 1 1/2 years ago. It is a superior printer with some serious engineering in it. It does require doing some tricks to save ink and ensure consistent work. Ignore the people who say a 1000 uses a lot of ink. When it is new it draws ink from the cartridges into the feeder tubes so once they are filled the cartridges will be about 50% used.... but that doesn't mean all that ink is dumped into the dump tank. Also.... the next cartridges will not need to fill the tubes again so will show a more realistic amount of ink left. If you turn off the machine each day it will go through a full purge, etc. cycle the next day and waste ink. There is an option in the setup to NOT auto shut off after so many hours of non-use. I also got a small Uninterruptable power supply that ran about $100 that I plug the printer into. It won't handle the print operation itself although haven't tested that.... it is solely to keep the power on in the event of a power failure. To keep the heads perfectly clean and unclogged I print a very small print every day. To ensure this when away for a few days I use QImage which has a utility to auto print a test print once a day. The QImage print can be reduced to to half of a 4"x5" print and uses a tiny amount of ink through all the nozzles. I also MUCH prefer to print using QImage which seems to yield better prints than through Photo Shop directly although Qimage can be run from within PS or externally. I am also an astrophotographer so print a lot of 16"x20" prints. That Pro 1000 yields prints that are spectacular. Most of my work from photowork but the printer is terrific with art reproduction. I love that I can switch from glossy or semi gloss to fine art paper and never have traces of the photo black polluting the matt black ink parts. That was a major issue with my Epsons. Recommendation...... make sure you get the latest Firmware update so you can have access to new features such as the maximum pano width now which is around 44" as I recall. I am not sure but it seems the latest firmware also improved the ink handling so wastes less than before. If you want to get all the ink out of your cartridges I recommend getting a digital weight scale.... mine was only around $25 and very accurate. You can remove and replace any cartridge so what I do i after the low ink warning comes on.....remove the tank and weigh it. I replace when it gets down to 45 grams. If it is above that you just put it back in the machine and it will show you the remaining ink left and not reset to a high number.

I’ve been using this printer for a little over a year now and have been super happy with it. I’m sure you’ll make great use of it!

You've kept my absolute attention for 15 minutes on printing. You're a genius and I love the passion. Thank you.

The one thing we can all be certain of, when Nick does a review, he is thorough, a perfectionist, and his endorsements are pretty much on point. A photographer friend of mine has this Canon printer. It's used for almost exclusively B&W and are astoundingly good.

Printing your own work is insane isn't it :) I love it. I started with the PRO2000 and now with the PRO4100. I think the thing I like most is when you sell locally and go to the persons house to hang it and chat with them about the passion behind the photo for a moment. That is such a good feeling

Nice video! I've been wanting to get back into printing. I used to print back in OS 9 using Colorsync, which actually worked pretty well with certain printers.

Pro tip: roll your graphics so the print is on the outside of the roll. This allows the curl to go towards the wall or mounting surface for better adhesion rather than pulling away from it.

Great presentation!!! Accurately portrayed what it takes to professional take on printing your own works and maintaining quality control of your products. Its a total investment of money, time, patience, pride and a huge attention to detail to get it right!!!

Great video, Nick! I've been using this printer for just over three years now and couldn't be more pleased with the output quality and reliability. It does like to print every day, so dividing out your orders throughout the week as you mentioned is a good idea. On the days you don't have a job, just print out a test pattern to keep things moving without initiating additional cleaning cycles. The Media Configuration Tool is fantastic for setting up third party papers to perform their best. Keeping the paper as flat as possible through the machine will really help to prevent nasty head strikes. For those long panos, I use a section of 3" core tube with some kraft paper to reverse roll heavier media (such as RedRiver's PaloDuro Etching) for an hour or so prior to printing. Supporting these longer sheets both on the feed side and at the exit is also very important. When not printing, keep the unit covered to minimize dust and dirt infiltration and periodically check the paper path for any bits of paper debris that has a tendency to collect over time. Like you pointed out, the printing process is very addictive and the PRO-1000 will definitely feed that addiction with results that will keep you hanging on the edge of your seat waiting for that next spectacular print! Look forward to seeing additional videos showing how you bring more of your wonderful images to life with your new Canon printer.

Love this video thanks Nick. I've had this printer for 4 years now & am still amazed to this day what comes out of the beast. I've done the upgrade to the firmware but never had the guts to go big with a roll print - this has been the impetus for me to go for it.

I loved the video! It's fun watching the evolution of your craft, the dedication to quality and your passion for photography.

8:26 don't forget to let the print dry for at least 24 hours before you roll it! This is very important!

Great video as always. It was interesting to see your process of developing exactly how you will get your prints to be where you need them to be. The best part though was the writing of your script. The call and response to yourself, the mini lecture on finding the right pen to sign, and last but not least jam jams!

I have had this printer for years and totally missed that the latest firmware now gives us panorama printing possibilities!🥳 Thank you! 👏🏾👍🏾🙏🏾. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇸🇪🇹🇹

GJ someone who finally gets it that printing feeling you get when you go from photo taking to the final product, you did it all, it's your baby.

This video is right up my alley! I am the proud owner of an Epson SC-P900 and I feel exactly the same when I print one of my own favorite images. Best wishes for your continued success! ... and thanks for the video.

I just stumbled across this video and it's super entertaining and I love your energy!

That's.. oddly satisfying to watch. Also inspiring! Thanks for sharing your process 👍

Hey Nick, I f'ing enjoy your videos so much! You bring joy to your processes and to the rest of us.

Great video! Wonderful attention to detail, and an admirable pursuit of quality control. Well done.