Since updating my printer a couple of years ago to a Canon Pro 300 I have been using Canon’s Professional Print and Layout (PPL) software. With Lightroom, it worked straightforwardly, but since my move to PL8 and FP7 I have found difficulties with this combination. Whilst the “Export to Application” function immediately gives the option to use PPL and the export progress bar confirms that this has happened, PPL does not automatically open, nor if opened separately or already open does it give any indication of successful image transfer (which I would have expected to happen even granted that PPL does not function as a plug-in for PL8 as it does for Lightroom).
The situation remains unchanged if I have export from Photolibrary or Customise screens, if I first export to an ‘Awaiting Printing” folder before trying the process from there, or if I try moving between TIFF, JPEG or DNG options. Even if I have them open side by side, drag and drop from one application to the other is very hit and miss, often requiring several attempts before PPL successfully “captures” the image.
I have checked that all sections of the PPL software are visible, reinstalled it, and deleted Lightroom, given that some of the occasional varied error messages that I get on trying to export relate to apparent Adobe issues.
I note that various Canon and Adobe fora do mention generally similar issues sometimes occurring, but not only is PL8 not referenced but no apparent solution is offered.
I have noticed many comments relating to a less than stellar opinion of the PL8 print module, and that several members use the Canon software as an alternative; I wondered therefore if anyone else had experienced this behaviour (akirstein had a similar problem a couple of years ago but I cannot see any responses to him) and found a solution. Whilst realising that this is probably due to my overlooking a fairly basic setting somewhere I would very much welcome any helpful comments.
This is not a DxO issue but a Canon issue. I had or have exactly the same issue you have as I also use the Canon PPL software and prefer it because of the settings available.
Not getting a response here I raised the issue with Canon, and surprise surprise, Adobe is the only system they think exists on earth.
So, the way I work around this is I process my file and once I have done that, I usually save a JPEG version in the same folder as the RAW file. I normally set my filter to “RGB Images” and can easily find them later. The files I want to print are filed as TIFF files, but instead of filing to the same folder I have created a “X-PRINT” folder and then save the TIFF there when you hit the “Export to Disc”. (The X-Print means the folder sits at the bottom of my folder tree and doesn’t interfere with the rest of the folders.)
Now I go to the X-PRINT folder, click on the photo and EXPORT TO APPLICATION but without processing. This opens PPL and then in the top left corner you can OPEN FILE and once you have navigated to the X-PRINT folder every time thereafter that is what will open first, and you no longer have to navigate to it again. Once in the folder you can then add the photo and drag it onto the print screen.
Bit of a set up but once you have it going it is fairly simple, and it also means all you photos selected for printing are in one location. I also renumber my photos when adding to my PC with the YYYYMMDD-xxxx so if I ever want to find where the TIFF file originated from, I just need to refer to the photo number.
Hope this helps, and trust Canon will update their software at some point in time.
I was unsure if my expectations of the “Export to application” command were too great given that PPL does not function as a plug-in in the same way as for LR, although my reading of the DxO guide seems to suggest that one should, at least, expect the identified application to open and presumably for a copy of the image chosen to reside somewhere in that application’s file system. I had actually adopted a very similar system to yours as a work around, but there still seems to be a bug in the system somewhere, for at times exporting from my Awaiting Printing folder (containing only TIFFs) will result in PPL opening up, and on one or two occasions has even populated the PPL screen with the required image, but in the vast majority of situations, using exactly the same parameters, that command is at best likely to open an otherwise blank PPL screen, but almost always refuses to open PPL at all!
I might get round to opening a ticket with DxO support just to check if they have any work ongoing with Canon to sort this, but it sounds as if learning to live with manual opening of PPL and resorting to Drag and Drop is the way forward.
Would support you with this if you open a ticket. I am on a windows system, and it seems opening PPL is not an issue, the rest is. Maybe opening PPL is a DxO mac problem.
Just jumped onto the PPL software with a new Pro 310. Would love a plug in for is as does the Adobe franchise! Is that a Canon issue and not a PL issue?
On a MBP M3 Max with 36GB of RAM. New to all of this but it seems that you save your image as a TIF file and then drag it into PPL. That worked well for my first tour of DxO/PPL and getting a perfect print.
As a plug-in for PPL to DxO, I agree. I just save my image to a folder - as a TIF - and drag it into PPL. Seems easy enough. PPL just isn’t integrated into DxO as it is into LR/PS. Too bad, as otherwise, it would be a seamless operation.