I'm still new to my Epson 4880, and I have made some prints recently that puzzled me. They're a good color match for the screen image, but they're the wrong size!
My file measures 24 inches wide by 16 inches high in Photoshop (CS3 Extended), and that's the print size I want.
The other day, with another file the same size, I went into Page Setup and selected A2 as file size. That file printed out 16 inches high but only 23.4 inches wide. Apparently that's the true A2 width in inches.
After figuring that out, I read the manual a bit more and found Manage Custom Sizes in the setup menu. With that submenu open, I created a format called Landscape:24x16 - or at least I thought I did. In the same submenu, I clicked on the Print Margins window, selected Stylus Pro 4880, and set all margins to zero. Then I followed through with the usual printing steps.
I expected to see a nice 24x16 print. Instead I got a nice print measuring roughly 23 1/4 by 15 1/8.
I'm obviously selecting the wrong choice(s) somewhere in these steps, but the suppliied and online PDF manuals aren't clear on how to fix the problem. Any thoughts from 4880 users out there? Thanks!
Jim,
I don't have the 4880, but have the 4000 and assume that the drivers are similar in that your 4880 is a derivation of the 4000. That being the case, if you haven't already done so, make sure your roll paper size is consistent with your desired print size. For example, with a 17" roll, you should set your custom/user paper size at 17.01x24.5" . If you're using a 16" roll, you will need to set your roll paper custom size at 16.01x24.5" AND you will need to select the full bleed option in the printer driver, which off hand I believe is a check box on the second tab of the driver.
Congratulations. I'm sure you'll enjoy that printer!
Paul
I just want to make sure I understand your instructions. I'm using 17" wide roll paper, but at the moment I want to make prints that are 16" high by 24" wide, so that the image has a half-inch border above and below the horizontal edges. I want to attach the upper border with archival tape to the inside of a mat before framing the photo. Since that's the case, will your directions still apply? Thanks!
This is how I do it. I don't mess with the Page Setup In File menu, I just select Print and there I get Page Setup with more options.
1. Select page setup from print dialog
2. Main tab, paper settings: source = roll paper, option = normal cut
3. Main tab, paper settings: click User defined and set base paper size to whatever, adjust paper width to match your roll width, paper length to desired length according to print size. For each different size print I change the paper length setting. If you leave white borders, you can reduce length 30mm, because normal cut will add that much extra length. I always put 1mm extra to the length compared to file size to avoid clipping warning. Finally you could save the setting. I haven't stored different setting for each paper size, I just edit the one every time.
4. I also keep the borderless setting from main tab checked all the time and expand set to retain size. I have print preview always selected, because I frequently get a preview showing only partial printing of the image area and the rest is white. This is because of not enough memory (CS4), i think it is a bug (I cancel from preview, purge or restart CS4 and try to print again in case it happens).
5. Click ok, back to print dialog: make sure center image is selected and scale to fit media is not selected
6. Now print assuming everything else is set correctly
By the way, image should be scaled to 360 PPI and size set correctly, if I print 300 PPI and let the driver scale, I get lower quality. I have the original driver that came with the printer (6.52). I hope this helps!
I have one remaining question. The 4880 Printer Guide manual says that a user is supposed to release the paper lever and manually feed paper through the printer and out onto the top of the paper tray cover, aligning its edge with the Others mark on the cover. I did that with my first print - and ended up wasting about two square feet of paper, because printing began (as you might expect) back at the print head. I was able to cut that extra paper down into two 8.5x11 sheets plus some extra paper.
On a second print, I left the paper alone, in the position where the printer had cut the previous print. But once I began the second print, the printer advanced the paper by about seven inches, causing more waste. I'm sure there's a way to work around this, but it's not readily apparent. Any thoughts from the forum about this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
I think that the manual instructions are just for selling more paper
I use normal cut, and when I feed the paper first time, I feed it until about the line where cutter travels or little bit more where I can see the shiny screws. It works fine and does not waste paper. After that, next print starts normally with 15mm margin and doesn't waste paper, the printer will pull the paper back before starting. However, if after first print I release the lever and align the paper again like I just described, it will waste additional paper. If I release the lever and want not waste, I have to take the roll paper out and secure the lever so that the printer adjusts to paper tray feeding. After it settles, I can feed roll paper again normally like described: no waste.
I use this technique when printing canvas because it must be cut manually. I definitely will not want to waste any canvas. So after printing, I release the lever, pull the paper for cutting, then take it out completely, secure the lever, let it settle, and load again. If you don't want to do it like this you could use the buttons to move paper without releasing the lever, but I don' like it because the roll does not wind itself and the paper/canvas will loosen on roll.
If you will change the cutting method while roll paper is inserted, printer will waste paper on trimming the paper end before next print. I have explored the options and have not found a method that would eliminate the 15mm waste between prints. Anyway I Iike to trim the cut line again because it is not very clean cut so the 15mm extra doesn't bother me anymore.
One more tip. If you use expensive roll paper, it is good to have cheaper paper on tray to use for nozzle check. Nozzle check on roll paper wastes a lot of paper.
