Epson 1280 - HELP

[Trevor]

I just bought this 1280 printer and I'm having problems printing 4x6
images on Epson's 4x6 Premium Glossy Photo Paper (individually cut
sheets). All print previews display a centered image but the printed
image is not centered.

I'm using Windoz XP Pro. When I come to print a 4x6 image from any
image editing application (photoshop, print shop pro, epson's film
factory, etc) the image is perfectly centered in all previews i.e.,
the applications preview window and also epson's print preview window
but when printed (landscape mode), the right edge of the image is
cropped, the right margin is shorter than the left margin, and the top
of the image is bled off the paper (1/4 in of the image is printed on
the printer tray leaving a smear on the back of the next larger size
paper I use). When I reduce the image size to 3x5, the image is
printed up and to the left by 1/4 inch (the center point is off by 1/4
inch). A funny thing is every image preview has a 1/4 inch margin no
matter what size the image is. This is a new printer for me so I
haven't tried other pre-cut photo papers yet to see if this happens in
other size modes; 5x7 etc. Incidentally, in the epson print preview
window, both "Top of Page" and "Bottom of Page" are displayed in an
indistiguishable language.

I've tried different resolutions, different size images, portrait
mode, checked and unchecked "Center" and "Maximum", reinstalled the
driver, upgraded the driver, .... Epson Tech Support has been of no
use.

Has anyone experienced problems with images not being centered when
printing on 4x6 or other cut sheet paper?


Trevor

 

[Dick D.]

Trevor: Have your read this? It's the help screen from the driver. DD
Prints using the entire area of the paper, allowing you to print documents
with no margins and to produce full-bleed printouts of images.
When Auto Sheet Feeder is selected as the Paper Source setting, this feature
prints to all four edges of the paper. When Roll Paper is selected as the
Paper Source setting, this feature prints to the right and left edges of the
paper.
You can use the following media with this feature.
(Available paper sizes vary depending on your printer model.)

Photo Paper
A3+/US Super B, A3, Letter, 4 x 6"(No Perforations), 100x150 mm
Premium Glossy Photo Paper

5 x 7", 8 x 10", 11 x 14"

Matte Paper-Heavyweight
A3+/US Super B, A3, Letter, 8 x 10", 11 x 14"

Note:

If your application has margin settings, make sure they are set to zero
before printing.
Printing with this feature selected takes longer than for normal printing.
Because this feature enlarges the image to a size slightly larger than the
paper size when Sheet Feeder is selected as the Paper Source setting, the
portion of the image that extends beyond the edges of the paper will not be
printed.
Print quality may decline in the top and bottom areas of the printout, or
the area may be smeared when printing on media other than that listed above.
We recommend printing a single sheet to check quality before printing large
jobs.

You cannot use this feature with the following media:
Plain Paper, Photo Quality Ink Jet Paper, Photo Quality Glossy Film, Ink Jet
Transparencies, Iron-On Cool Peel Transfer Paper, Ink Jet Back Light Film,
360 dpi Ink Jet Paper.



All rights reserved.

 

[Trevor]

Trevor: Have your read this? It's the help screen from the driver. DD
Prints using the entire area of the paper, allowing you to print documents
with no margins and to produce full-bleed printouts of images.
When Auto Sheet Feeder is selected as the Paper Source setting, this feature
prints to all four edges of the paper. When Roll Paper is selected as the
Paper Source setting, this feature prints to the right and left edges of the
paper.
You can use the following media with this feature.
(Available paper sizes vary depending on your printer model.)

Photo Paper
A3+/US Super B, A3, Letter, 4 x 6"(No Perforations), 100x150 mm
Premium Glossy Photo Paper

5 x 7", 8 x 10", 11 x 14"

Matte Paper-Heavyweight
A3+/US Super B, A3, Letter, 8 x 10", 11 x 14"

Note:

If your application has margin settings, make sure they are set to zero
before printing.
Printing with this feature selected takes longer than for normal printing.
Because this feature enlarges the image to a size slightly larger than the
paper size when Sheet Feeder is selected as the Paper Source setting, the
portion of the image that extends beyond the edges of the paper will not be
printed.
Print quality may decline in the top and bottom areas of the printout, or
the area may be smeared when printing on media other than that listed above.
We recommend printing a single sheet to check quality before printing large
jobs.

You cannot use this feature with the following media:
Plain Paper, Photo Quality Ink Jet Paper, Photo Quality Glossy Film, Ink Jet
Transparencies, Iron-On Cool Peel Transfer Paper, Ink Jet Back Light Film,
360 dpi Ink Jet Paper.

Dick, thank you for the info.

