Printer not printing AND Matching Screen colors to Print colors. Any advice is apreciated!!

Question

Hello - I have 2 questions regarding  printing to an Epson and also regarding the monitor colors Not matching the print colors working from Photoshop CS4 on a Mac with a Maverick [ 10.9.3 ] OS. My issues are Not about my own printers or software.  I have been tutoring a friend via phone in Photoshop; he has CS4 and is working on Mac OS 10.9.3.
1- We found that he could print nearly fine [ nearly accurate colors ] from Lightroom on his computer, version 5.4.   But when he tries to print from Photoshop he cannot make a print.   There is clear communication between the computer and the printer, as, when he sent the file to print, the printer [ an Epson 3880 ] responded by automatically changing to Photo Black from Matte.  Then, it opens the rollers as if to print, but, it them stops and the menu [ on the Printer ] says 'Ready.'   The paper is 4x6” Moab Lasal paper 300gsm. This issue of Not printing is only with this Moab Lasal luster paper, for which he Does have the IIC profile, and we always make sure ‘Photoshop manages colors,’ not the printer. To address the issue of the printer Not printing at all using a non-Epson brand paper, we have tried seemingly everything from deleting and re-adding the printer from the Library / Printers, resetting everything [ printer   computer   software etc ], trying different settings in the Printer window and the Print Settings window. Including changing the media profile, platen gap, etc.
2- My other and more important question is – after we Do get a print, we cannot match the monitor color to the print. [ We havE been able to get a print using Epson brand paper.   Which is odd because we have the ICC profiles for both papers ]. To address the color matching issue, he has told me he calibrated the monitor with a Spyder, and here are a few other variables that I can relay that may or may not be affecting his color-issues:
He iS viewing his prints in a dayliglht-rated lighting environment
The monitor is an iMac glossy finish monitor, not an anti-glare
We tried working and printing from both an 8-bit and also a 16-bit color-space and also 16-bit printing
The color shift is slightly but noticeably toward Magenta.
His printer is Not calibrated
Please let me know what else we can do, any known glitches that may be an issue with his older version of CS, any tips you can suggest.
Thanks very much!

Answer 1

I don't have that printer and I'm not on Mac, so someone else has to step in there. Generally a green/magenta cast indicates none/double printer color management. But then I don't know what you mean by "slight".
The Spyders aren't the most consistent and reliable calibrators out there. I had a Spyder 3 sensor that I just threw away because it gave a distinct red cast (I have several other calibrators, so there was no doubt). Another potential problem is that with most calibrators you can only adjust the white point along the blue/yellow Kelvin scale, but not on the green/magenta scale. This is often necessary to get a good white point color. In this case you need to use the monitor's OSD controls, and if possible the "pre-calibration" function in the calibrator to measure and monitor it - if that function exists. And I don't know if this is possible with an iMac.
This is basically a question of getting the white point right, both on the blue/yellow and the green/magenta axis (and luminance of course). The goal is to get a visual match to paper white on screen. With the white point properly set, neutral color balance relates to that, and the rest more or less follows by itself. (In addition you should set the proper black point/contrast for full control, but that's not the issue here).