I am trying to print a 3.5x5.5 image on any of the 4x6 Photo papers
listed in the driver (cut sheet, not the non-perf or roll) that is
centered, WITH A MARGIN that is equadistant on all sides.

The epson print preview window displays such an image when I set this
up. In standard/centered mode, the output image should be centered on
the paper with a 1/4" margin on all sides. Instead, the driver adds
1/4" margin all around to the image and uses the bottom right corner
of the that image as the reference point (not the center) which causes
the output to have a 1/2" margin on the bottom and right edges with a
1/8 margin on top (top of image is cropped) and the left edge bled off
the paper. The driver is not using the center point of the image as
the refernce point.

I have corrected it by not centering the image but instead offseting
it by the margin width.

This doesn't happen with images on 5x7 paper.

My driver allows for 4x6 borderless printing on Photo Paper but when I
check the "Borderless" box the paper size changes to A3.

This is gettin too wacky. Epson Tech is just following their script.
Trevor

 

[Dick D.]

Trevor, More on testing. The same film factory, the same image, only this
time I first selected in film factory the size of print I wanted, 4X6. I
then went into the 1280 driver and selected premium glossy photo paper, and
paper size of 4X6 no perfs. I then checked the borderless box and cliked ok.
I then ended up back in film factory and the print size had reset to "Fit to
Media Size". I selected print and the result was a perfect full bleed output
to the paper. I am using plain paper 8-1/2X11 for these tests and measure
the print size of this test to maybe a 1/32 inch more than 4X6, obviously
full bleed.

I then Used Adobe PhotoShop 6.0 and using the same image as in FilmFactory I
set up the PS "print options" to print to "Scale toFit Media", unchecked
"Show Bounding Box". I then went to the 1280 driver and selected premium
glossy photo paper, paper size of 4X6 no perfs, and checked "borderless" The
print was another perfect full bleed 4X6.
Dick
Dick

 

[Flycaster]

[snip]

Horse led to oasis...

It happens all the time. You spell it out line for line, and finally
realize they either can't, or won't, read. Oh well...

 

[Trevor]

[snip]

Horse led to oasis...

It happens all the time. You spell it out line for line, and finally
realize they either can't, or won't, read. Oh well...

I thought I was making it clear which driver setting I was using.
Anyhow, I've figured this out. This is an easy mistake for anyone new
to this printer. In the Epson 1280 driver for Photo Papers, there are
2 4x6 settings - as we all know. I chose the "Photo Paper 4x6 in"
setting to print 4x6 images thinking that this setting refered to
paper that was actually 4.0 x 6.0 inches when in fact it refered to
paper that was slightly larger. It is the "Photo Paper 4x6 No
Perferations" setting that refers to a paper size of exactly 4.0 x 6.0
inches. My images then were offset by the width of the perferation on
the 4x6 perferated paper.

This is my first pack of 4x6 photo paper. It is written on the pack
"Borderless 4"x6" Premium Glossy Photo Paper". It doesn't say
anything about not having perferations, I wouldn't expect the paper to
have perferations. If it had perferations, I would expect there to be
written on the package that the paper had perferations and the paper
was of different size. I'm sure that paper probably does have such a
note however, until now, I never knew it existed. So I've been caught
in a case of a "double negative" scheme and poor tech writing on
Epson's part. It just seems that the "Photo Paper 4x6 in" setting in
the driver refers to paper that is 4x6 inches in measurement and the
"Photo Paper 4x6 No Perferations" setting refers to some other kind of
paper that I do not have. How am I to know that "Photo Paper 4x6 in"
really refers to paper that is 113.6 mm x 175.6 mm and HAS
perforations. Why don't they write "Photo Paper 4.??x6.?? With
Perferations". I don't know what 113.6 mm x 175.6 mm comes out to in
inches, I don't have a metric ruler (I know, that's hardly an excuse).
I wish Epson had made this distinction in their documentation and
also in the driver.

Regarding the print preview window, I've discovered that the "Top of
Page" and "Bottom of Page" phrases are being displayed in the "Symbol"
font (latin characters) on my system. It doesn't seem to affect
performace of the driver. It's probably because I have so many fonts
installed on my system.

 

[Kennedy McEwen]

I thought I was making it clear which driver setting I was using.

You were making it clear, which is why I saw immediately that you were
using the wrong one. ;-)

Anyhow, I've figured this out.

At last!! )

This is an easy mistake for anyone new
to this printer.

You are not the first, and won't be the last. :-(

My images then were offset by the width of the perferation on
the 4x6 perferated paper.

Pedantically, they were offset by the width of the sheet border defined
by the perforations. The perforations themselves are very narrow and
would not have given rise to your initial query.

It just seems that the "Photo Paper 4x6 in" setting in
the driver refers to paper that is 4x6 inches in measurement and the
"Photo Paper 4x6 No Perferations" setting refers to some other kind of
paper that I do not have.

Well, given that both paper size options exist in the driver, you could
look at the sheets you have and see if they have perforations. Your
sheets don't have any perforations, so it seems pretty obvious which one
to select.

How am I to know that "Photo Paper 4x6 in"
really refers to paper that is 113.6 mm x 175.6 mm and HAS
perforations.

Oooh, let's see...
Perhaps by reading page 5 of the printer's "Product Information Guide",
which specifically addresses this issue.

I know the manual is the last place you would look, but you should
resort to it eventually. ;-)

Why don't they write "Photo Paper 4.??x6.?? With
Perferations".

Because, as I explained, this paper has been in existence long before
your printer reached the market, indeed before any Epson printer capable
of borderless printing came on the market. It was called Photo Paper
4x6" when it was introduced and that is how it is referred to in all
Epson printer drivers. Changing the name would have made it different
from the driver nomenclature in all those other printers already
installed in the customer base. Compatibility problems means more
customer support costs. So it was easier to introduce a new name for
the new paper size that emphasised its key feature and the key feature
of the new printer it was compatible with - no perforations, full bleed
prints without tear/cut off borders - and refer to the existing paper
size by the same nomenclature it had always been known by.

I don't know what 113.6 mm x 175.6 mm comes out to in
inches, I don't have a metric ruler (I know, that's hardly an excuse).

Last time I looked, every version of Windows shipped with a fairly
comprehensive calculator that will implement such conversions far more
accurately than viewing scales on a ruler. ;-)

I wish Epson had made this distinction in their documentation and
also in the driver.

Difficult to see how much more obvious it could be made - even if they
had made *"NO"* in bold capitals I doubt it would have changed your
mindset.

Regarding the print preview window, I've discovered that the "Top of
Page" and "Bottom of Page" phrases are being displayed in the "Symbol"
font (latin characters) on my system. It doesn't seem to affect
performace of the driver. It's probably because I have so many fonts
installed on my system.

I doubt it, but it could be because you have a file corruption on your
system that has caused the driver to pick up the wrong fault on
installation. Perhaps the necessary font isn't on your system at all -
looks like Arial Bold here. Have you tried removing the driver and
re-installing it?

 

[Trevor]

Wow, I posted my question to get some help. I didn't expect all this
backlash. I read though that manual many times and the online
reference quide and there is nothing that makes the distinction
between the two different 4x6 sizes. But, it doesn't matter now.

Kennedy, I'm sorry if I offended you in any way. Please accept my
apologies.

Trevor

 

[Kennedy McEwen]

Wow, I posted my question to get some help. I didn't expect all this
backlash. I read though that manual many times and the online
reference quide and there is nothing that makes the distinction
between the two different 4x6 sizes. But, it doesn't matter now.

Kennedy, I'm sorry if I offended you in any way. Please accept my
apologies.

Trevor, despite rejecting my advice offhand before eventually
"discovering" it was right for yourself, you didn't offend me and, as
others may testify, you would be left in no doubt if you had! ;-) In
some ways it is better that you found it yourself rather than being told
- in my own experience I forget what I am told much more readily than
what I learn.

However, in rejecting the correct solution by telling the provider that
they didn't understand you or instructing them to read what you wrote,
you really ought to expect some response when you then fail to
acknowledge that your discovered solution was even related to that you
were previously supplied with.

I am sure that you did read through the manual and online guide several
times and, whilst there certainly is a distinction between these paper
types, you obviously missed it or misread it as a consequence of the
mindset you had already developed. (specifically in the reference I
cited: http://files.support.epson.com/pdf/pho128/pho128pg.pdf states on
page 5, together with explanatory diagrams, that "Epson 4x6-inch Photo
Paper (perforated) is 4.5x6.9 inches including the perforated margins.
The printable area is 4x6 inches.")

That isn't backlash, its trying to explain to you why the obvious answer
didn't appear obvious to you and, already being obvious with an entire
half page being dedicated to this specific relatively minor issue, could
hardly have been made more so! As you will note, there are a number of
emoticons liberally sprinkled throughout my posting which should explain
the tone it was intended to be taken in.

I am glad you have resolved your problem with the paper size issue.
I note that you have failed to resolve your problem with the fonts used
by the driver and have made a number of suggestions as to possible
solutions. Again, that isn't backlash - its an attempt to assist you in
resolving your problem. You are, of course, free to solve that problem
yourself and we will all be delighted to hear how you managed it.